This morning I managed to have a mini vacation in the form of going thrifting, kid-less and husband- less. That meant I could browse for hours if I wanted to and dig through every dusty nook and cranny the stores had to offer. I have five dollars in cash, and I took my coffee to go. I always keep in mind what I am looking for before I go so I don't waste any time on things that I don't need. (It is easy to buy things that will just junk up your house, if you're not careful). Today, I needed to find some pictures for my upstairs dining room, a picture for the downstairs living room, and I was on the outlook for a new book.
I didn't get to Goodwill as early as I would have liked, but I pulled into the store at 10 o'clock. Off I went. I always go to house hold/furniture items first because those are the things that people pick through first. It is always iffy for me in this area at Goodwill. I like to come during seasonal transition periods because that is when everyone is cleaning out their houses and throwing their things out. With most things bought secondhand, you need to make sure that you properly check, clean and disinfect the pieces prior to bringing them in your home. Here is a good guide.
My Husband has been in the process of re-doing his office in our home, and he really loves pieces from the website Restoration Hardware. Everything from there is gorgeous, but not exactly budget friendly. I always keep an eye of for worn leather pieces, bar-ware, decanters or drink trays. I stumbled upon a mid century style leather chair for ten dollars that I knew he would like. It had a piece of upholstery torn from the arm but that was the only thing that seemed to be wrong with it. I figured I could drape a throw over it until I could find a way to have it repaired. For 10 dollars, I couldn't pass it up.
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| Restoration Hardware - $2120.00 |
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| I'm so proud I got this for $10! |
The picture on the left is the chair that I purchased. On the right is a comparable chair from Restoration Hardware. My find is used and of lesser quality, but my husband gets a similar look for his office. I also won't feel sick to my stomach if my two-year old decides to hone his artistic skills on the leather. There is also the difference in price. I feel confident that we can use the $2,110.00 dollars difference on something more beneficial, like the bills for a few months.
After I had reserved the chair, (trust me, if you see a piece you want, go ahead and reserve it and have them put a sold sign on it. I have had people buy things right out from under me before, especially with a super cheap and super practical piece of furniture. People can be rude.) I went to see if they had any pictures that I wanted. I found a huge picture, framed and with a good mat and backing for 7 dollars. I wasn't exactly crazy about the picture, but the frame alone was worth the money. I am still playing with idea of re-staining the frame a darker color. I went ahead and got it, I can always switch prints if I come across something that I like better later.
Before I left, I wanted to check out the coats, because I always like to see what the have. Sometimes I find really good stuff. I have A LOT of coats, way more than I need and I usually end up giving a lot of what I find away. I came across another vintage London Fog trench, but this one was much nicer than my previous one. It is a winter/all weather trench, that has removable fur on the inside for cold days. It was 5 dollars. Again, another steal.
I also picked up two stoneware, hand painted coffee mugs to display on my coffee bar/wine rack upstairs in my kitchen. I enjoy nice coffee mugs, I drink it every single day and I have a good collection of pretty ones that I set out on display. I gave a dollar for two that were matching. Even my husband liked them.
My last stop was Nu2U where I found a beautiful picture for 5 dollars. I had been looking at for a while. Actually, the picture is part of a set, and I first saw them in the ladies restroom at The Windy Corner Market in Lexington. I will have to keep my eye out for the rest of them. By the way, if you ever get a chance to eat there, do, everything is locally grown, and it is a super cute place! I also found a book for a buck that I have already read half of. Jack and Jackie. Of course, it would be a Kennedy book. Kyle laughs at me. It is a guilty pleasure.
All in all, today was a good day for me. Everything in my house has been re-purposed or bought from a thrift store. As a first-starting-out couple with two kids, it just isn't practical for us to go out and spend a ton of money on decorating and furniture when we have two rug rats that are just going to dirty it all up!
Mid-century modern armchair -------------- $10.00
Large Interior picture --------------------------$7.00
London Fog Trench --------------------------- $5.00
Medium Interior picture ---------------------- $5.00
(2) Stoneware mugs --------------------------- $1.00
Paperback --------------------------------------- $1.00
A few hours to renew my sanity ------------- Priceless
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TOTAL: $29.00
Good Luck out there!
Labels: Antiques, Picking, Tip and Tricks, Vintage, Yard Sales
