Imagine the possibilities....

I searched "bamboo" the other night on Craigslist, and look at the beautiful patio set that popped up. I say "beautiful" because I'm imagining it painted and the cushions recovered. Christopher always tells me I have an overactive imagination (i.e. "great vision"). 

 The set is iron (heavy), so I LOVE that the chairs have casters!

Table comes with a glass insert (not shown): 

Imagine the chairs recovered in one of Quadrille's fun outdoor fabrics: 

*Imagine the chairs painted orange with this print... or a poppy red. POP! 

Or something more budget friendly from Premier Prints: 

Dad, how would you feel about hooking the trailer up to your SUV and heading to Dayton to pick these babies up???  Let me know.  ;)

***The only problem is we have a patio set right now. Anyone want to buy it??? :) **Christopher, stop freaking out. I'm not probably not going to try to actually make this happen. 

This Week on Craigslist....

It's been a big week on Craigslist, folks! Check out all these amazing steals and deals! 

$100 for the pair. Love the tufting and nailhead trim. If I had time/money/skills I would buy these and have them reupholstered. 

Classy Brassy. $20. 

If the seller would respond to my emailS, I might be able to put the "search for a secretary" to an end. We shall see... 

Sigh... love. $65. 

This dresser is the perfect size for our entry. $70. LOVE the lion pulls!!! 

If I didn't need to earn a living, I think I'd open a shop with refurbished furniture. I'd do the refurbishing myself. I'd have business cards for my shop. My title would be "Owner, CEO, Master Refurbisher". That is all. 

At Some Point I Have to Stop....

I just spotted this beauty on Craigslist for $65. If I'm not careful, people will start calling me "the crazy faux bamboo lady" (I suppose that's more desirable than the "crazy cat lady"). 

The Search for a Secretary Continues...

I first wrote about secretaries here. Since then I've found quite a few on Craigslist, but none of them have worked out (either because they're too expensive, already sold, etc.). I was look through old issues of Lonny and I noticed that Ari's apartment has one in it as well. 

via here

Here are two that I'm currently considering:

Have you found any goodies on Craigslist lately??

Attention Texans:

I know, I know, Texas is a big state, but if you're in the Round Rock area, and you've been searching for an ikat wingback chair (because I'm sure everyone has been...), then, my friend, you're in luck: 

via here

I need to get our chairs reupholstered before we move in August, and as I was looking for inspiration, this beauty popped up. Somebody buy it, take photos of it, and send it to me so I can live vicariously through you. That is all.  

How to Search Craigslist Like a Rockstar

I've received a few comments/emails suggesting that I do a post with tips on how to find items on Craigslist. I'm not sure this post will be much help, but I'm at least going to try!  I spent some time thinking about how I go about searching for items on Craigslist, and I've come up with a list of "best practices". Here goes:

1. Be organized and consistent. Have a list of items you are looking for. Search for these items everyday (at least once a day). My list includes: 

-Acrylic

-Chippendale

-Settee

-Cane (as in cane chair)

-Tufted

-Brass

-Etagere

-Bamboo

-Dresser

-Persian Rug

-Mid Century Modern

-Hollywood Regency

-Queen Ann

-Secretary (as in desk)

-Cart (as in bar/serving cart)

-Restoration Hardware

2. This goes along with #1: Be as "generic" with your searches as possible. The more basic your searches are, the more you'll find. The tradeoff to this is that you'll have to invest more time. 

3. Remember, it's Craigslist. When I first started using Craigslist I ended up very frustrated because I would search for things like "faux bamboo brass bar cart" or "vintage campaign dresser" and find NOTHING. When you stop and think about it though, the majority of people don't know exactly what they're selling or how to describe it. When I started simplifying my searches (i.e. LAYMAN'S TERMS), I was shocked with everything I found. 

4. Email the person right away to see if the items are available (before you get really excited); ask for measurements if they're not listed already with the item description. 

5. Be patient!!! 

6. You can always narrow your search by "furniture" or other categories. I never do though, but I always search items that have pictures with them. 

When I searched the items on my list here's what I came up with: 

Let me know if I missed anything that I should add to my list! I hope you found this semi-helpful!! 

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Dear friends, I need your help. This Hickory Chair Co. chair is on Craigslist for $45 (free delivery included). It has a small stain on the seat of the chair, which is fine with me because I would simply recover it. I'm signing up for classes to learn to recover dining room chairs, so I think I could easily recover the seat. The only issue: the back of the chair. It's sewn in. What does this mean? Can I have it recovered too??? Maybe it's something I'll learn in the class. It's a beautiful chair with a lot of potential for $45, but if I'm not able to recover the back it really doesn't matter. By the looks of it, what do you think???

Oh, and check out this big guy I found for $200. I'd like to bring him home with me. He's not exactly what I was looking for in terms of the base of the secretary, but the hutch is JUST what I had in mind. Thoughts??! 

Craigslist Goodies

Check out these recent goodies I found on craigslist. I would love to buy all of these pieces and work on them for fun! 

I am itching for a makeover!!! *Don't worry, Christopher, I'm not bringing any more furniture into our home.... right now.