Comments:

Anna - 2005-01-19 11:11:47
1) Curbside saves: Old-fashioned wooden office chair, have seen knock-offs of these for hundreds in the Crate and Barrell, Old brass lamp with marble base 2) Second-hand stores/tag-sales: Old brass hurricane lamp with seperately lighting base and top, ornate glass lampshade, old dresser with ruined finish, now painted antique white and distressed, second-hand brown and white chenille rug, beat-up pine dresser that I've decided looks "cottagey" as-is, two sligthy beat-up but extremely comfortable and good-looking chairs obtained from "hotel liquidator" store, used to be in hilton, purchased together for $70, several bookcases. 3) Hand-me-downs: old Conran's 70s desk that I'm about to paint, old seventies faux walnut coffee table, now painted antique white and distressed, serving as dining-room sideboard, large white wicker display shelves with bottom cabinets (originally purchased second-hand), holding growing folk-art collection, as well as television, stereo, etc. Mother's mahogny bed (purchased when she was a child in the 40s), grandmother's old telephone table, serving as bed-side table 3) Real antiques: mission-style child's desk, now a sidetable, walnut dresser, serving as storage in dining room, small old writing desk, serving as table next to front door for mail, etc., mission-style rocking chair. Some folk-art. 4) New: Brand-new brown leather couch; my first major furniture purchase, replaces 15 year old sofa-bed, IKEA faux iron bed (inexpensive), Oak kitchen table & chairs, inexpensive dining room set, to be replaced with antique when financially possible. 5) Parental divorce fall-out: Parents' wedgewood wedding china, gorgeous classic geometric-cut crystal.
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Laura - 2005-01-19 11:15:11
Wow. That's a lot. Also, you sound very handy, with refinishing and distressing and otherwise improving your finds. Sounds like a ton of very nice things--particularly the old fashioned desk chair (my boss has one in his office--it's very nice).
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Dave D. - 2005-01-19 11:18:58
Circa 1988 Macintosh SE computer that I fished out of the dumpster behind my apartment. I use it for a journal and recordkeeping. I'm a PC guy all the way, but that thing is tough as nails..
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Laura - 2005-01-19 11:20:03
A working computer, no less! Goodness, how wasteful for someone to have tossed it!
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Anna - 2005-01-19 11:28:57
I think the nicest thing I have is the walnut dresser -- the antiques shop owner gets most of his antiques in Bar Harbor at estate sales of old Maine "cottages". My two favorite things are the child's mission-style desk now sidetable and one of the dressers that I bought used and painted. Saw one that looked just like it in Pottery Barn for some ridiculous amount of money. The best tip I have for painting furniture is to buy egg-shell finish paint. It looks like old-fashioned milk paint and distresses itself naturally. If you're going for something that will fit in with antiques, it's much preferable to semi-gloss, which is what they will recommend to you in hardware stores. Martha Stewart's line works well, and so does Behr (one shade lighter than swiss mocha). A friend told me once that the inside of my house looks like you're on the Maine coast. I took that as a compliment of the highest order, being a lover of all things old and New England. I would say that I've spent less than $2500 on furnishings, over four years, starting with almost nothing when I bought my house.
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Laura - 2005-01-19 11:39:55
That is a nice compliment, and also means you have a real eye for pulling your many finds into a cohesive and stylish whole. That's quite a skill in my book. Good eggshell-paint tip, by the way; thanks Anna.
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test - 2005-01-19 16:21:43
test -- are comments broken?
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Jurate - 2005-05-15 01:03:58
Set of two matching circa-60's deep chairs - formerly armed - re-padded - waiting for new upholstery, turquoise sewing machine (sews great even after spending an evening by the side of the road in the rain but with a subsequent tune-up). Inherited furniture in various states of disrepair. Early 1900's dresser dropped off at the dump wiht beautiful details (pre-Reuse/recycle Center) - needs a little TLC, just haven't been able to bring myself to paint it. Other finds I've given up: Solid Oak desk to a better home who had the time to lovingly retore it and replace missing parts - man, was that top heavy!! Large mirror, treadle Sewing cabinet (I've still got two with machines) I'm not too proud to dumpster dive (figuratively speaking, of course). There's probably a lot more than I can remember. I just spent several weeks restoring an old crusty-dusty loom. Looks like a piece of art now!
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