House Beautiful

Tag Archive for 'antiquing'

Goodwill Hunting, San Diego Style

Palm Trees, San Diego | Covet Living
If you’ve ever sniffed at this blog, then you know I have a deep affinity for scouring estate sales, antique stores and thrift stores for diamonds in the rough.  All over my house(s) lie shiny turds that I’ve polished into golden nuggets.  Like these guys:

(BARNWOOD FRAME, $10, via a pile in some antique store.  DRESSER, $125, via Habitat for Humanity in Mt. Pleasant, SC.)

Antique Dresser and Barnwood Frame

(BUFFET before version via a Salvation Army somewhere in Columbus, OH that I should’ve NE-VER walked into without a bulletproof vest, $25)

Goodwill $25 buffet

(BUFFET after version – see it behind the settee! – in my C-bus dining room.  The table was $30 on Craigslist and I refinished it the night before Thanksgiving Day one year for extra seating…  gold tipped flutes were $0.50 from Goodwill…  you get the idea.)

Columbus Dining Room

(VINTAGE DRESSER, $40 via High Street consignment shop in C-bus, sandblasted and shellac’d in green.)

Green Dresser 1

Green Dresser 2
…you get the idea.  It pays to go thrifting!  It had been awhile since I’d ventured out and waded through piles of misfit furniture, or had one of those perfectly indulgent fiddle-faddling weekends, so that’s what I did: made zero plans except to sleep in, take Gus dog to the beach, go to yoga, drink a whole pot of coffee while I get lost in the glistening sea of Pinterest, peruse the Cedros Design District, hit up Mexican + Margs with a girlfriend…  then hit a gaggle of new thrift stores on Sunday.  Those kind of weekends are to me what March Madness is to dudes – utter bliss.  Anyhow – kids (!)  Purell your hands & put on your big girl pants – cuz we’re going thrifting.

CEDROS DESIGN DISTRICT, Solana Beach

First, let’s clarify: there’s nothing entirely thrifty about this little North County slice of heaven – peppered with vintage finds and John Robshaw pillows and sparkly gems – but it’s a good source of inspiration, and it’s where I spent my Saturday afternoon. Plus Solo was having their annual sale, so that counts… sorta.

SOLO

I bought that vintage “pas de bon cafe sans chicoree williot” jar.  $88 $20.

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I need to find candlesticks just so I can pop some of these pretty tapers in them.

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Salvaged metal turned cool frame.  Solid addition to any Bachelor Pad.

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These are kinda funky but a friend of mine in Charleston used to make them, too. They’re decorative vinyl “rugs” – perfect if you have a rental with a godawful/unsightly, say, kitchen floor you can’t do anything to overcome.  Just cover it up with one of these.  I think they were about $45.

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The sweetest little peanut who wanted to take Gus home with her.

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Little hearts to corral your jewelry on the bedside table.  Or coins.  Or gold teeth – whateva.

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I always scour Solo for kantha quilts, since they did me so proud on the prettiest one I ever saw that I made into euro pillows.  This bluesy denim-hued one was cool, but pricey at $148.

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PS – this is also the place where we got the Bolivian blanket to re-do Karrie’s dining chairs in.  Did you miss that post?  Here she blows.

karrie's dining chair redo

Kinda greyish/kinda greenish seeded glass margarita glasses.

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Kewl tumblers.

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Sharon & Gus also fell in love – right by the back door and the Bolivian blankets. She’s one of the sweet ladies who works at Solo.

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Favorite sighting of the day.  These glorious occasional cane chairs.  Which would be perfect anywhere… opposite a living room sofa, as host chairs in a dining room, in the window in a bedroom with a little footstool.  I die.

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BIXBY & BALL

Love the shape and patina of these wood trays.

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The Wall of Robshaw never disappoints.  I usually just walk in that little vignette and stare at it awhile.  The kaleidoscope of color is also a reminder that sometimes, when you put together all the things you love in one space, it just works.  And the curtains don’t *always* have to match the drapes if you know what I mean.

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That chair + that pillow = serenity.

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-BRICK LANE-

…the little shop next to Lockwood Table – always good to peruse while you’re waiting to be sat for brunch.  They have a good selection of kanthas as well (a huge stack)…  some are new – which also means they’re stiffer/not as soft, and that they haven’t been washed a million times and the color could bleed or fade, so I skip those and go for the vintage ones.

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Hey Gus – make yourself at home, buddy.

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I found this one at the bottom of the stack.  The colors are perfection, and it’s gorgeous on both sides – usually kanthas are fugly on at least one side.  This is one of the best ones I’ve ever seen.

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I bought it thinking I’d upholster something with it, but I think I’m gonna leave it as is at the foot of my bed.  Oh hey Gus!  Comfy?  Can I get you a cocktail?

Steph's Cali Bedroom | Covet Living

CASA MACHADO

If you haven’t been to this little hidden gem that overlooks the Montgomery airport, you gotta put it on your list.  If only for the jet fuel margs and the carnitas tacos.

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That’s my friend Hope before we hit up the Mexican joint (note how gorgeous she is sans makeup).  Gus feels like he has to clobber her every time she comes over.  Also super pumped that he dug for treats in the dirty clothes basket to bring her.

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RARE BIRD CONSIGNMENT HOUSE

This place is a good little staple that should be in everyone’s diet.  Not cheap but not unreasonable.  Always has great finds.  Someone should go snag these little mirrored cubes stat.

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This is also the place where I found these cane chairs a few months back.  See what I mean?  The owner/buyer/whomever has a great eye.

vintage cane chair - rare bird

EMPIRE CONSIGNMENT & THRIFT

This is one where you’ll wanna bust out your Purell, cuz yer gonna haftah dig and it may not be pretty.  And it kinda smells like the mothballs in Grandma’s attic.  But everything is currently 20% off of already reasonable prices.  So there’s that.

I bought this 6-piece set of Midcentury campaign furniture (there’s also an armoire, headboard, and a chest of drawers).  It was a STEAL.  Plus it’s been awhile since I dusted off my power sander and pulled a Bob Vila, so I figured it was time.

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Chair – about $69.  That sucker’s begging to be spray painted and reupholstered.

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Funky artwork / an easy addition to a gallery wall.  I think this was <$10.

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Demi-lune entry table, just over $100.  If I needed one, this would’ve been a goody to revamp.  But the finish is in great shape as is.

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MATTSON CO ESTATE LIQUIDATION & THRIFT

I didn’t buy anything here, but there were a few cool pieces.  It’s a consignment shop downstairs and a thrift store upstairs.

Asian brass coffee table, $150.  I don’t need one, but it was definitely boss.

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Antique walnut headboard.  It wasn’t priced, but the ones around it were not $$.  Maybe $25.  I’d lacquer this thing in white and pop it in a sweet little girl’s room.

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I mean, maybe if Cleopatra had a baby this would be fun hanging in a frame over the crib?  I love the colors.

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Antique armoire.  There were a pair of these and this was the smaller of the two.

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I think you would have to juxtapose this with something modern and a little edgy in the room to keep it from going too WWII era-Granny (like this baller Mid-Century Modern Lucite + String fella from Chairish, or some Tord Boontje garland lights hanging over the nightstands or something – know what I mean?)

Midcentury Lucite and String Light, Chairish | Covet Living

Danish console, $1499.  NOT a thrift store-esque price but solid, in great shape and definitely worth the $.  About 90″ long which makes it a perfect living room console.  They’re getting ready to have it professionally refinished, which will drive the price up some.

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I was surprised to find a few antique Turkish Kilims there too.  The light was funky in there so the photos don’t reflect how rich and gorgeous the colors really were.

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That’s all I got!  Hope you guys had a great weekend 🙂  I’ll keep you posted on my Geppetto-esque progress on the campaign furniture.  I’m going to have to buy out Lowes’ stock of sandpaper, and probably rent out an industrial space to do it, but they’ll be fab when they’re finished!

xoxo,

Steph's Scanned Signature

Home Improvement

If you read this post or this post, you know I’m on a mission to get our sweet little rental house spiffed up for summer, and for my own sanity.  I’ve had 99 unfinished projects just hangin’ out since I moved in last June.  So, last night’s weeknights consisted of a lot of painting, sewing, rearranging and tweaking.  You’ll see these pics and think I spray painted my entire house in gold and decorated in lilac, but they’re just accents.  The walls are all pale, airy colors with a neutral upholstery.  Here she blows, en photos:

GUEST ROOM

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Opaline

Floral Pillow: Schumacher Pyne Hollyhock Print in Tobacco ($92 a yard?  Yeah right!  I just used the $5 swatch I ordered and made an 18×18 pillow.)

Otomi Fabric: This was a table runner I got in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  Cut it in two, backed in linen, made into 2 oblong pillows.

Charcoal & White Shams:  Calico Corners Cross Section Charcoal – $17.99/yard

Bench:  I reupholstered this guy I’ve had for awhile (reupholstered = staple-gunned).  Gold spray paint.  Lilac Fabric from eBay.  Duvet from Goodwill, $2.

Bedskirt: eBay burlappy-linen I’ve had for years that I just tucked between the box spring and mattress and hand pleated it.  Idea via Rachel Halvorson.

COFFEE TABLE UPGRADE

I snagged this sweet gold tray at the Eclectiques Antique Mall for $25 bones in my ‘hood.  She’s PERFECT with peonies in a Ball Jar and plenty o’literature.  PS, look who just haaaad to be in the shot.  What up, Gus?!

DINING CHAIRS, RE-DID

Antique Louis XVI Dining Chairs: purchased YEARS ago in Charleston.  Gold spray paint.  Cestlaviv Lattice in Raspberry Linen, $27/yard.  I cheated and didn’t *fully* reupholster these guys; I just upholstery-pinned them in, since I think I was still pinning them as weekend guests were rolling into the driveway.  #whoops

DINING ROOM PILLOWS SEWN…  FINALLY.

(Is it sewed or sewn?  …ah whatever.)

Pillow Fabric: Lee Jofa/Threads, via Shannon Darby at Designer’s Attic.  I made (2) 18×18 pillows out of 1 yard for $50.  Wanted to use it EVERYWHERE.

Rug: Rugs USA Windsor Overdyed in Violet.  50% off right now, and also awesome in Turquoise.

Settee: World Market Hayden Linen Banquette.  Got it on super sale a few months back.

Wall Color:  Benjamin Moore Hushed Hue.  It’s a good, pale greige neutral with the faintest, palest hint of green.

OUR FIRST BIT OF PRESS, FINALLY FRAMED.  IT’S ONLY BEEN 3 YEARS.

I will never forget the day in 2010 when I got the most gracious email from House Beautiful Editor-in-Chief (and now Hearst Design Group’s Editor-in-Chief) Newell Turner.  I don’t think I let out a little pee, I think I let out the whole tank of pee when I saw it in my inbox.  He proceeded to say that he’d just spent 45 minutes perusing Covet Living, and thought it was “fresh, fun, and original.”  Then I proceeded to ask him to keep us in mind if they had any upcoming features we could contribute to.  And so they did (!)  That entertaining spread is MONEY – 101 genius ideas from Celebrity Party Planners like Colin Cowie, Celebrity Designers like Kelly Wearstler & Miles Redd, and then Blogger Muggles, like us perched at Tip #59.  I still keep a copy of it in my kitchen cabinet.  READ ‘EM ALL HERE.

ENTRY TABLE

A sweet little addition to the entry table, with the happiest photo ever taken from a wedding last year.  Notice our tongues are out in unison.  What a coupla nerds!

Frame: Preppy Patterns Jodie Picture Frame from Joss & Main

Lamps: Vintage Gerald Thurston for Lightolier

Curtains: I made these out of this fabric I saw on Young House Love.  I called the store and scored the rest of the bolt for $9.99/yard.

It’s gettin’ there!  Hope you guys have a great rest of the week – Happy Hump Day!

xoxo,