What I'd Buy on Craigslist this Week

Hi friends!

I was supposed to deliver some long overdue furniture this week. 

 (it's not photographing very well but the hardware is purple)

 So, the cute desk with the purple hardware is still in my basement much to my - and my husband's - chagrin because Mother Nature and my schedule are conspiring against me. (snow outside as I write this) Sigh.

I've run 27 miles on the treadmill at the gym in the last two weeks because running and painting furniture are my two quickest paths to sanity. 
Especially in January.  
(Napping is a close third)
So, here's my picks to help keep you sane this week! :-)

1. I'll start off with the biggest ticket item. It's $350. But before you pass, take a look at what you get for the money. A LOT.

The rugs are not included (fine with me) but check out this lot. Tall dresser, short dresser with mirror, headboard, footboard, and two matching end tables.  This is like the holy grail of Craigslist furniture.
Amazing! If you need bedroom furniture for a girl, this is it buddy. RUN.

Think you're not a fan of French Provinicial?  Think again.

Forget all the white sets (I'm not even putting a picture in here because you know what they look like anyway).  And take a step or four out of your comfort zone with fantastic options like these:

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Must. Stop. But you get the idea.

2. I love this. I just can't help myself. He's baaaack! Remember our good friend, Mr. Chester Drawer? 

Every once in a while Mr. Drawer pops up here on Craigslist.  No, you can't make this stuff up. :-)

But besides his name, this guy boasts some cool hardware.  

Think it looks too dated to be awesome? Like this guy?

Nope.

Our Chester doesn't come with the hardware on the edges, but that's no biggie because you can easily buy some and wa-la. 

(The seller is asking $75 for the dresser.)

And you can have an awesome campaign dresser for under $100.

I vote yes!

3. You know how I feel about benches. There's almost no space that can't benefit from a cute one. 

This fits the bill perfectly. For $30 you can't beat it! Enough said.

4. Another thing you know I love - settees (and I think love seats are close enough so we're just going to go with it.) The lines on this are great!

How about a wide stripe on it?

(I can't find a source for this pic)

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Just do it!

5. Last but not least, something I don't see a lot of  - a pair of matching nightstands for a super reasonable price… $30.

They aren't sexy, but man, if you buy them new, they'd cost you an arm and a leg. Using smaller pieces like these to get a dose of color into a room is very low commitment.

I love this yellow.

This green one.

And these in aqua.

Now go forth and get something fabulous! 

As always, if you buy from someone you don't know, be smart. Take a friend. All that good stuff… 

How are you surviving January?

XO,

Anne

What I'd Buy on Craigslist this Week - First edition in 2014

Happy New Year!!

I hope you have been savoring winter break as we have - with lots of family, friends, food, church, naps, football, and presents. Not necessarily in that order. :-)

There are some cool finds this week…here we go! (If you are visiting for the first time, I live near Cincinnati, Ohio, so these items are all local to me.)

1. Vintage white cabinet listed for $250.

I know that's more than I usually spend on Craigslist items, but I like this one for its size, its condition, and its flexibility. Here's why.
First, its size - dimensions are 70 " tall, 30 " wide, 12" deep. You can fit a lot of stuff in that.
Second, its condition looks good - not perfect - but not like it would need a complete overhaul before you could put it in your house.
And third its flexibility. I love this for a kitchen or bath, as the listing suggests, but I think you could also store extra linens, books, or household supplies in it.
Here are a few pics to get your juices flowing.

Midcentury Home Office by Other Metro Media & Bloggers Aesthetic Outburst

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I'm not sure, but this may be an old medical cabinet, and my Uncle Dan & Aunt Pat (who are walking encyclopedias of furniture knowledge and have a booth here in Lexington, KY) just told me that medical items are hot right now. 
(READ: I think this could easily sell for more than it's listed.) 
I can't tell whether it's metal or wood, but if I had room for it, I'd buy it.

2. "Old school" desk chairs or office chairs. I love 'em. Metal, wood, doesn't matter… they are just SO superior to those newfangled things they make now. (wink) So, that said, go scoop these up. 
Cosco Propeller Chair $35

Vintage wood chair

Think about how cool they'd look in a boy's room!

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3. How cute is this old toy piano? 

It looks beautiful and would make an adorable addition to a nursery or playroom. 

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The two like it on Etsy are more expensive than this one. They are asking $45. Go for it!

4. OK this item has been on Craigslist for a while now. In my mind's eye there is a boy (what is it with boys rooms in this post?) who has an awesome vintage-y train room. 
Maybe like… this one.  
(Because HELLO it has a train track running around the top of the room. Please don't tell my son. Thank you.)

And in this mythical train room, folded over the back of a cozy chair, you'd find this cool blanket.

It's from a Pullman sleeping car!

I totally have a movie-like image of men dressed in suits and women in pearls taking a trip, eating and sleeping aboard a train in the heyday of rail travel. 

That's the era these blankets belong to! 
It's stuff like this that takes a room from catalog-designed to uniquely personal. They are conversation pieces, and they are a way to pass on some history to the next generation. 
So someone please buy this cool blanket and do up an awesome vintage train room.  Again, thank you.

5. Last, here's a gal after my own heart. Cute side table, all painted and ready to go. Would make a great addition to a living room near you! $80

This winter weather and ridiculously cold temperatures have me dreaming of yard sale weather….

Just saying.

:-)
Anne

What I'd Buy on Craigslist this Week

It's almost the end of the year.  Hard to believe.  And there seems to be a lot of people who have things they want to get rid of, because Craigslist has been smokin' hot this week!

I'll get right to it.

1. This settee.  $60

I know I've included settees before on the blog, and explained why, so I won't do that again, but I included this piece for a different reason (besides the fact that I just plain like it - excellent lines and very pretty wood carvings on the back.)
If you look carefully at the post, you might notice that the seller spelled settee wrong.  I'm not trying to harp on anyone's grammar or spelling, because that's not why I'm here, but I point it out to you to because it may hurt the seller's chances of finding a buyer. If someone is indeed searching for a settee, they very well may not find this listing. That may mean you have an advantage as a buyer.  And likewise, if you're selling, use spell check! (This goes for eBay, too.)

2. This vanity… is awesome. It is so so so pretty. And $50!!

You'd need to reconstruct the seat, but it would be equally as lovely in a grown woman's room as it would in a little girl's.  I love how petite looking it is and just classic with beautiful hardware and those vintage casters.
And here's a little secret -  I did actually buy it on Craigslist this week this for someone special! (I'll share more later on that)

My Dad and I are going to refinish it for my sister for her birthday in March! I'm already looking at finish options.
White with a dark stained top?

Or red? I'm getting ready to buy a quart of Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk which would be gorgeous…and my sister is the "red" girl so she would love this.

Lots of fun. My parents and I sort of raced over to the seller's house because he said he had someone else coming to look at it. No way was I letting this one get away. Can't wait to get started on it.

3. This is something I haven't seen before. It looks like an old table that would have been in a hospital, perhaps?

I'm assuming it also lays flat. That opens up possibilities for this piece. What about making it the bedside table in your guest room?  This woman found one and put it to work as an end table in the living room.

So cool! Or you could give your child who is studying an instrument a place to put his or her sheet music. It's just a great conversation piece. They're asking $100.

4. Here's a piece that has an issue.

It's an awesome old dresser but it's missing a drawer. What to do?
For $75 here's what you do. Buy it. And then you get creative.
Like this piece from Sweet Pickins

Or this piece

Or this piece from Shabby Story.

5. When I saw this piece, pinned to someone's board, I fell in love.

Of course, it's Pottery Barn Teen and a gazillion dollars. *eye roll*  Nonetheless, this is sort of a dream project for me. I would love to put this in my daughter's room, which is the smallest bedroom in our house, where floor space is at a premium.
So when I saw these on Craigslist, you can imagine…the wheels started turning.

For $100 you could do so much with these!! They would work equally as well for either a boy or a girl.
And they are solid wood. Amazing. You just don't run across stuff like this every day. I just don't know if I can take on a project of this size right now……hmm….

That's it for 2013!
Thank you for sharing part of your lives with me here, even if it is just a little bit.
I feel blessed and lucky to do what I love.

May health and happiness be yours in the New Year.

XO,
Anne
PS - As always, if you buy from Craigslist be careful and take a friend with you. I can't vouch for these sellers or their items.  If you end up buying any of these, please let me know!