Gold Dipped Wooden Planter & Dresser Styling

You know when you're watching home buying shows on TV and the agent tells the client that you can make cosmetic changes, but the one thing you can't change is the location? Yeah. I sort of feel that way about thrift store shopping. But, instead of a bad location (like a house) something at the thrift store might be total trash or completely unusable. (Tell me I'm not the only one who wonders how some of that stuff has even made it onto the shelves). Other items might just need that easy cosmetic change.

My Fun, Thrifty Finds

Hey everyone!

  

We got so much done yesterday! I worked on some painting projects that will be available to my customers next weekend when I have my porch sale and my husband and neighbor took down our old, ugly, rotten fence.

 

I'm always out hunting and shopping for fun things. Lately, it's been furniture for my business, but I always love getting little accessories for my own home because I think that is what makes it so collected and eclectic; which I love!

 

I seriously may have squealed out loud when I found this pillow a few days ago at a tag sale. Are the colors not the most perfect for my entryway with those Pier 1 candles? The back of the pillow is even aqua which, just so happens to be the main accent color in my home.  Best part? It was just $1!

Mixing Vintage W/ New: Living Room Tour

I recently made it my mission to update our living room on a seriously small budget and using as much vintage furniture as I could.

 

The updates started to come into play a couple of months ago when my husband and I decided we finally were going to buy a new couch.  We've needed one for a couple of years now, but we were able to stretch the old sofa by using a slipcover and removing the back, dated and bulky cushions.

 

 

My husband wanted new, well-made, but not expensive. I wanted vintage. We even went to look at a sofa we found on craigslist. Totally. Did. Not. Work. Out. Seriously, how do people judge what good condition is? If you list your couch as excellent, then the arm should not feel like it is about to fall off!

 

 

We were totally at a sofa standstill when I happened upon a really great couch, that was very much like our number one pick from Pottery Barn.  It was new, gorgeous and priced at an incredible discount at a local store. I went back the next day with Martino, praying that it would still be there and it was! So excited!

 

 

 

Buying & Decorating with Thrift Store Art

Morning everyone! I just wanted to hop on real quick to share some of my recent thrift store/antique store finds with you all.

  

I've had a couple of crazy weeks. Last Wednesday was my birthday and yesterday, my 15th wedding anniversary. Our new couch was delivered this week, which, of course, caused a major rearrangement/redecorating of furniture and accessories in the living and dining rooms.  I'm also working on a huge custom dining set for a client. And, I got my hair majorly cut.

 

Did I mention that my husband really doesn't like change? There was definitely more than one time, this past week, where I sent him an email at work to try to prepare him for what was going on here before he got home!

  

Anyway, I have so much that I want to share, and I promise that updated living, entry and dining room tours our on the horizon.

  

For now, though, here is a little gallery wall that's in process in our living room...

 

Grungy White & Burlap

Last week I shared a makeover that I absolutely loved using black paint and burlap (here).  The store that I sell most of my furniture at is country/primitive and the most popular color, by far, is black.

 

Updating with Black Paint & Burlap

I love both black paint and burlap and recently had a great opportunity to use them together. I found two awesome pieces of furniture (at separate places) that were just begging for a makeover.

 

Painted Thrift Store Shelf & Mantel Display

Oh my gosh, this weekend went by fast! Can you all believe it's Monday already? 

 

Saturday my Mom and I took the boys to Mystic, Connecticut, for the day and froze!  I wonder when exactly spring will arrive up here in the northeast? 

 

On the way home I took some back roads and stumbled upon a seriously cute consignment store in Colchester. I could have spent forever in there, but for some reason, 9 and 11 years old boys don't want to go antiquing with there mother and grandmother, so there was some pretty substantial complaining going on. And this is despite the fact that my oldest got an owl for his collection and my youngest found a vintage Mickey Mouse bank for his room.

Repurposed Tree with Thrift Store Silver

I'm gearing up to host the 'Tis the Season Holiday Link Party on December 22nd. My theme for the party is Christmas trees and I thought I would share this fun little tree that we have in our dining room because it has such an interesting backstory!

Metal Trunk Thrift Store Score

Lately, I've had this thing for metal trunks. I even posted about it in October here.

Our Repurposed Card Catalogue

Hi there! I'm just stopping in to quickly share an absolutely fantastic find my husband and I purchased this past weekend.  Remember that tag sale I had gone to a few months back at the Catholic school that had closed?  You can read about it here and here.  Well, on Saturday and Sunday they had one last Everything Must Go sale and so, of course, we stopped over.

Frugal, Seasonal, Natural {Decorating}

The main living areas in my home are decorated for autumn and I wanted to talk a little bit about my thrifty strategy to be able to afford decorating seasonally.

Interesting Containers

I aways find that plants, twigs, pine cones and the like look special and intentional when they are presented in an interesting and unusual container.  The contents can be easily changed out for each season allowing you to create many different looks throughout the year. 

Over the weekend I went to one of my favorite resale shops in a nearby college town and purchased two unique items for my home.  One was this basket for $4. I can already imagine how it will flow seasonally throughout our home, inside and out.

Updating the Outdated {Ottoman Reupholstering}

A couple of weekends ago, I went to Savers and came back with what I thought was the perfect ottoman (after many failed attempts) for my youngest son to sit on while he was watching television.  (Both of my boys have low vision so they can't see the TV from the couch.) I'm pretty sure my husband was horrified as he saw me wrestle a dated, dirty, worn, faded ottoman out of my SUV.  However, this piece was solid, sturdy construction and, for all its wear, had a fantastic cushion and padding.

 

I think I spruced it up quite nicely. 

 

 

 

 

A Collected Autumn Corner

My fall decorating continues, and this past week a tackled this black shelf and dresser that's in the corner of our living room.  I know it's odd to have a dresser in the living room, but you know how it goes when you live in an old house--no storage--so this piece of furniture works perfectly for us as a place to store dvds and extra blankets. 

 

 

The Versatile Bench

I had wanted to add some extra seating to the dining room to be used when we have guests.  The most natural place to add in a seat was with the secretary that I refinished here.  However, because I plan on mostly keeping the secretary open, I didn't want to go with a traditional chair.