What I'd buy on Craigslist this week - and what to do with it

Hi friends!

There is a chill in the morning air, I have a cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee in my hand, and we're plotting a trip to the pumpkin patch.  Fall is lovely right now.

Here's a few gems I found on my local (Cincinnati) Craigslist this week.  See what you think.  I also have a few tips for how I mine CL for the best and most useful things.

1. Buffet/server/sideboard.  This piece is classic, can be used in a million different ways and rooms, and did I mention it's $60?

 Put it in a foyer or front hall with a beautiful lamp and a mirror. This piece from the Turquoise Iris looks so gorgeous.

Use it in a bathroom as a vanity - just add a sink - there are tutorials all over Pinterest.
It just so happens that the super talented Traci and her husband Cy over at Beneath my Heart found almost the exact same piece as the one I picked this week.  It's in their master bath and it looks like a million bucks.

Or put your TV on it and have the classiest media stand around, like Carrie at Hooked on Decorating did.  (Again, almost the exact same piece - so cool!) I love that she took out the top drawer for technology stuff and had a piece of glass cut to fit the top.  Fantastic.

PS - tip #1 look at the other stuff in the picture/listing.  Be observant.  The other items this seller has - table and chairs, etc. are all awesome!

2. Vintage Gun Cabinet.

Stay with me.  Look at it for a minute.  What else does it look like to you?

It screamed hallway bench to me.  Apparently I'm not alone! Ericka at Rose Colored Glasses did exactly that.

Her piece rocks!

3. Pick up this entry bench for $20.  It looks like it's in great shape.

Yes, you can use it in the front hall or mudroom.  But a la Pottery Barn, you can also stick it at the foot of a bed

or use it as a coffee table. It's $20!!

4. Waterfall hutch

This can be turned into a lovely storage and display piece for just about any room.  Just as shown at The Weathered Door. Charming.

Tips for searching Craiglist with the best results?  Use the CraigsPro app.  It's far better than the actual website.  You can set up searches and it will notify you when there is a match.  You can also mark your favorites (which you can do online, too.)

Use the search limiting functions.  I usually start my searches looking only at items that are listed from $5 to $75.  It's a pet peeve of mine when people put $1 in the cost for the listing, so I just start above there.  Sort from the lowest price up, then check the most recent listings.  But don't forget to check the oldest listings.  If the item is still around, the seller may be very willing to negotiate and get rid of the thing they're selling!  Once you've skimmed through the items up to $75, you can then go higher if you want.  Remember - the price is just what the seller is asking.  It by no means is what you are required to pay...it's all up for negotiation, unless the seller says the price is firm.

Check different sections - Antiques, Furniture, General, Household, and yes, Garage Sale.  People list stuff everywhere, it seems.

Use keywords: cabinet, bookshelf/shelves, hutch, storage, drawers, and wood are all some of my go-to's.

If you want to see if you can get a better price than what's listed, I have found a good way is to simply write, "Would you be willing to work with me at all on price, please?" and then offer to pick the item up at their convenience.
Hard to say no to that... in my opinion. :-)

Hope Fall is fantastic wherever you are.
Cheers!

XO,
Anne

Go Big Blue

Yes, I live in Kentucky, but no, this post is not about basketball.
I just delivered (rather, my incredibly awesome parents delivered for me) the biggest piece I've done, to date.

This piece found me.  She yelled right at me from the parking lot at my favorite local non-profit thrift store.

No one else was even looking at her.

But I knew the minute I laid eyes on her, that she was coming home with me (saggy cardboard, spiders and all...)

She's no lightweight.

She boasted great storage, and with those detailed cabinet fronts, was just screaming (as Nicole, the heroine of HGTV's Rehab Addict puts it), "Make me pretty!"

My Dad helped me haul her into the house and reinforce her structure a little.

Dad, you rock, as usual.

Then she was all mine.

I put her on Facebook, and immediately got snatched up by a friend with bold taste, who was willing to take a risk and have me do this for her long distance.  She never saw it in person until it was delivered to her front door.  Is that a leap of faith, or what?!

This piece got two coats of primer, about 3 coats of paint (some places needed more touch-up, as getting paint in ALL those little curves, nooks, and crannies, took some time and patience) and Polycrylic to keep her looking great for years to come.

Here's what I love most about this piece:

I never would have chosen the colors the owner chose.  Just would not have happened.  The color - bold, bright, beautiful - made this dumpy relic into a Grande Dame.

She looks regal in her blue-purple*.  The owner also wanted paper lining the inside, and she chose sheets of peacock feathers.  Amazing.

There was a lesson for me at the end of the process.  I couldn't have been more pleased with how the piece turned out.  And it is what it is now, because the owner did something out of the ordinary.  She took a chance - and made me take a chance.  A major step out of my comfort zone.  And it resulted in a broader horizon for me.  So, thank you, Liz!  I envision many wonderful cocktail parties, and dinners with friends going on with this piece in the room.  And I hope it makes you smile each time you look at it.  I know I did.

Here's the materials I used:

Primer - Zinsser Bulls Eye Water-Base Primer & Sealer

*Paint - Crushed Velvet in flat finish by Olympic at Lowe's (this color is reading as way more purple in these pics. It is more blue in person.)

Top coat - Polycrylic Satin finish by Minwax

Hardware - sprayed with flat black then finished with Valspar silver spray paint, also at Lowe's (also coated with Polycrylic for durability)

Paper - Recollections scrapbook paper, called Peacock Feathers, sold by the sheet at Michael's


So the next time you're out thrifting or yard saling, and a big old honkin' piece yells at you, LISTEN!  And try something bold and different.

Thanks for reading!
XO,
Anne

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