Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design LLC
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Create a home that tells your story.


Bring back the past. But better than before.

Do you have a piece of furniture that just doesn’t feel right in your home anymore—something that’s the wrong color, doesn’t match your current style, or has been sitting unused for years? Let’s give it new life!

​We’ll refresh or repaint your existing piece so it fits beautifully into your space again. It’s a creative, eco-friendly, and budget-conscious alternative to buying new furniture—plus, you’ll end up loving (and using) it all over again. You'll have a custom-designed piece that will become a conversation piece to showcase in your home.

If you DO need a new piece of furniture, think about second-hand pieces. Older items are typically solid wood, well-made, have lovely details, and are very sturdy. We have an inventory of refreshed older pieces that you can find here. Or, if you find a piece elsewhere, we can refresh it for you.
Get a quote to refresh my piece
See existing inventory

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Hi, I'm Kerri...
the DIY Decorator. I grew up in a modest Cape-style house in a middle-class neighborhood with a stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked his tail off as an iron worker. My parents provided for us very well despite my dad's inconsistent work, due to their great money management and creativity.

Our house was always well-maintained (thanks to my dad's skills), with nice furniture and pretty décor (thanks to my mom's skills). My mom was the queen of DIY, repurposing and thinking out of the box. And my dad was one of those guys who could build or fix anything.

As a kid, I was a tomboy who'd rather play in the dirt with Matchbox cars with my brother and the neighborhood boys. And I was the little girl who asked for a tool box for Christmas! If I wasn't playing with the boys, I was drawing. My girl friends would play with my Barbies while I sat and drew pictures. One of my dream gifts was a box of 64 Crayola crayons. The box even had a sharpener built in!

I've loved anything creative as far back as I can remember. Whether it was sketching Tippy the turtle from the pack of matches, dreaming of doing what Darrin Stephens (from Bewitched) did for work at the ad agency, designing Lincoln Log homes, or "painting" pictures on the sidewalk with a cup of water and a watercolor paintbrush, I always wanted to be creating.
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I guess it's no surprise that I ended up wanting to help homeowners make their homes beautiful using what they already own, and repurposing old furniture. Growing up, I gained an appreciation for buying well-made furnishings, looking for function and need, and being mindful of ways to create, re-create, and decorate beautifully on a budget. Thanks, mom and dad for the life lessons I didn't know I was learning!


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160 Plaistow Rd (Rte 125), Plaistow, NH
​603.479.3041

(green awning Plaistow Commons Plaza,
​next door to Moe's Sandwiches)
Hours:
Mon & Tues - by appt.
Wed - Sat - 10am - 5pm
​Sunday - 10am - 3pm

© 2025 Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design LLC
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  • Home
  • Custom Painting
  • Projects for Sale
  • Events and Workshops
  • Back to Basics - My Blog
  • Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Work with me
  • Workshops-The Ethels