I can remember my mother allowing me to play with her sewing machine and i would stitch pieces of scrap fabric together, learning how to adjust the spacing of the stitches and tension. And who knew that all the refrigerator boxes I turned into playhouses, would plant such deep seeds and a passion for creating unique comfortable homes.
It's probably like any other addiction or obsession, I get a wave of butterflies when I come upon an antique shop or an estate sale. It's in these places you can find the best treasures at great prices. Sometimes, with a little elbow grease or coat of paint an old piece can have a new shine. I have watched the shows on television where people suffer from hoarding or soak their entire life savings on Mickey Mouse trinkets, but this is different.
Working with wholesale vendors in my design business has also led me to believe that paying full retail is never ideal. I always look for a plan "B" way to establish the same concept. My husband also is keen with being "economic", making our money stretch as far as we can, with little splurges here and there.
My latest endeavor is to find old upholstery pieces that have good bones and are worth revitalizing. I have found that estate sales have the best deals on these sort of things. From my experience, most companies that conduct the sales have a mailing list that you can join and receive notices of upcoming events. If you can wait it out, the last day of the sales, most things are marked down even further, making the bargain all the better.
Recently, I picked up these two beauties.
Working with wholesale vendors in my design business has also led me to believe that paying full retail is never ideal. I always look for a plan "B" way to establish the same concept. My husband also is keen with being "economic", making our money stretch as far as we can, with little splurges here and there.
My latest endeavor is to find old upholstery pieces that have good bones and are worth revitalizing. I have found that estate sales have the best deals on these sort of things. From my experience, most companies that conduct the sales have a mailing list that you can join and receive notices of upcoming events. If you can wait it out, the last day of the sales, most things are marked down even further, making the bargain all the better.
Recently, I picked up these two beauties.
TOO "beige", for heavens sake! In great condition, this oval cane back arm chair just needs a bit of attention to the frame and new upholstery.
This sad case for a low wing back, again, has good bones and just needs some cosmetic work, to say the least. As i work on these two beauties, I'll post their progress, good or bad!
To sum it up, to save some hard earned dinero, look in places that may be outside the box. You will defiantly be surprised when you see quality pieces at bargain prices. And besides, it's an adventure to find unique, and sometimes, one of a kind of treasures that will make your home unique. I'm not one for "cookie cutter", and if you know me, you know that the thought of it puts a funny taste in my mouth.
Have fun on your treasure hunt!
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1 comment:
I remember some of the "unique" furniture from Granny's that you kept! Glad you have an eye for using good things. The sofa & chair in our game room were bought by the Bunkleys in 1952!
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