Hey, hey, hey, look at me go! Two days in a row! Woo! Maybe I just need to leave the tab up on my computer so that I see it whenever I happen to go online.
The recent story about the woman who went to Goodwill to simply buy something to keep her warm during a meeting but ended up with a painting worth thousands is an awesome one! Even though the odds of me ever coming across something of that nature in a Goodwill or elsewhere are slim, I still enjoy hunting in Goodwill for awesome deals or scavenging my grandparents' basement for cool pieces of antique furniture.
I am currently sitting at my kitchen table (my only table) which is actually part way in our living room and part way in our kitchen. It actually belonged to my great great grandma who was called Busia. I rescued it from the inner most depths of my grandparent's basement and Andy and I refinished it. It is now a quite lovely walnut color and incredibly sturdy! We got a couple of used chairs from Andy's parents' basement (I'm just realizing our dining room set is are all basement rescues).
To be totally honest, most of our stuff comes from a basement rescue plan of some sort. But in my opinion, those sorts of things are the best. They usually come with the most character. Plus it's like dumpster diving but cleaner and dustier. Regardless, garage sales, estate sales, Goodwill, and basements have become my best friends while attempting to furnish our apartment. Our couches came from Goodwill. Our dressers and Alex's changing table came from basements. Our coffee table was a pallet that Andy found out by a dumpster at work and he repurposed it into a divine little rustic coffee table. (I've found such a creative and handy man). Most of our pots and pans have come from basements and Goodwill and have, after many thorough scrubbings, made their way into our cabinets.
Finding new uses for old furniture and knick-knacks that have just been lying useless is one of the most exciting processes. It gives you a whole new perspective on a simple object, like an old pallet or old crates that have now become funky shelves. They are many fantastic reads on this topic as well. Some that Andy and I have enjoyed are: "Upcycling: Creating Beautiful Things With the Stuff You Already Have" by Danny Seo; "Building With Secondhand Stuff: How to Reclaim, Re-Vamp, Re-Purpose, and Re-Use Salvaged and Leftover Building Materials" by Chris Peterson; and "869 New Uses for Old Things" edited by Rachel Hardage and Sharon Tanenbaum.
These are just a few fun books to look through and get ideas. We found all of them at our local libraries so I bet you can, too! Give them a peek and let me know what you think. Or share some of your awesome basement rescues, Goodwill finds, or repurposed things!
Happy Hunting,
Kate
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