{Three} simple tips for thrifting furniture!

While I haven't redone a piece in quite a while {mainly because I'm running out of room}, refinishing furniture is one of my favorite things to do.

Some of my very most favorite furniture pieces...nay, all of my very most favorite furniture pieces are pieces I have thrifted and refinished myself.

My {chevron dresser} tops the list.

What I love most about this dresser, besides the wood and distressed white chevron stripes, are the details that make it unique.  I love that it has legs and sits up off the ground..and that it shows off my stellar housekeeping skills as you can see in the above pic.  Ahem!  And it also has a detachable mirror which I also love the option of.  It's just a cute, little dresser that isn't like a lot of dressers I've seen.

So, tip one for picking furniture...love the character of the piece.

Changing the finish and color of piece of furniture is easy enough to do, but what you can't change is the style and character.  So, when choosing a piece, make sure you love the shape and details it offers because no amount of spray paint or wood stain can cover that up or change that.  

My {mid century modern dresser} is another favorite, thrifted piece I picked up.

I love mid century modern pieces, so when I came across this dresser I loved it immediately.

 But what I had to consider was the condition of the dresser.  Did all of the drawers work?  Did they pull out and push in smoothly?  Was the dresser stable or wobbly?  What was the condition of the wood?  And the biggest question of all, did I have the tools and skills to fix all of these problems?  Fortunately for me, the drawers and dresser itself were in great condition.  The wood was little dinged up, but nothing a quick sanding, some stain and wood wax couldn't repair.  

This brings me to tip number two...choose pieces within your skill set.

If you come across a piece of furniture that is in need of an update, which is usually the case with thrifted pieces, be sure that you have the time, tools and capabilities to make those updates.  That isn't to say that you should avoid trying new things or learning new skills, but there is nothing more frustrating than spending time and money on a project that you can see through to completion because of lack of time or skill.  So, before settling on a piece, be sure to check it out thoroughly and make sure you have everything necessary to refinish it.

Last and final tip, tip number three...be patient.

This part can be the worst, or the best part about thrifting furniture.  It's super frustrating knowing what you want and are looking for but not being able to find it.

Like these two items I have on my thrifting wish list...

vintage card catalog

I love this card catalog, turned buffet.  I have all sorts of things I could put in those little cubbies...napkins, napkin rings, cupcakes.

{source}

vintage lockers

I did happen upon a small set of lockers at the thrift store a few years ago, but they were too small to be functional.  What I really need...er, want is a set of lockers like the one below.  They would look so prefect in my laundry room.

{source}

But, nothing is more satisfying than finding exactly what you were looking for {hopefully at an even more satisfying price}.  There will be times when you might have to settle for something close to your "dream" piece, but in my experience it is just best to wait and enjoy the hunt.

Thrifting can be as easy as 1,2,3.  Just remember the three C's...character {does the piece have it?}, capability {is it something you can do?} and control {don't settle for something you don't love, just be patient}.

Make it Monday- under $10 nightstand revamp

Sorry this post is a little late.
Today was the first day of school and I have spent all morning weeping...
TEARS OF JOY!!!

Just kidding.

It was surprisingly difficult letting my kiddos go to school today.  My oldest started high school and  I'm in a bit of shock about it.  As long as it was still summer, he wasn't in high school.  What made matters worse was how easy it was for each of them to say goodbye and run off, without even a look back.

But we aren't here to talk about feeling old and unneeded right?  Onto something a little less emotional...

Check out this little guy I found.  I totally feel like I struck gold.

 Immediately, I was drawn to the recessed handles and keyhole and brass corner details.  It's very campaign-y, no?  I love the wood and the grain, but due to some significant chipping along the base on the side, I knew it would have to be painted.  I was a little nervous about how I would work around the brass detailing, but I think the process I used worked perfectly.  Stay tuned for my secret tip, which I'll be sharing Wednesday.

As much as I loved the little nightstand, I loved the price even more...

$5.00

I recently re-redecorated my daughters bedroom {it's like musical bedrooms up in here} and I knew this piece would be the perfect addition.  It's a little masculine, but it wasn't anything a little pink paint couldn't fix.

I think the pink suits it.  It's a perfect balance of tough and feminine...kinda like a tomboy, which is totally fitting for my Avery.

And I love how the brass details really pop against the bright pink.

Not too shabby for under $10, eh?

Tip of the day...when treasuring hunting for furniture, look for pieces that have something unique about them; maybe it's the over all shape of the piece, the hardware or intricate carved detail.  Whatever it is, it will give your finished piece more interest and personality.

Happy Hunting!

vintage 70's lights...can you dig 'em?

I've been on a bit of a vintage lighting kick...here's why.

It all started a few weeks ago when I came across this photo {of designer Emily Henderson's bedroom.} 

I was immediately drawn to the hot pink, vintagey, velvety goodness hanging above her nightstand for reason's I can't explain.  I'm not generally attracted to velvet...or seventies home decor in any capacity...seventies music and dancing, well now that is a whole other matter. 

Anywho, last week while I was visiting my mom and family in southern Utah, my sis and I stopped by a little consignment shop.  And what do you know...

there she was, just hanging there.

 Why do I feel an overwhelming urge to sing "boom chicka wow wow" when I see her all aglow.

What made the moment even more perfect was the fact that Blondie was blaring over the sound system when I locked eyes on her...no, seriously.  It was as if the Gods of disco were orchestrating the whole thing.    

Debbie {that's what I named her...seems only fitting, right?} had the same velvety goodness as the inspiriation light, only in bright purple {not a color I'm typically drawn to, but I was willing to overlook}.

 Debbie had the same scalloped, drum shape

and delicious, aged bronze details.

Debbie cost a little more that I would normally care to spend...a whopping $49, but it just seemed wrong not to buy her considering the way everthing seemed to fall right into place.  After an extensive search of keywords like "seventies", "velvet", "drum", "pendant", "gaudy", "brothel" I realized there weren't many, any really, similar looking lights to be found and I felt even better about my purchase.

The closest match I came upon was this royal blue number on ebay...pretty awesome right?

Now, fast forward to yesterday.

I'm was still on a bit of a high from meeting Debbie.  Do you ever get they way when you feel like you've just won the lottery in thrifting/hunting process?

I had a bum load of stuff to donate to the D.I. {Utah's version of the Goodwill} but decided I would stop in first to see if any treasures were waiting for me.

And holy flippin' crud...

this beauty was just lying there waiting for my sweet caresses {cue the Exile now..."I wanna kiss you all over".}

Some more brassy goodness.

and only $15

There wasn't any Blondie playing...if fact I think it was "Call Me Al" by Paul Simon, but I still felt like the Gods of Disco were watching over me.   It was a vintage 70's lighting harvest.

and it seemed only appropriate to call him...well, Al.

I also walked away with two vintage orb pendants as well, which I creatively and thoughtfully named,

Paul

and Simon

These set me back $8 each, but if I'm not mistaken similar orb lights on West Elm run about $100.  Granted they are a little more aesthetially pleasing than my "vintage" version, but saving over $180 on cost more than makes up for what they lack in style.

Now to figure out where all these pendies are gonna go.  Perhaps turning down the lights and turning on some ABBA might inspire.

Let the light fest begin!

$5 Find

I came across this little light a few weeks ago when I hit up the thrift store.

I could tell just by looking at it that it was from Ikea.  And although the prices at Ikea are reasonable to begin with, I couldn't help but feel like $5 for this light was a steal.

It is a very substantial light...measuring about 21 inches in diameter at the base and about 18 inches tall.

While I don't mind the industrial/stainlessl look, I think this light might go a little more glam instead.  I can't wait to get started on the transformation.  Fingers crossed it looks as good in person as it does in my head.  Project flops are the worst.

Just out of curiosity, how often do your projects end up turning out as good as you envisioned in your head?  

My two chairs.

I finally finished reupholstering my thrift store find from last week.  Here's what they looked like before.

I thought they were pretty cute to begin with.  I love the caning and wood, but they were definately in need of some updating.

Here's how they look now.

I put about $100 into revamping them...$60 for fabric {I used three curtain panels from Ikea}, $15 for decorative/fabric trim, $10 for "nail head trim" {I used extra large thumb tacks I found at Hobby Lobby}, $5 for fabric glue and $10 for a button cover kit.

I was a little worried how they would turn out, having never actually completed any repuholstering projects I've started in the past, but I am happy with them...even happier with the price {$65 for each chair}.

I ended up just using the old cushion covers as my patterns for the new ones.

I simply traced around them, leaving an extra 1/2-1 inch allowance.

I used decorative fabric trim to hide the staples I used to attach the fabric to the back and front of the chair.

I embellished the trim with extra large thumb tacks...for a nail head trim look.

I added some tufting detail to the front cushion.  

I used a kit to make my own fabric buttons, which was relatively inexpensive and simple.

I didn't want to bother sanding and refinishing all of the wood, so I just took some dark stain to the scuffed up spots and caning to freshen everything up a bit.  

{Here's my little staining tip.  Put a plastic bag on your hand with an old sock over it.  Use the sock to rub in the stain, then when you are done just pull the plastic bag off, while holding on to the toe of the sock, and your sock will end up inside the plastic bag ready to toss into the garbage.}

Here's how the chairs look in their new home. 

 They are just what my front room needed to finish off the seating.

In other news, we finshed ripping out the remaining items in the master bathroom...the vanity, sinks,  toilet and shower floor.  

We are officially down to one bathroom.  Fingers crossed we all survive this.  Seven people and one bathroom...scary!!!

Look What I Found

I totally meant to hop on here last night and give a shout out Becky over at Knock-Off Decor for featuring my {Anthro Knock-Off} Chevron Striped Lamp Shade, but I've been a little off my "A" game due to puking kids.  I'm on kiddo number three and I imagine "it" probably won't stop until "it" {whatever this freak springtime virus is} has had a chance to infect the rest of us.  Good times!!!

Before the plague hit our house Saturday evening however, I had a chance to stop by my neighborhood thrift shop...which for the record, I do not "pop tags".  

It would seem that famine had struck, as there had been nothing but crappola lining the aisles for weeks.  So, imagine my delight when I came across a pair of these babies.  They were $15 each.

Wood,wicker and tufting all in one...I am in love.

While I actually don't hate the gold, I fully intend on reupholstering the chairs and giving them a fresh, modern update.

Here are some {inspiration} chairs I have been eye balling for awhile...note the navy blue velvet.  Yum!

The Clybourn Loft Chair from Target- $379.99

The Everett Armchair from West Elm- $499

The Elton Chair from West Elm- $499

I can't wait to get started on this little project.  I've never actually upholstered a chair before.  Well, I started reupholstering a chair a year or so ago, but then started on another project and never finished it...cause that's how I roll.

But I swear I will finish this one.  I'm super excited to see how they turn out.  Any and all reupholstering tips/advice welcome!!!