Through the Garden Gate Open House!

Through the Garden Gate is having a Fall Open House today from 10-5!  

Visit them (and my booth on the second floor!) for great sales on cute furniture and home decor!!!  

My entire booth is 10% off!  Happy shopping!!!

Reader Request

A lovely reader named Christina emailed me the other day to let me know she picked up a trunk I had featured the other day from Goodwill.  Remember this one:

Well she picked it up and it happened to be the color of the week when she got it, so it cost her $10!  Total score!!!  She wanted some ideas on what she could do with it, so I came up with a few I found around the blogosphere....keeping in mind she wants to use it as a coffee table.

Oh and her living room colors are hunter green, chocolate brown, light brown...earth tones.

Love this before and after from Poofycheeks  Amazing what a little paint can do.

BEFORE:

AFTER

 You could paint your trim (the part with the studs on it) one color to get rid of the yellow (if you don't think it would go) and paint the inside a color that coordinates with your room.

How fun is this one from Denver Post

It's a great example of how it would look if you painted the hardware and the trim if you don't like any of the yellow Christina.  Choose two browns that go in your room and do a stripe?!?

My friend Eva (who sells fabulous personalized items!) did a fabulous makeover...here is her before

And with a little fabric, mod podge and ribbon she has this for a beautiful after:

Or how about this one?

Love this one from DecorPad.com.  You could recreate it by painting your whole piece black then shinning up the metal pieces (maybe with Brasso)

And if you wanted to add a little height to the chest you could get some stubby legs from Home Depot or Lowes and drill 4 holes on the bottom and screw them on. 

I hope these ideas helped a little!  I love using trunks as coffee tables!  Anyone else seen any ideas that would help Christina out?

Habitat Restore and their Dreamy DiningTable

I usually don't use the words Habitat ReStore and Dreamy together but I was drooling there today...wishing I needed a dining table. 

Habitat ReStore: School St (Richmond Location) $203.99

It's reading lighter and oranger on my horrid iPhone camera but it really was gorg!  Very rustic and it was a good size with a leaf included and it looked BRAND NEW!  Such a steal!  Reminded me of something like this from PB. 

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/hayden-rectangular-dining-table/?pkey=csquare-rectangular-tables

$1399

If you are in the market for a table I would definitely check it out.  Oh and they had a bunch of mantles there too if you were gaga for my sisters fireplace turned headboard like I was!

Loving the gray one! 

Fireplace Turned Headboard

I told my sister today I might as well hand over the reins of the Richmond Thrifter blog to her since she is the only one with the amazing makeovers lately!  Well she's at it again! And of course she had the help of her trusty side kick, my mom, who will now answer to "Paintin' Patty" ;) 

She picked up an old mantel from Class and Trash a month or so ago for around $100. 

My sister mom removed the hanging piece and primed and painted it white.  Then gave it some distressing with a hand sander.  My sister was probably reading US Weekly or something, remember she is the baby of the family and to say she is pampered is an understatement.  She's really good at the shopping part, painting, not so much ;)

And here is the finished product!

And in the words of Rachel Zoe

"This is just plain bananas!"

She is switching out the pillows with a more vibrant color but I couldn't wait to show you all.  I'll post the updated version once the pillows are swapped out.

Out and About- Mechanicsville Turnpike

My blog friend Amy from Just Pleased as Punch was out goodwill hunting today and was sweet enough to send me this picture.  Don't you LOVE the bamboo details! 

Mechanicsville Goodwill $55

So I had no intentions of going over there today but I had a sitter coming anyway, so of course I had to go check it out.  It breaks my heart to say this but I didn't get it.  I have no idea what came over me.  It could have been the vision of my husbands face when I brought it home to our already full garage.  Or the fact that my trunk was occupied with a Class and Trash purchase I hadn't taken out yet.  Or the fact that it was raining cats and dogs (picture me running into Goodwill with my sons tiny Batman Umbrella...that happened).  But needless to say, I am having major non-buyers remorse right now!  Especially after I found some inspiration photos below.

LOOK what you could turn that Plain Jane into!!!

http://www.mattersofstyleblog.com/2009/08/bamboo-desk-makeover.html

http://www.frugalhomedesigns.com/2010/05/new-goodwill-desk.html

I'm seriously cursing myself for not getting it!!!  WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!?!

Here are some other things I didn't get and am regretting also. 

Mechanicsville Goodwill $45.25 for the desk AND chair

Mechanicsville Goodwill $55.25

Mechanicsville Goodwill $20

Mechanicsville Goodwill $50.25 for the table AND 4 chairs!!!!

I quickly ran over to the ReStore too and found this...

Mechanicsville Habitat Restore $150

I made an extra stop at the ABC store this afternoon.  I think some Skinny Girl might help me get through my non-buyers remorse.  Or maybe I just need to return tomorrow and say a prayer to the Goodwill Gods that it's still there ;)

Vintage Fan Decor

I picked up this pretty lady on Friday from my fave, Class and Trash.  The second I saw its dusty butt I knew I had to have it!!!  It's a vintage Westinghouse fan and isn't it sooooo Picker Sisters!  And the funny thing is I watched an episode at naptime that day and what do you know they nabbed a fan from an old peanut factory on the same day I got mine!  Yet another sign I need to be the third "sister" on that show ;)

It doesn't look too bad in the picture but oh my lord it was dusty!  I wasn't sure I would be able to get into the interior so I took my husbands lawn blower and tried to blow out as much dust as possible.  Very technical approach!  He later took the front off for me so I could really clean it up.  The base is a little rusty but it gives it a little bit of character.  And best of all...it still works!

I think it would provide the perfect pop of color to a room and add some great character to an empty corner somewhere.  Here are some inspirational pics I found that got me thinking.  Even though I couldn't find any similar to the one I bought...I still love these images!

http://www.bhg.com/decorating/decorating-style/cottage/cottage-style-rooms/#page=9

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/08/furniture-feature-friday-excuses.html

http://bombergirlclothing.com/?cat=32

http://milenachka.tumblr.com/page/2

PS  Sorry about the images in my last post...still not sure what the problem was?!? 

Out and About

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend!!!  Just a few finds from this weekend that I didn't pick up but loved!  Somebody go get them!

Salvation Army- Near Diversity Thrift- $50 

Love this in a mudroom or kids room.  Paint it a fun color.

Pottery Barn Teen has a similar look...

Class and Trash- $45 (they negotiate price there...don't forget!)

Thought this had great potential for a bar cart of some sort.  A little paint would work magic!  Love the X's and the wheels.

Kinda love this.  Mail divider?  Craft room scrap book paper organizer?  The possibilities are endless!

Class and Trash- $  ARGH!  Didn't mark the price...sorry!

Class and Trash $58

I almost fell on the floor when I found this similar one online for $1,450!!!!  WHAT!!!

I love how classy a metal bar cart looks in a room...

bar cart from restoration hardware

These were cute, needed a little cleaning but were in pretty decent shape.

Class and Trash- $70 for THE PAIR!!!  Cant beat that price!

Chamberlayne Ave Goodwill- 2 for $40

Love a bench.  These need a paint job but could be transformed into something like this from PB for a fraction of the price!

Pottery Barn $199

 Anyone else find anything fun this weekend?!? 

***  There seems to be something wrong with my photos loading!?!?!  I'm working on it!  Sorry!!!  Thanks for checking back later :)