I personally always go to look at the furniture (to help furnish our home on our budget!), but this last time was the first time that I actually won the bidding on a few pieces before it got beyond what I wanted to pay for it! They all need a little work, but I like having projects to do... though unfortunately it's a little harder to find the time nowadays. I keep telling myself that Asher will eventually go to sleep sooner that 9:00 and someday we'll have our evenings again... :)
Anyway, my favorite piece is this solid mahogany vanity that we got for $45. It's in great condition other than a few water marks on the varnish... you know, when it gets a little white-ish in spots. It doesn't look bad though, so it might just get put to use for a few years before I get around to stripping the varnish and re-staining it. I will re-upholster the chair though sooner than later. :)
The other piece we got at the auction was this solid walnut headboard and footboard for $15! I think it fits a full or maybe a junior matress...I haven't done the measurements yet. It's bigger than a twin, smaller than a queen. :) It'll be great for one of the guest rooms-turned-kid's room down the road!
These next three pieces, I got at garage sales this summer, but I wanted to share them anyway.
I found this solid wood desk for $15 with beautiful detailing in the grain of the top drawers! Can't wait to re-do this piece! But before I say anything else, let me first say that solid wood furniture, while beautiful and lasting, is HEAVY! We definitely had to call in the reinforcements to get this desk as well as the auction pieces home (thanks to my willing hubby as well as Ian McClellan on the auction pieces and Eric's dad for my garage sale finds)!
I love the story behind this solid wood kid's play table that I found for $10. I was on a walk with Asher and passed by a garage sale about three blocks from our house. There were two older couples selling a bunch of their now grown kids' things. One of the older gentlemen shared with me that he had handmade this table for his own kids many years ago. It's still super sturdy and the wood grain on top is beautiful (though it needs to be sanded and re-finished.) Anyway, there was no way I was getting it home with Asher in the stroller, so we went back for the car, and alas it didn't fit in the car, so the older gentleman voluntarily picked it up and walked it the three blocks back to my house for me. And then he was so glad it was going to a good home that he threw in a little booster seat for free. :)
I was so excited when I found this kids quilt rack for $5, because Asher has got many loving quiltmakers in his life who've blessed us abundantly with beautiful quilts! Great Grandma Anderson, Grandma Dobbs, Jan - our pastor's wife, and the church ladies quilting group all made a quilt for our lucky boy. Even I tried my hand at my first quilt when I found out I was expecting! This is going to be the easiest piece to re-do because I'm just going to slap a coat of white paint on it and put it in the nursery to display the quilted works of art that Asher will get to use and enjoy for many years to come!
Anyway, it's been a good summer for cheap furniture finds. I got all 5 pieces of solid wood furniture for a grand total of $90! Check back from time to time, I'll try to remember to re-post some "after" pictures... though you may be waiting a few years on some of them! :)
And check out your local auction!
#Meagan
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