Bathroom Renovation Antiques

Even though our closing date was shifted back by a month, I have been making progress on my bathroom renovation. I've either chosen or narrowed down options for a lot of the big stuff with the help of my mom and sister. We are still working on the lighting situation (no lighting luck on the antique shopping trip) and I am waiting until we officially own the house before purchasing anything new. As I explained before, there is nothing original left in the bathroom and I don't want to overwhelm the space with brand new everything. So I have picked up a handful of antiques/old stuff that will probably be used in the bathroom.

My bathroom has a giant window that needs to be replaced. I wanted to do something interesting, but a custom made stained glass window costs was more than I wanted to spend. My sister and I found three of these windows at the Barn. The current plan is to have a normal window installed in the bathroom and hang these stained glass windows in front for more privacy and also because they are pretty. By the way, the Barn has a room full of stained glass windows at great prices in case anyone else is looking. But you must set your windows up by the checkout desk quickly. We saw one man purchase at least 10 windows and a woman purchase 6! And make sure you search for matching sets. None of my windows were next to each other so it took a bit of digging to locate all of them.

The bathroom is actually quite large but has no storage, so mom thought I should find a piece of furniture to use rather than reformatting a neighboring closet into a linen closet. I had assumed that the search for bathroom furniture would take a lot longer than it did. J and I found this cool kitchen unit at Habitat on Saturday and I got an awesome deal! I paid $100 and it is in great shape. The missing drawer is actually only missing for this picture. J was examining it because it was originally for storing flour. I did a bit of research to discover that this is probably a hoosier cabinet, but I forgot to search for markings before dropping it off to store with the rest of my thrifting purchases. Overall, the metal body needs sanding (thanks J!) and painting, but I won't be doing anything to the enamel counter.

Of course, we won't know for sure if these things will work in the bathroom until we get in there and start trying things out. However, I will definitely find another home for the windows and I already have a back up plan for the cabinet. I think it would be perfect in a laundry room, which we will eventually be building. Don't worry - there is a laundry area in the house, but I disagree with the former owners' idea to put it in the middle of the other bathroom.

Thrift Store Finds

Happy week of Thanksgiving! J and I spent the weekend thrifting, organizing, and cleaning. As you can imagine, I only enjoyed one of those activities despite the necessity of the other two. The teeny tiny apartment was slowly being invaded by fabric and thrift store glassware.

This table is really beat up but Mom bought it anyway for either $5 or $10. She is redoing it and putting it on her back porch. Things don't last forever out in the Florida humidity so you either have to go really cheap or really high end with your outdoor furniture.

There were five of these chairs for $20 each. There were all in good shape and the fabric did not need to be replaced. However, I would still ask for a discount if I were to buy the whole set.

This kitchenette set is cute and $95. Pretty good good deal and you wouldn't have to refinish/reupholster if the colors suited you.

These chairs have character with the swan arms. They were priced at $25 each and probably need reupholstering. I actually think one of my sisters bought these chairs a few weeks later.

This fun end table was only $20. The glass on top probably costs more than that to buy new. Again, this piece was in great shape. It was a good day at Habitat if you couldn't tell.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Outer Banks Thrift Store Finds

This past weekend, my friend Amy and I hit up the thrift stores and antique stores in Nags Head.  Overall, I found the thrift stores to be a bit lacking.  I saw a lot of plastic and a lot of things in really bad repair.  HOWEVER, I would highly recommend hitting up Class and Trash if you are in Kill Devil Hills  (there is a sister store in Richmond that I would also love to check out!.  The prices are a bit higher (more on par with a consignment store), but the selection was excellent!  Most of the photos below are from Class and Trash.  First up, this fantastic lamp!  Now y'all know I can standing spending a ton of money on lamps, but the crystals on this item make it worth the price...think of it as a tabletop chandelier.

Beautiful Lamp - $225 or $275 (I can't remember!)

I love love love this coffee table.  You would need a moody sort of room to pull it off with lots of floor space as the coffee table is quite large.  Think Restoration Hardware moody:

Beautiful & Unique Coffee Table - $145

Here's a wider view of the store as a whole.  I love how organized the space is.  These beds caught my eye right away.  Wouldn't they be perfect for a little girls room?  Also, that ottoman could work in a lot of homes and it was in great condition!  I thought the prices were also very fair considering you could easily pay $300 for just one twin bed frame and most ottomans cost hundreds of dollars.

Ottoman - $165 and Pair of Twin Beds - $225

The cane backed chairs have a wonderful shape despite their unfortunate color choice (I feel like they were going for a Ronald McDonald throne room look).  Although only four are pictured, the total price was for six chairs!  Cane backed chairs are definitely not cheap when bought brand new and these were in excellent condition with no damage to the caning.

6 Chairs Total - $120

This chair was freshly upholstered and would be super sweet in a nursery!  I'm not a huge fan of the ric rac along the bottom, but the piping and button covers more than make up for the ric rac (which could probably be removed).

Cute Chair! $185

Class and Trash also had bins of well organized iron hooks, door knockers, and bottle openers.  It can be really difficult to find matching items at a thrift store, so it was great to see such large quantities at fairly reasonable prices.

Mermaid hooks - $8

Assorted hooks and door knockers - all $20 or less

Love these two chairs!  They were so comfortable!  The chairs were solidly built and besides the minor damage to the fabric on the chair on the left, they were in excellent condition.  I would love to see these recovered in a deep blue or green velvet.

$180 for the pair

While shopping, Briana sent me a text message with picture saying she had found a fireplace screen at the flea market in Florida for $45.  I literally turned the corner at the antique store I was shopping in and I found the exact same one for $75!  I'd say she got a great deal!

Fireplace Screen - $75
Creepy Baby Dolls and Odd Door Knocker - Price Unknown, but they should be free...or put out of their misery.

Which find is your favorite?  Anyone ever been to Class and Trash or explored any of the other stores in the Outer Banks?

Thrift Store Finds: the Brass Sink Edition

I bought a sink. Perhaps I have reached a whole new level of hoarding since I now own both a chandelier and a sink, yet live in a teeny tiny apartment. But I don't care because this sink is awesome and you won't believe the great deal I got.

Isn't it beautiful?! It is solid brass and I only paid $30! The insides might need some reworking, but it is still a great deal even with paying for handyman labor. By the way, a quick thrifting technique to see if something is brass or just brass plated is to carry a magnet around with you. If the magnate sticks to the object, it just has brass plate and has been filled with some other metal. Brass isn't magnetic. I didn't have a magnet on me, but the Habitat employee name tags have one piece that is magnetic so I swiped one for a quick test.

It was originally attached to this piece of furniture. It is very pretty, but I didn't love it. Fortunately a friend wanted the base but wasn't crazy about the sink so we struck a deal and split it apart right in the store. J borrowed a cordless drill from one of my Habitat friends to unscrew the top from the wood base. We ended up with the countertop because the brass pieces were attached and we had done enough demo in Habitat for one day. Fortunately my friend had been planning on replacing the top anyway so there was no issue. You can see how damaged the top is in the first picture. We aren't entirely sure what it is made of or how to restore it.

Something to note: apparently the EPA doesn't allow places like Habitat to sell faucets because people might use them for drinking water. I'm not clear on the exact details but it is something to keep in mind while thrifting. I got lucky because, like I said, the faucet was solidly attached to the top so it had to come home with me. Thank goodness! It would have been a tragedy for this awesome faucet to be tossed. And J was able to separate all the brass fixtures from the top later. That is the story of how I came to own a sink yet no house.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

How are y'all enjoying the fall weather? It hasn't reached us yet in Florida so I am admiring from afar. Check out these beautiful pictures of fall leaves! I love it.

These adorable old school desks were $50 each. I have no idea what you would do with them, but they were sold pretty quickly.

Isn't this salt and pepper (and something else) set adorable? $7 and it could be yours! Someone should rescue it quickly from the creepy lady and horse figurine to the right.

This rocking chair makes me think of a doctor's office with the black pleather seats. But it is possible to recover if you are brave enough to take it apart. The price tag said $50 which was fine. I would have wanted a lower price since the metal had some worn spots in the finish, but I also have an illness where I will buy pretty much anything in a thrift store if they give me a lower price.

This cute chair is a bit worn but the caning is in good shape. And that is important to check while thrifting because replacing caning is not cheap, nor does it sound like an easy DIY project for my skills. They were selling two of these chairs for $60. Great deal, even if you have to restuff and reupholster.

Here is another floral chair for $45. The fabric is in great shape and not at all dingy looking. The legs need touching up though. I still can't get into florals but since the internet seems to love them right now, I figure why not share?

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

I'm in the middle of quite a few projects and none of them are gifts. This means I can actually share them on the blog as they are completed rather than storing the pictures until after Christmas! I have officially started on my thrift store chairs, sewed a quick Halloween project for Mother (on the blog next week), making a Christmas skirt, and also sewing a pair of Christmas stockings for J and myself. As you can imagine, my teeny tiny apartment is a bit chaotic a the moment. Enjoy these thrift store finds while I clean up.. haha that was a joke. I avoid cleaning up by starting new projects. 

This chair had a funky color to it but the shape is cool and it is only $15. You can always find a place for a sturdy $15 chair.

And what about this $25 chair? Some people think the old fashioned florals are coming back into style. I'm not entirely sure since I am not a fan florals in general, but this chair has a cool shape. You could lose the skirt for a more updated look. The legs were fine but not a great color, so I would definitely paint or stain them.

When I was going through my pictures for this post, I spotted these lamps and immediately wondered why I didn't buy them. Then I saw the picture I took of the price tag (that is how I remember all the prices for these things). They were $10 each, which is not at all a bad price but for whatever reason is more than I would want to spend on these lamps. I would have totally bought them for $10 total though.

This adorable set was priced at $18 and went fast. It included a cake stand, six saucers, four cups, and six plates. The numbers are not quite right but you can easily find other gold and clear pieces almost every week in the thrift stores to coordinate.

Mom bought this little child sized rocking chair for the youngest baby of the family. It was priced at $40 but I don't know what she paid for it. The baby loves her chair! And she also won't let her siblings touch it.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

I can't wait until next time I visit Melinda so I can see those chairs in person! She learned a valuable lesson of buying what you love, even if you don't exactly need it at that moment. I learned that very same lesson last year when I missed an opportunity to have vintage green demitasse cups (there were four of them!!!!) so now I am much less hesitant to buy.

This lamp caught my eye from across the room but when I got up to it, the sparkly things were disappointingly plastic. Oh well. For $4, it would be cute in a little girl's room and you wouldn't have to worry about it breaking.

This funky lamp was $8 and definitely needs some frosted bulbs with a cool shape. The wooden base has serious scratches but I suppose you could stain/paint it. Or leave it as is and embrace the slightly used vibe.

This dresser makes a statement. What statement exactly, I am not sure. Price tag said $60 but you can always ask for less. Then put it in that girl's room with the plastic lamp from earlier.

I almost bought these pieces. I can't remember if they were $15, $25, or $35 each. Probably one of the higher numbers because I ultimately decided I had better things to do with my money.

This chair and table set is fun, but the chairs grab your attention. The whole set was priced at $95 and Habitat is sometimes reluctant to separate the chairs from the matching table. The metal needs new paint and the seats look like they had been recovered at least once before, and not well I might add. But recovering chairs is an easy fix!

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

Remember the pineapple mirrors from last week? Well our family warehouse now has a total of eight instead of the original six. Melinda just couldn't resist so I swiped two more for her! We reject the term "hoarders" simply because it is unwise to pass up a pretty wood mirror for $10. However, we have yet to figure out how to transport those mirrors back up to DC.. But enough with logistics, let's get to the fun stuff!

Habitat always seems to have sewing desks. These desks usually have sewing machines underneath the top, which you flip around to expose. This desk was without machine and is pretty cute. It was priced at $15 and would make an adorable desk for a child's room.

This festive bag was $1.50. I almost grabbed it for myself. It was sturdy and colorful, what more could you want?

This dresser was $65 but needs refinishing so the price will probably drop before someone picks it up. The hardware on the top drawers is different. I like it.

I cannot remember how much this yellow living room set was priced but isn't it fun! Someone else must have agreed because it didn't last long on the floor.

This piece of furniture has been sitting in Habitat for weeks, probably because no one wants to pay $70 for it. Ask for a better price, shoppers! There were no weird smells and the cabinet doors open and close smoothly so it is not a bad find. It is just too much money right now.

You can always find these clear glass tabletop pieces around town. I think $1.25 for each is a bit much, but you can usually get a lower price if they have been sitting out for a few weeks and you buy the pile. These sorts of thrift store purchases are perfect for when you host parties with more guests than dishes.

Maybe I am crazy but I love these chairs. I would want to recover the tan leather (most likely) and the $25 price tag says go right ahead. I am resisting the urge to purchase because I already own more chairs than square footage.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

Today's thrift store finds shows some of the things Mother and I bought last week. We left with a lot more than I have here as it was an extremely successful trip (or extremely unsuccessful, depending on how you look at it). I can't show everything because either I didn't snap a picture of it or it is going to be a Christmas gift this year. But here are some of the exciting things that came home with us.

This antique mirror had been sitting in Habitat long enough for both Mom and I to admire it more than once. Even though the original $30 price tag had not been reduced, Mom finally found a reason to buy it. My little sister doesn't have a mirror in her apartment bedroom and this one is perfect to set on top of her dresser.

Aren't these chairs great? Mom took home a set of four, all of which have caning in perfect condition. Each chair was priced at $30 but our good friends at Habitat gave Mom a buy three, get one free deal. She is going have the seats recovered but I'm not sure if she is changing the wood or not.

This adorable chair was only $10, but dropped to $8 thanks to a 20% off chairs discount. Mom is recovering this seat as well (the fabric is dirty and worn). She might also repaint, but the black wood is in good shape so she might leave it. The lower back is my favorite part!

Habitat had a pile of these pineapple mirrors (among many other things) donated by one of the Disney hotels undergoing renovation. They were priced at $15 each, but Mom and I bought six total for $10 each. I took two of them home (well not really.. they are in Mom's warehouse) because I thought they would be perfect for my version of this lavender and gold guest bathroom inspiration picture. The frames are solid wood and will eventually be turned gold, unless I change my mind before buying a house. I also bought a mirror about 5 feet tall and 4ish feet wide for $20. It and tons of matching mirrors were donated at the same time as the pineapple mirrors. Not many had sold, which is crazy considering the frames are also solid wood, so my Habitat friend dropped the price from $30 when we asked. Clearly the lesson of this thrift store finds post is that it never hurts to ask for a better price! And to be friendly with the workers/volunteers and to shop often.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.

Thrift Store Finds

I hope y'all had a great long weekend! I was quite productive. I went to the fabric store and bought supplies for three Christmas gifts and even started making one of them. I also stopped by Habitat for some perusing and Michael's for baby shower materials. And now it is time for some thrift store finds to start off our short week.

This $35 chair has a great shape and is super comfortable. The caning is not torn but a potential buyer would probably want to update the dingy fabric.

This light fixture is $45 and has been tested and works. Thanks Habitat! It is something you would find on Emily Henderson's blog, but for much more money because California prices are much higher than rural Florida prices.

This light fixture is also $45 and is more dated looking than the one above. You could still work on it though with some spray paint. Perhaps black?

Habitat recently set out their hardware with most things costing 50 cents each. These drawer pulls have potential and there are a ton of them.

While I wouldn't pay the $25 price tag for this round table, it is pretty cute. What do you think?


Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section. Or holler at us on twitter or instagram and hashtag it #ThriftStoreFinds.