What I'd Buy on Craigslist this Week

Hi Friends!

Are you in the Polar Vortex, too?

This is ridiculous.  It's been so cold for so long, I think I've actually given up hope that Spring will ever come.  So, let's think about things that are more fun.  Like furniture.  And paint.  And painting furniture. :-)

Off we go.

1. Lingerie dresser.  $75

Love what Tami from Curb Alert did for a super girly, French look.

Oui, oui! So cute.
But what if you need it for a boy's room?  Swap out the hardware for something less frilly and go dark and numbered like this one.

2. Midcentury stuff isn't for everyone.  But in small doses, it can really wake up a room and make it look contemporary...the stuff is wildly popular right now.  (Because of things like Exhibit A, this gorgeously staged black number from Natty by Design)

For those not sure they love it, here's about the smallest furniture investment you can make and still get the look...a $20 desk.

I love a $20 desk, people.
This one is small enough that it will never overwhelm a space and its clean lines make it great for kids or grown ups, boys or girls.
As it turns out, Natty by Design has a knack for making awesome midcentury desks over.
Exhibit B.

Nuff said.

3. This is a great set of furniture for $150! Classic lines, and "good construction."  can't ask for much more than that.  (And it must be the week of the lingerie dressers)

I love a hutch. It makes great use of vertical space without the need to install shelves.  If this set looks as good in person as it does here, I'd go for it in a second.  Don't just think you have to leave it in the bedroom, either.  I LOVE the woman who put a set, almost identical to this, in her craft room. Here's a peek.

Ack!! Look at how awesome that is!
And check out the rest of the board for more pics of the room, including a black and white settee.  Be still, my heart...

4. It's not often I can show you a virtual before and after with two identical items (found separately - the internet is an amazing thing sometimes.)

You know I love gossip benches, phone stands, whatever you want to call them.

I especially love the curved wood on the phone stand part and the wavy slats on the chair back. This one is $60.
If someone is interested in trying their hand at a furniture project, I think this is a great place to start. You can easily recover the seat and wa-la... have something like this!

How cool is that?!

5. Find artists and people who love furniture as much as I do. I'm seeing more and more pieces that have already been transformed, listed on CL.
Since I do very few pieces that don't already have an owner or buyer, I think you should check them out.
People are getting out there, getting their hands dirty and saving pieces of furniture and they should be supported!  Just my two cents. :-)
Here are a few pretty finds I love.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/fuo/4294520646.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/fuo/4291170973.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/fuo/4264313106.html

If you're interested in finding a piece already done, search for things like, "painted" "upcycled" "restored" "vintage" "distressed" "waxed" or "refinished".  And remember, if you have a smartphone, use it to set up a search for those words, both in the Furniture and Antique categories, on a Craigslist app.
It will alert you when there's a match.  I find the app to be a great tool to help navigate a sometimes not-so-user-friendly, or organized, website.

That's all for this week. I hope you are staying warm and safe.

Have a great week!

XO,
Anne

PS - I'd love it if you shared this post wherever you are active online. Thanks!

What I'd buy on Craigslist this week and two awesome thrift store finds

Hi friends!

Made my first pot of chili... I love fall.  But it's also the time of year that yard sales tend to start winding down where I live. So, besides the thrift store, Craigslist is my fix. :-)

So here goes:

1. This adorable white spindle table.  It has great lines and detail.  And it's $35.

Put it in a girls room.  Or the guest room.  Or the bathroom.  Or the living room.

I think I'd leave it white, although this looks awesome painted bright blue.

2. This $25 planting table/workbench.  If you have room for it, please buy it so that when I build my garage I can buy it from you.  :-)  

This one is featured at HGTV.com

I must be feeing lazy this week because I actually like this just the way it is, too, although this one in white is so great.  Doesn't it just make you want to plant something??

I just love the idea of a place to store your tools, and pots, and watering can and cute garden gloves.  Organize it all this fall so that when spring comes, you're ready to roll.

3. Pick up this very vintage 70's looking queen/full size headboard for $30.

Don't make that face.  I'm telling you, bad 60's and 70's furniture with all the carvings and turned posts on it is the BEST stuff to paint.  Looks fabulous.
Don't believe me?  Now, it's not identical, but our friends over at Pottery Barn would ask you to cough up $1500 for their white version, the Caroline bed.

But if you don't want to use it as a headboard, you can do what this brilliant woman did and turn it into a fantastic front porch welcome sign.... what?! I love that!!!

Heck this other headboard is a measley $10.

Paint the panel with chalkboard paint and rotate messages.  Seriously? People are so smart.  This is just adorable.

4. These $6 footstool legs are so great (so long as they are sturdy - and I'd ask when I contact the seller.)

Besides having a pretty footstool around to look at,

I think it's great to have in case a little one would like to pull a chair up to the coffee table and color or something.  Get a piece of plywood, some foam and batting and cover it in anything you want! You could easily add higher sides to it like this one, also.

I also think it would be cute to put next to a kid's bed if the bed sits up high.  Sooo cute.

5. I think this is a very old antique rocking chair.

And I bet it would look amazing recovered and updated in a very special little one's room.  Can you see it?  I sure can.  That's exactly what these people did.

What a cool piece!

As I mentioned up top, I went thrifting this week (to escape the madding news coverage of the government shutdown #furious) and scored two great pieces...one for me!

Here they are - a vintage 60's or 70's coffee table (remember? great pieces to paint) and this unusual arm chair.

It was the woodwork on the front of this chair that had me at hello. SO cool!! I cannot wait to see it in a fresh new fabric and a coat of paint. Those turned legs and carvings are just going to pop!

And I am keeping the coffee table.  More about that later.
Remember, friends, if you decide to buy something on Craigslist, BE SMART.  I do not know any of these sellers - and I always try to make my Craigslist interactions as transparent as possible... take someone with you.  If the piece isn't huge, you can ask to meet in a public place like a grocery store parking lot.  If your gut tells your something isn't right, listen to it.

Now, that said, get out there and do something awesome!

XO,
Anne

What I'd buy on Craigslist this week

Hi friends!
You know I love Craigslist, probably more than the average bear.  It is a treasure trove of things just waiting to be reinvented, or used again.  As always remember that safety is the most important thing when shopping Craigslist!!  Be smart and safe and always take someone with you if you are picking an item up, and make sure someone knows where you are going and who you are expecting to meet.  That said, I don't know any of the people selling these items.  I haven't seen any of them in person.  So if you want to buy one of these things, just know I can't personally vouch for them.  But I would buy each of them myself if I could. :-)

1.  It's not furniture.  But it's adorable and vintage and would look fantastic sitting on a table in a hallway somewhere.  Add a vase of flowers.  Be tempted to start that novel you've been meaning to write (this thing still works!)  Hint: if you're not the novel-penning type, get a cool piece of card stock.  Type out a page full of "Happy Birthday from the Smiths," cut them up, tie them on to gifts and look COOL.

2.  Run.  Do not walk.  And someone please go buy this chair.  Why, you ask?

Because you paint it a gorgeous creamy white, and join the ranks of happy people everywhere who have cheated the Pottery Barn Gods by stealing a look of theirs FOR $300 LESS.

3.  Fuzzy picture.  Clear winner.  This coffee table has loads of character, storage, and leaves you can pull up for more space with guests or with the kids to play a board game.

Paint it and show off all the great detail (like this one that looks like it sold for $225 on Etsy although the link is broken.)

4.  Find a cozy corner of your home, fill it with books, a blanket, and this chair.

Or this one.

But first, give it a fresh blue and red color scheme. Gorgeous, right?

5. Ok this last one requires a little imagination. But it would be a conversation piece for sure!
Pick up this unique side table.

Paint the body of it white like this one.

Then paint the faux book spines a soft beige, or mod podge some burlap onto them. Grab a stencil and some white paint.  Stay with me.
You would hopefully end up with a look like this on the spines:

Would that not be cool?!
I hope you can see that in your head as I can.

Now get out there and make something awesome!!

XO,
Anne

Best of Craigslist this week in Cincinnati!

Hey!

Taking a break from the bathroom reno to share some awesome things (with awesome price tags) that I found on Craigslist this week.  As I've said before, I don't know these sellers.  I haven't seen these pieces.  If you decide to buy them, be smart and be careful!

1. Chic bistro set.  $25 - Get the rust off this thing.   Paint it a hot color.  Sip coffee and look adorable.  Repeat last step as much as possible. :-)

2.   Set of four bar stools. $85 - Bar stools are ridiculously expensive.  Don't fall for it!  Buy these.  Re-cover the seats in hip fabric.  Smile every time you sit on them.  

3. Oval wall mirror.  $25 - Gold is back.  Buy this.  Hang in on the front of a bookcase.  Look like you just fell out of House Beautiful.  (Here's the link to where I found this pic.  However the source listed there is a dead end...)

4.  Buy this. Just trust me.  It's $50!!  And oh my word, it's beautiful.

5. Don't buy this.  Because I am :-) For the money, you cannot beat an old coffee table like this.  Paint it  a soft color and distress it, then sit back and watch people ooh and aah.  

like this:

Or, skip the soft color and paint it bright yellow and watch people offer you $115 for it.   

like this:

Either way, it has great lines and storage! $10- what??

Hope you have a great weekend!

XO,

Anne