I Heart Craigslist!

Can I just take a moment to say that I absolutely love Craigslist? I rarely buy new furniture. I just search Craigslist endlessly until I find just what I want. I mainly search for pieces that are unique, made from solid wood, and many times American handmade. Why waste money on a cheap factory made piece from China when you can help someone recycle their old furniture for the same price or less? With a little creativity and effort, you can have some very nice pieces.

About six months ago I found this dresser on Craigslist. It had already been restored and distressed and I loved it just the way it was. Would you believe in 11 years of marriage, we've never owned a dresser for our bedroom?


Then, about a month ago, I found this antique desk on Craigslist. Restored with original hardware. Hand built, solid wood, love it. It doubles as a nightstand and extra storage space in our bedroom.

I searched for a table/nightstand that could kind of match the desk and dresser, while still looking like a one-of-a-kind piece and I found this.
It wasn't bad, but wasn't great either, but it was solid wood, handcrafted, so I'd figure I'd give it a go. I sanded and primed while the kids circled me in the driveway with their bikes. Then I primed it with black and spray painted it flat black. Then I used the electric sander again to distress the wood. Wiped it off and used a wipe-on poly in clear satin to seal and finish it. Then off to my favorite store for special knobs- Anthropologie- for just the right one.
And here it is now! What do you think? I'm so glad I could give this piece new life. I know there's a big issue about painting wood (verses staining), at least in my family, but I like it and it looks nice, so it's painted.

I found this piece on Craigslist for $15. It looked straight out of the 70s with a dark wood finish. I sanded, primed, painted, and antiqued it (rubbed brown acrylic paint), then of course replaced the knobs and we have ourselves an end table in the family room!


I also found this unique desk. I didn't know where it would go, then decided it was the perfect size for the entry. I had been searching for an entry table, but all the typical entry tables were a little too boring for my taste and the ones that weren't boring were way too pricey.

This piece was $50- kind of pricey for Craigslist, but it is an antique, and I had been searching for something like it, and it just spoke to me. (notice kids on bikes? we love the outdoors, so anytime we can make an excuse to be outside, they love it.)

I would have kept the original knobs, because they were pretty neat, but they were in poor shape, so i just bought some off the Internet and much to my regret, they were from...China...oh well, I try.

I'm not sure if the color of this piece is quite right, I'm thinking I want it more golden or else a sage green. It took me such a long time to finish this that I probably won't be repainting it anytime soon.

So, I know this post isn't about growing food, but I think it still fits into the idea of being self-sufficient, learning new skills, and recycling/re-purposing to limit waste. Plus, my house looks a little more furnished and all this furniture didn't cost me much- so we're all happy!