...because home doesn't happen overnight.

Our new town has the best home consignment shops.  That makes me giddy.  I’ve been checking in weekly or so with my favorite one, Home2Home.  They have a great selection of modern and antique pieces and their inventory changes weekly. Nothing stays there for long!

That’s why when I spotted this older Eddie Bauer cabinet, I snapped Handy Hubby a pic and emailed him right away.

You see, we’re planning to install our flatscreen TV above the mantel in the family room.  I’ve mentioned this before…in an ideal world I wouldn’t choose to hang a TV above a fireplace but in the Underdog, it’s about the only place it can go.  Don’t worry though.  I think we’ve devised a plan to make it less in your face when it’s not in use.  More on that later…

Anyhoo, since we won’t be using the media console setup that we had in our previous home {we gave the console to my Dad when we sold by owner}, we’ll need somewhere to store our cable box, DVD player, Wii, and audio receiver.  I don’t have the family room’s entire layout set in stone yet, but HH and I did decide where the future media cabinet would go {in the corner between the picture window and mantel}, so I knew relatively how large {really, how small} the cabinet needed to be.  I’ve been on the hunt for one for weeks now.  The hardest part was finding a petite cabinet that was still deep enough to store all the techy components.

At 30″ x 18″ x 30″ this solid maple cabinet was the perfect size.  {I measured the depth of all our TV components to make sure.} Even though it was in excellent condition and priced right {$80}, I wasn’t thrilled with its aesthetic.  But when I opened the two doors, I was surprised to find that the 70’s screen-like material was actually just stapled to removable frames set into the back of the doors.  It’s much like what you would find on the back of a picture frame.  That ugly, heavy screen could easily be removed.  I was sold!

If there aren’t any problems with our remotes working through fabric, I could transform the media cabinet into something like this…

Isn’t that Amy Butler fabric too sweet?

The only money spent would be on the fabric and maybe two new door knobs.  If the fabric poses a problem {which I don’t see it doing…I’ve been experimenting by covering our receiver and cable box with lightweight t-shirts and they’re working perfectly, no problems!}, we can always open the doors when we need to or replace the screen material with glass.  The jury is still out on whether or not the wood cabinet will end up painted…but I’m leaning towards leaving the finish as-is.  I’d like to use a few more wood tone pieces in the Underdog than I did in our previous home.

The other secondhand piece of furniture that I recently acquired is this wing chair…

It’s a little bluer in real life and not as steely as my phone pic is portraying.  I found it at our local Salvation Army store for, get this, $25.

Yep, $25!!  It was clean with no tears in the velvety fabric and verrrrrry comfortable.  All it needs is a little sanding and stain on the scratched up feet – or some spray paint if I’m feeling lazy.  Everett even liked it.

I quickly emailed HH a pic while I sat on the chair, staking my claim until he gave me the okay to buy it.  {We try to only buy things that we both like.}  I was a little nervous that he wouldn’t like it because he tends to lean towards more modern furniture.  But he really liked it!  So, $25 later it was mine.

It’s very Emily Henderson-esque.  I love her.

I don’t have a particular place in mind for the blue wing chair.  It’s so versatile.  It could work just about anywhere:  family room, dining room, one of the bedrooms or even at the built-in desk that will be in the kitchen.  And that, my folks, is how you know you should go ahead and buy a certain piece of furniture – when it will work anywhere in your home.  You have the freedom to move it around on a whim as you please.  Who knows where it will end up?

I’m excited about incorporating secondhand furniture pieces into the Underdog’s design.  Typically, they add more character than store bought furniture and do so at a fraction of the cost.  These two pieces together put me out only $105.

What’s a favorite thrift find or secondhand piece of furniture you’ve brought into your home?

images:  1-3) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  4) Better Homes & Gardens  5-7) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  8 ) Emily Henderson

39 Comments

13.October.2011

Dana, do you ever go to Waynesville for pieces? I’m a designer in Columbus…looking for sources in your area.

13.October.2011

You don’t have to worry about your remote signals going through fabric! You can buy a little remote sensor that can hook up to all of your media equipment. All of our equipment is in a closet behind a closed door, but a tiny sensor, inconspicuously taped to the TV, receives all the signals from the remote controls and the wire runs back to the media equipment with the rest of the assorted cables. This is my husband’s area of expertise, but I’m sure any worthwhile employee at Best Buy would be able to help you!

13.October.2011

I love that chair! I like blue, I like wingback, I like velvet, I like the size – there’s nothing about it I don’t like. And I want one just like it, but…I don’t know if I could justify getting it. I’m not only trying to not spend any money, I’m trying to downsize my belongings. If I could get my dog off the couch, I wouldn’t need another chair.

You had amazing luck getting furniture items. None of the places around here have such nice pieces.

Very beautiful chair…I can’t wait to see it in your space;)

It always seems like everyone else’s Goodwills, thrift stores, and Salvation Army stores always have better things than the ones I visit! There are a lot of high-end furniture consignment stores around where we live in Dallas, but I’ve yet to find any in the newlywed-new-homeowners-on-a-budget price range.

Oh, and on your new media cabinet: Do you plan on drilling ventilation holes in the back? The electronics you’ll have in there can get pretty hot. It’s not exactly a fire hazard, but they’ll be more efficient and have a longer life if they can breathe a little bit (or so says my electrical engineer hubs).

13.October.2011

I love the chair, its color and its price !! For 25€ myself, I bought these and made that : http://lecloslafayette.over-blog.com/article-la-patine-du-temps-68216536.html (feel free to ask for any translation if you need some — at the end of the article, it says to go to the “avant-après” page, on the right, and roll down to the night stands).
I just love second hand pieces of furniture and being able to give them a second life with paint, new hardware and a new house ! It’s better for the wallet AND best for the planet !

13.October.2011

Oooh…that chair is so fab!! I love it and for $25 its a total steal!!

13.October.2011
13.October.2011

Sara – 10?! That is freakin’ AWESOME!

13.October.2011

Love your chair find!! So, if craigslist counts, then one of my favorite second-hand finds is our interior french doors for $75. I love them for the sheer fact that we saved almost $300 by finding them second hand: http://honeysuckleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/french-door-finishing-reveal.html

13.October.2011

Jess – Oh, yes. We’ll be drilling holes in the back for ventilation and as a cord exit! Forgot to mention that. I was kinda stuck on the front of the cabinet.

13.October.2011

Elaine – We craigslisted a TON of stuff from our previous home because 1) we knew we wouldn’t have room for it in our downsized Underdog and 2) we didn’t absolutely love it. We’re using all that money to start fresh…not that some previous pieces won’t turn up again in our new house. We’re just much more focused on gathering items over time and only things that we absolutely love and can afford. It feels good so far!

13.October.2011

Angie – HH mentioned that idea as well! Must be a husband thing!

13.October.2011

Kyla – I haven’t had a chance to scope out Waynesville’s thrift stores yet. It’s on my list of places to scour over in search of furniture pieces! Waynesville does, however, have the. most. amazing. fabric store EVER. Check out The Fabric Shack if you’re ever there. They actually have two sites {in two different buildings} downtown. One is more geared towards lighter weight quilting fabric and the other towards high end home decor fabric. I haven’t been to either since last spring. I think you just reminded me that I needed a fix!

13.October.2011

The chair is gorgeous! I totally agree with Jess about everyone else’s thrift sto being better than mine. I’m sure it’s just all about how often you go, which for me is not nearly enough. Anyway, most of my favorite second hand finds have been through Craigslist. I got a beautiful settee for $75 that I reupholstered, I’ve got another one I should be picking up this weekend too! But my absolute face is an antique sewing machine I found in front of my neighbors garage! I’m in the process of refinishing the cabinet, and I can’t wait to finish.

A question I had for you that kinda seems appropriate for this post; are you and your husband going to run networking and a/v cables through out your house to make it more compatible with today’s modern living (and for future resale appeal)? I would love to see a post on what goes into something like that!

Link to my settee: http://theambitiousprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2011/03/settee-is-finished.html

Link to my sewing machine: http://theambitiousprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2011/03/please-welcome.html

13.October.2011

I’m so jealous that you have such great second hand furniture stores near you! I can’t find too much near us, but I’m determined to keep searching. For now, craigslist is my go-to to find used furniture pieces.

13.October.2011

I love your idea of putting fabric to the front of the doors and use new door knobs, it will surely look fantastic esp. with Amy Butler fabric. I thought about it and noticed that we don’t own a single piece of secondhand furniture. But that’s not because we would mind to do so, but because we’ve only moved to the new house a year ago (which sounds a long time, but ti really isn’t). This time we moved into a big house and didn’t have a lot of furniture, because our previous home (flat) was very small. So there are still a lot of places in the house which we haven’t found the right pieces for. I might try the secondhand stores around here, but in the past I found that they are still very expensive, they would never sell anything like your cool armchair for a price like that!!!
Jule

13.October.2011

Cool finds!. My hubby and I have a similar system. If I find piece of furniture I like at Goodwill I take a pic and text it to him. It’s a much more enjoyable purchase if I know we’re on the same page. On the other hand it feels good walking away and not spending the money for something we’re not both on board with. After I purchase something big he comes and picks it up with his trailer while the kids and I are home waiting for the new arrival. We all get into it!

13.October.2011

I HAVE heard of the Fabric Shack, and you’ve sealed the deal that I need a visit. :) Glad we could encourage eachother. So happy you are exploring the world of vintage and repurposed pieces in your new home! Adds so much charactor.

13.October.2011

I LOVE your new wing chair!! The fabric is great! I found a velvet chesterfield sofa at a thrift store for $50. Best purchase ever! http://accessorizeandorganize.blogspot.com/2011/05/yummy.html

13.October.2011

I CAN NOT believe you got that great chair for $25! I’m inspired to go check out a few of our Salvation Army stores now!

13.October.2011

Great finds!
I have a few favourite pieces of secondhand furniture in my house, but the one that stands out the most is the 8′ long cabinet that came from my father’s pharmacy. This piece would have been in the dispensary back in the early 1900s and, when I first brought it to my home, the drawers still smelled of medication and herbs. It has drawers and a cupboard on the bottom and sliding glass doors in front of shelves on the top.

13.October.2011

Oh gosh – so glad someone shares me love for tufted blue velvet wingbacks!!! Can’t wait to see what you do with it. I found one as well at Goodwill for $25 and it floats between our bedroom and our living room depending on my mood:)

13.October.2011

I am a huge fan of second-hand furniture, too. I think my favorite is a salmon-colored Queen Anne wingback chair that was perched nicely outside a dumpster. It’s so awesomely Victorian and very much my style. I also have this nifty tufted chaise that I found on Craigslist. It’s perfect for my library.

One concern I have now, with upholstered pieces, is how much more prevalent bedbugs are than they were even 5 years ago. I’ve been lucky enough to never have a problem with them, but I don’t know how to check for them in potential purchases.

love reading your blog!

13.October.2011

I never find anything like that when I go to the goodwill or salvation army. Lucky!

13.October.2011

I seriously own five armchairs. All second hand. Its a sickness, but I love all of them.

13.October.2011

I love secondhand furniture, but I worry about bed bugs now. Anyone else? Am I crazy?

13.October.2011

Nikki – Yes, the new electrical work includes wiring for the TV, media components and surround sound…right where HH wants them. I’ll post about all that soon before the walls get closed up!

13.October.2011

I am in the middle of reupholstering two wing backs that I scored for $80 for the pair. They have gone from being an unfortunately flesh-like mauve to very hip leopard print. LOVE!

13.October.2011

I love all of your finds, but just curious – do you clean or disinfect the furniture that you don’t reupholster? If so, what do you use?

14.October.2011

Jenna – Right now the new old chair is sitting in the garage over at the Underdog. It’s the first piece of upholstered furniture that I’ve bought secondhand…or at least from someone I didn’t know already. The Salvation Army cleans and disinfects upholstered furniture before it’s put up for sale. I did check it over several times for bugs and/or signs of bugs. I even used the flashlight app on my phone to search the seams and crannies. I think I’ll probably check it again once over really well before taking it into the house. Other than that, it just needs a good vacuuming.

14.October.2011

I need to go to that Home2Home store ASAP! I have a feeling that’s where I’ll finally be able to track down the right console table/piece of furniture to act like a console table. And it’s only an hour away from me!

I love your idea for the media cabinet. It sounds like a great way to pay homage to the older age of the house while giving it a younger, fresher flare!

14.October.2011

Excellent finds! I just found a hutch that needs some TLC but it was solid wood and I know the finished product will be perfect in my dinning room.

14.October.2011

I love Home2Home and that Salvation Army! I’ve found lots of treasures at both.

15.October.2011

How random – that’s a mile from where I live. In fact, we recently sold my grandfather’s house and a had a bunch of his furniture items up there. The last of them sold this week. If you’re ever looking to get rid of some stuff it’s a nice system with no hassle.

15.October.2011

I recently found a wooden folding book shelf that is made in Thailand for my son’s room. Just like this one ….http://www.crateandbarrel.com/furniture/bookcases-cabinets/folding-walnut-bookcase/s242708 …. It was also $25. It matches the other wood furniture in his room and gives it a vintage, yet boyish look.

16.October.2011

My husband did the same thing as Angie, but he hates Best Buy, so he got our repeater kit from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/4y3qw76
I also did a post about it here: http://www.leslieadavis.com/?s=television
I am so happy that hubby knows so much about computers/electronics. Makes life SO much easier! Good luck and nice scores!

17.October.2011

i need a blue velvet wingchair. stat! awesome find x

Okay…so I thought I was the only one who loved Emily Henderson! I really really like her style diagnostic and how she pulls together a room. I haven’t seen a designer on HGTV quit like her. …but what in the world is going on with her show? It seems like they’ve scaled it back. In my area it only shows once per week in the early afternoon. I really hope her show keeps getting extended. I can’t get enough! :-)