{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}.