Man, I'm Broke Monday: Buying a table that'll last

There have been times in my life when I've felt that buying an "assemble yourself" piece of furniture was a good idea.  Or when it's been better to buy a new, cheap piece because I needed it ASAP and knew there weren't many alternatives for me (like a futon).

But when it came to filling this space in the kitchen, I knew that I needed to take my time and search for a good value, which meant purchasing something that would withstand some roughhousing by the kids or even a cross-country move if necessary, without breaking the bank (no, we're not planning on moving anytime soon, but it could happen. You just never know!).

See that huge space?  Couldn't have some teeny tiny table there.

So where did I go? To the vintage furniture markets held every month on the west side of town.  You never know what you're going to get, so it can take months to find the right piece. I searched up and down and all around while the kitchen space sat empty.  We ate in our cramped dining room in the meantime (you can see our other lovely table on that post).

Last year, though, I found just the right table.  When I laid eyes on it, I knew it was right.

Country, pocked, but solid.

And the perfect size for our enormous kitchen.

Reminded me of this table (and many others I've seen in catalogs lately):

Pottery Barn Reclaimed Wood Table

The one I bought is also made of reclaimed wood, although it was the painstakingly faux'd with layer upon layer of paint and distress.

And rather than $1700 on sale, my table cost less than $250.

I've had friends ask to buy it from me, others say it's their favorite piece in the house. My mother sent me an article on Ellen DeGeneres's home (which I think has been put on the market since then) and highlighted their barnwood table, declaring that mine was obviously better looking.  So I think I did good.

Sure, the table isn't perfectly level in all spots, but that's a result of the inconsistencies in the wood. And the finish on it has withstood plenty of abuse from the family.  Couldn't ask for much more. A lovely table I love looking at every day that doesn't require special treatment or a payment plan from the local furniture mart.

It's usually worth it to take your time looking for quality used pieces of furniture--you'll probably save money in the short run and most definitely will in the long run.

Shared at Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.

Garage (Sale) Finds

The garage never seems to stay as neat as I'd like.  We move out one thing just to add add another.

But this weekend, Ryan did a great job making things disappear more permanently.  And no, he didn't blow them up with fireworks or throw them in the Missouri River like I asked him to during one particularly crazy fit of rage.

He hung them on the ceiling! We had two bike rack thingies my dad gave me four years ago (I know, I know--I never keep stuff that long without using it or giving it away, but I knew we'd put that bike up eventually).  The bike and ladder are so much more conveniently placed now, especially the ladder, which is huge (and an estate sale find--got it for $30 and retails for upwards of $200 or more).

Brass beds are cool!  

We also finally put the side-of-the-road dresser in place for tool storage.  It is a super el cheapo piece not even worthy of paint, but it'll do the job.

And of course, there's the brass headboard I scored for almost nothing at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  Why did I purchase it?  Well, our IKEA bed, which had survived four moves, decided to die.  And I'm sad to say we weren't even doing anything fun on it when it collapsed (and we managed to sell the bed even in damaged condition. The one benefit of living in an IKEA-free town is that people will pay for the broken stuff!).

I don't have many photos of the old bed.  Well, I do, but it's dated back to our move, so the room is quite frightening and the bed wasn't fully set up.

Hilariously enough, we are now back to the bed on the floor (not pictured due to serious disaster area upstairs), with only the IKEA wood slats (an alternative box spring) keeping the mattress off the carpet.

I bought the headboard knowing I'd paint it to make it less builder-grade-awesome (awful).  It takes up no space, which is important since we'll be eventually moving our room downstairs to the girls' 120 sqft room, giving them the 500 sqft loft space on the second floor.  The IKEA platform was too large--perhaps it knew I was making these plans and disintegrated from heart break?  I guess even cheaply made furniture has feelings.


For now, we're living like college kids because I have to now purchase a box spring and a bed frame.  Funds are low 'round here, so that'll have to wait.

Anyway, the point of this post was to encourage you to hang stuff from the ceiling in your garage, re-use other people's trash if you can, and be careful with IKEA furniture. No, wait, I mean, go to yard sales to buy things you need.  I bet your IQ has just gone up at least 1.5 points from visiting today.  If you say I've never given you anything, you'd be wrong.

And speaking of gifts, the deadline for entering my House Beautiful giveaway is tomorrow July 10, 2012 at 11:59pm.  Enter HERE!

An Almost Free Desk

Ever been to parts of Mexico where the vendors shout "Almost Free" about their wares?  Well, I'm about to show you a project that cost me next to nothing.  And by nothing, I do not mean that I had tons of items lying around the house waiting for use and that's what made the thing free. Nope, I had to buy one thing and everything else I got totally free from my sources.

First off, there was a coupon for a free quart of Clark-Kensington Paint plus Primer from Ace a few weeks ago (FYI: tomorrow they're doing the same free quart deal except only 40 quarts per store will be given away.  There was a coupon in Wednesday's circulars).  I sent Ryan to get a red similar to one I had seen from Ballard Designs.  We have an armoire that needs refinishing, and after I saw this version (for over $1200!), I thought I could do that myself.


Only problem is that the color Ryan bought isn't exactly right for that particular project. Please don't ask me the color name because I can't find it--it's not even on the can (I later found out that the neutral base for the free can isn't really appropriate for this vibrant hue anyway).  So I needed to use the paint on a different piece of furniture.

While trolling Craigslist for cast-offs from freshly divorced Kansas Citians, Ryan found this desk listed...for free.

This isn't a true "before" photo because Ryan had already taken the hardware off, but this is close.  The desk's finish was in terrible shape, but it was structurally sound.  It's a desk you'll see re-painted all over bloglandia, so there must've been thousands made in this design.

And here it is after two coats of brushed on paint and a coat of satin poly on the top.  I decided to leave the brush strokes and keep it aged looking.

The hardware is a little outdated. Problem? It's a non-standard width, so getting new hardware would've required filling up the old holes and drilling new ones. I decided the hardware was charming enough, so it stays.

The desk will be for random projects, sewing, and for Ryan when he needs a flat surface for his laptop.  All we need now is a lamp 'cause this one is totally inappropriate.  It'll do for now, though.

So that's our (almost) free desk! We bought the polyurethane for a few bucks and have plenty for future projects.  Otherwise, all it took was some elbow grease and a sharp eye for deals.

My hero

Dear fans,

I recently stumbled upon the blog No Minimalist Here, and while I like to think I'm leaning more toward minimalism than not, I have found my new hero.  Sherry is frugal, witty, and has great taste.  Just like me.

Why is she my hero?  Because she has figured out the secret of happiness.

That is, she has figured out how to make chalk paint.  I'm not talking about chalkboard paint--that's inexpensive and available just about everywhere.  Chalk paint, on the other hand, is very expensive, and you can only get it online, or at a few resale places around the country.   It leaves a matte finish (kind of chalky--duh), and looks great on furniture. Since our decor budget is currently about $9.99/month, I was getting depressed that I'd have to bluff about projects on this blog until the day a long lost relative dies and leaves us her/his fortune.  And then I found Sherry.

You can find the recipe at her site.  Apparently, her post made some people very angry since, obviously, making your own stuff is dumb, right?  That makes me even more of a fan.  Sherry is a rebel.

Anyway, expect to see some paint projects around here.

Gorgeous, right?  It also doesn't go with anything in our house. Not even close.  But that's just an idea. I might design a room around it instead.

A lovely desk given to me by my brother Ryan. Yeah, you read that right. I married a Ryan, but I also have a brother named Ryan. No, they are not the same person.  Where do ya think I'm from?

These please-refinish-me side tables that Ryan scored from his work's classified ads.  By the way, isn't my husband quite awesome for getting these?  Without me even asking.  I'll have that boy trained soon enough!  

Stay tuned, peeps.