I am all about pretty pieces of furniture that are going to last forever! This is why I no longer buy wood furniture from major retailers. Now, I love the look of classic furniture, but at my budget (which lately has been going towards buying things from SMK's posts- I must have the leather skirt!) I cannot afford new, quality pieces. Some pieces would cost me thousands!
What I have noticed is that many new pieces of furniture are made with veneer and wood. The problem with veneer is that if you scratch it or crack it, you cannot replace it. Veneer cannot be sanded down well and restained. I learned this the HARD way. I bought a really pretty bed frame a few years ago from a national furniture chain. Well, I have 2 curious kittys and Elle decided to try and "eat" part of the bed. She pulled off the veneer on a corner, and therefore, the bed was ruined.
My tip-
Look carefully when you buy. Pieces you think might be all wood may fool you! I just checked a very famous "barn" website and some of their pieces say wood veneer. Though the pieces are gorgeous, but for me, I move so much that I run the risk of scratching or splitting the veneer top.
So, on a first grade teacher budget, I decided to get creative! I wanted to look of these beautiful catalogs I get each month, but I do not have the funds!
For this, first start with a photo. When you use a photo for most of your inspiration, try to copy it closely. Find a photo that you could see in your house. If your house has a country feel and you are not willing to put in the time to remodel it, then modern lined furniture is probably not going to be the right fit. Also, is this something that will last and stand the test of time? I am sorry, but furry pink rugs will not always be your style and getting rid of something in six months is wasteful to me. Otherwise you may have to live with that for months or years to come!
Don’t you just LOVE these?
What I have noticed is that many new pieces of furniture are made with veneer and wood. The problem with veneer is that if you scratch it or crack it, you cannot replace it. Veneer cannot be sanded down well and restained. I learned this the HARD way. I bought a really pretty bed frame a few years ago from a national furniture chain. Well, I have 2 curious kittys and Elle decided to try and "eat" part of the bed. She pulled off the veneer on a corner, and therefore, the bed was ruined.
My tip-
Look carefully when you buy. Pieces you think might be all wood may fool you! I just checked a very famous "barn" website and some of their pieces say wood veneer. Though the pieces are gorgeous, but for me, I move so much that I run the risk of scratching or splitting the veneer top.
So, on a first grade teacher budget, I decided to get creative! I wanted to look of these beautiful catalogs I get each month, but I do not have the funds!
For this, first start with a photo. When you use a photo for most of your inspiration, try to copy it closely. Find a photo that you could see in your house. If your house has a country feel and you are not willing to put in the time to remodel it, then modern lined furniture is probably not going to be the right fit. Also, is this something that will last and stand the test of time? I am sorry, but furry pink rugs will not always be your style and getting rid of something in six months is wasteful to me. Otherwise you may have to live with that for months or years to come!
Don’t you just LOVE these?
Could you possibly redo chairs in a similar fabric by using these? Found on Craigslist!
I bet you could find some at a local Goodwill or Salvation Army too!
Remember to find quality pieces of furniture! I know this may sound CRAZY, but the best places to find QUALITY furniture is going to be somewhere like garage sales, resale shops (we have an AMAZING one that SMK and I hit up when we are shopping with the moms), and I have found amazing pieces for a bargain on online (but, these are websites and you don't know the person. Use your common sense, and I always go with someone else!) Check apartmenttherapy.com for inspiration! Look what they did with an old dresser. I love the idea of taking something normal and turning it into something unexpected!
(Apartment Therapy.com)
You may ask, Aly, why do you say these are the best? WELL, a lot of these pieces are OLD and therefore made with all wood. Though they might not be pretty now, think of a fresh coat of paint, cute knobs from Anthropologie or sanding it down and staining a rich mahogany color!
This old dresser was repainted and added to a little girl’s room….I love it.
(thanks to the blog youpaidmorethanme.blogspot.com!)
FABULOUS! Another favorite site is Etsy or even Ebay, but here you have to pay for shipping! This can add up fast!
Once you have a few pieces of furniture, take your time redoing them. If you are like me, it could take me weeks to redo a piece. This is mainly because of budget, not gonna lie- but if I drop $100 on a chair, the next paycheck I buy fabric (wholesale, not from major chain stores! *saving tip!) and the next check i take it to the upholsterer. if you do it in steps, you may spend $400, but breaking it down is more manageable for me, and I might be able to buy those adorable blue heels in SMK's post too!
Just for your info- I think tufted is coming back! I found a picture of Tori Spelling's house back in July and used her couch as my inspiration for mine.
Though it may take a bit of work, in the end you will save time and money. Don't think you have to do everything at one time. The fun is sometimes the hunt, adding your own personal touches and the fun stories you will have about pieces. Do some research- what are some styles coming back? Jump on the bandwagon before everyone else and snag a piece for 1/2 the price! My barrister bookcase was an inspiration from a magazine article (the price? $1500) I bought mine from a Craigslist dealer for $100 and I see them everywhere now (6 months later for $800 in antique stores...SCORE!)
I bought my couch on Craiglist for $160, spent $120 on fabric from a discount dealer, and $400 to reupholster (this is where it gets your wallet.) I have to say, I think mine looks pretty good! Though it is not exact, it has the same feel and I was able to customize it.
 |
| (Dealer photo of my couch) |
 |
| (My new sofa!) |
Check out this one I found online for $2099 at Horchow.
This is sooooo beautiful, but come on…I’m 25 and do not have this lying around. And if I did, I would rather buy a Louis Vuitton!
This….Or…this!
Here is my new project. I bought this chair for $40. I will let you know when it is finished! A little more fluff, a pretty fabric, and I will have a brand new chair! (Please don’t mind my kitty Audrey Hepburn. She thinks she owns everything in my house and therefore lays on all of my beautiful furniture! Thanks SMK readers for reading my post! Please follow!
Let me know what you find! Happy Hunting! –Aly ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment