Online Finds!

As with many other items, sometimes the best deals are online! usedeverywhere.com and craigslist.ca being the biggest used sellers. 

FREE ITEMS!
I am most familiar with usedeverywhere and they have a free section once you select a city nearest you. You never know if someone is giving away something you are actually in need of. Sometimes you don't need it in the best of shape and this is the best option! One man's trash is another man's treasure, right?! A quick perusal of craigslist has me under the impression that they do not offer a "free" section but searching with a max price of $1 or searching the word "free" in the title brought me a couple of free listings.

All of these items are listed on usedvictoria.com for free!
The first couch claims to be in great condition, hard to tell from photos but going to see an item does not mean you have to buy it.
The vanity is very different and "still works"!
The second couch is very 70s, but its bones are very "in" right now. It strongly resembles an Ikea couch, and is also a pull-out bed. Investing in a re-upholstering of it may be worth it to someone, or they may love it just as it is!
And a room divider, really, who doesn't need one of those at some point in their life!

Have fun!

Some slightly ... different ... finds!

This post is all about the truly unique pieces you can find at antique stores. I can't tell you how many times I've walked through a store, past a piece of furniture and stopped, wide-eyed, in awe that something so unique had ever been built!
Let me show you what I mean...

These two pieces are very unique but beautiful! The detail on the first chest of drawers is exquisite, complete with gold accents and a large key! And the second piece, most resembles a desk, has a beautiful curve along the front and nice gold hardware. Extreme craftsmanship on these two!

 Talk about extreme craftsmanship! One store I visited recently had a huge collection of these ornately carved boxes. Most were obviously jewellery boxes, but these two were so distinct from the collection that I had to share. The first could function as a jewellery box but unfortunately would need some love to get it open. The second was much larger and could have functioned as a small storage trunk.

Hutches aren't very frequent finds largely because they are so, well, large. They are often passed on generation to generation more than any other furniture pieces making them an exceptional find. The first is very country looking but a great addition to the right space! And the second reminds me of an armoire from a famous Disney movie, minus the doors! Both are very beautiful pieces!

I can't say that I have ever seen a table similar to this one. It is very unique from the small details beneath the drawer, to the cut-out stand and claw feet! It was very distressed but that really added to its charm.


Good luck on your hunts!

All about Accessories!

Sometimes we don't need new furniture to liven up our living areas. Sometimes some new accessories are just the trick. And antique and used furniture stores are still a great place to check out for some really great, unique finds!

Here are some I found on a recent adventure!

There are always so many different kinds of buckets/bowls/pitchers that can be found second-hand. I am a huge sucker for hammered metal and beautifully patterned pieces so the first two are definite favourites of mine, but the third is sure to be someone else's dream addition to their home! I think the dog-shaped handle completes it!

Various shaped and coloured bottles are also fairly abundant in these types of stores, and look great compiled over a wet bar or singularly to complete a bookshelf or armoire.

Great frames are not quite as common and I highly suggest buying one if you find it interesting or unique because chances are it won't be around long and you will always kick yourself for not picking it up! (I have done this many times!)

As mentioned before, china can always be found in antique stores but when you find a set as gorgeous as this, PLEASE buy it! How amazing is it! I love the aquamarine touches paired with the gold base and handle. Truly adorable.

Stay tuned for some very different finds next post!

The Fabulous Find - Refurbished Pieces!

Next up is another local store, The Fabulous Find, recently spotlighted on a local Facebook page!
This store sells pieces that are in ready-to-enjoy condition and, therefore, prices are reflective of that. Larger furniture pieces such as tables and side chairs were priced around the $600 mark. Depending on the amount of time you can invest in a piece, this is sometimes the best route for customers because all the work has already been done. Let's get to the finds!

This bright red chair is the first piece that caught my eye. And when I went to sit in it I discovered it was also a rocking chair! Though not the comfiest chair I've ever sat in (I think I was a bit too short for it at 5'2") it was in beautiful shape and glided very smoothly.

This is a piece that I would buy strictly for the base, and replace the shade on it. I think it would look beautiful with a crisp white shade, preferably a perfectly cylindrical shape rather than the tapered look. Being that it didn't have a mate, would be best used for a side table in a reading nook, living room or office. I imagine it being accompanied by some glass pieces, perhaps on a glass table or paired with some recycled glass accents given they're similar in colour.

What a fantastic pendant light!! This would be a great addition to a fun, contemporary space, I see it fitting in perfectly in a cute breakfast nook. The space would definitely need to have a relaxed feeling for this light to blend in seamlessly. Love the shot of colour on top though!

Check back soon for more great finds!

Blog Spotlight: The Decorologist!

Today I'm going to do a spotlight on a blog I've been following for quite some time, The Decorologist. Her blog originally caught my attention because the writer, Kristie Barnett, is actually a colour consultant which is my dream job. Her website is easy to navigate with tabs at the top, but because her business website is also her blog she has more business-oriented tabs rather than blog tabs. I wish her blog had tabs that organized her posts by type since she has posts on choosing paint colours, profiling homes she's worked on and general decorating tips. I like that she has fairly large photos to grab your attention, and a “read more” link to continue reading about posts you're interested in. I also like that she has multiple other links at the bottom of the post to other related topics she's previously posted about. I find these links very helpful since it's generally difficult to find older posts on her blog. I would love to see Kristie add some blog organization to fully enjoy her wonderful posts!

 

I hope you have found another blog to indulge in!

Antique Emporium - Chemainus

A friend introduced me to the Antique Emporium earlier this year on a small road trip up-island, and it is a truly amazing place. With a full main floor, half a second floor and a perimeter of the whole building on the third floor, it is packed with great finds!

Antique stores are a great place to find retired china patterns, and Antique Emporium seems to have the largest collection I've come across. China pieces are a great addition to a room as decor on shelves or displayed as artwork on walls. They're a great place to grab colour inspiration for a room and perfect to tie in a collection of colours in one room.

This is definitely the largest piece of geode I have ever seen. Standing approximately 4 feet high it was pretty exceptional. With a price tag of $999, it would be a fantastic conversational piece displayed in a living room or front entry.

Old license plates are in abundance at antique stores and are a great way to add personality to a room. They are also great as wall coverings for a "man cave" or work-space garage. A fun challenge could be collecting as many different provinces/states as possible on road-trips and vacations, depicting your travels or fantastic looking license plates... I think Florida's is quite nice! Road trip?

This has to be someone's ideal chair. It was in such fantastic condition I could not just walk by without snapping a picture. In person the colour is much more of an orange-coral and quite striking. The wood is nicely maintained and smooth from many years of love. Would be truly fantastic in an otherwise dull office or for the adventurous type, could be the central inspiration for a living room!

Wow! Some pretty interesting finds at this one, hey? An original street lamp electrically converted to indoor lighting and given a fresh coat of paint. What a focal piece for an office, den or living room. Perfect for a "man cave"!

Stay tuned for more great contemporary (and sometimes interesting!) finds!

Victoria Trading Post: Part 2

As promised! Here is my second visit to Victoria Trading Post and the Salvage Yard!!! It was actually closed on my first visit so I knew I had to pop back in and explore.
The amount of salvaged house pieces, accessories, windows, doors, hinges... it was amazing to see. With Victoria being full of heritage homes and a population eager to restore them, a place that sells old hardware is key.

However, from a strictly designing/decorating point of view, there are also some great finds!

The first find nearly made my knees buckle! For years I've dreamt of having a re-purposed old window as a piece of artwork, but these are large enough to be used as headboards even! They had many different trellis designs on many different sized window frames. Would be a great DIY project to sand them down and paint or leave as the original wear and tear vintage look!

I have also dreamt for years of replacing the door hardware in my future house with vintage glass knobs. This collection of glass knobs are in the best condition I have seen in all my hunting, which I will have to remember when it comes time to buy a house! Replacing door handles can give any space a little extra detail to complete a room and the addition of glass knobs gives the space a touch of history in a very contemporary way. Simple elegance!

How fantastic are these reclaimed wardrobe pulls?! Amazingly detailed, they just don't make products like these anymore. The installation of these to an old, or even new, piece of furniture instantly jazzes it up to a whole new level. It will give a lot of pieces that extra conversational element.

Stay tuned for more fantastic contemporary finds!