The Thrill of Thrifting

Don't you just wish you could fill your home with beautiful things? Some girls dream of buying cute shoes. Some girls dream of buying nice coats and beautiful clothes. Some girls wish for thick, long eyelashes, or long, healthy nails. Some girls dream of having long, gorgeous hair. Some girls dream of baubles and jewels. While those things would be nice, they are not things I think about often. Those thoughts only enter my head maybe twice a year. It seems like most girls yearn for these things a lot more than I do. What does enter my head on a bazillion-time-a-day basis is home decor. I yearn for upholstered chairs, vintage fainting couches, two-tone case pieces with brass hardware, and the entire catalog of Restoration Hardware. In short, I am obsessed with that place. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but let's just say that if I won the lottery, you would find me at Restoration Hardware for the next three months. Or at least until my entire house is decorated exactly how I want. I yearn to be surrounded by all neutral decor. An ivory couch, gray walls, patina accent pieces, white and clear lamps with linen shades, creamy colored benches at the end of light wood upholstered beds with white, fluffy bedding...I could go on for hours.

Since my bank account does not support this fetish, I have learned the art of thrifting. The definition of thrifting, according to Wikipedia, is "the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully." I would define it as creatively gaining the beautiful pieces that you love. You can have those things you dream of having. You just have to hunt for them. You have to be willing to put some time and elbow grease into it. 

I read an article recently that states that we are most happy when we are being active or are participating doing some type of hobby. It states that on the weekends, we tend to be lazy and watch TV, but according to studies, these things do not make us happy, or even relaxed. Hobbies and exercise makes us happy and relieve stress. So why not try your hand at creating something you love? Or fixing up something old into something you will love and be proud of. After reading that article, I was inspired to try it, so I went thrifting this weekend. I visited resale furniture stores and found two pieces I am ecstatic to have. I want to share them with you here.

The first piece is an old, upholstered, velvet and wood chair. The velvet is a soft, butter color. The wood is a light color, but needs a little love. I have a love for chairs and have been trying to finish my living room, so I was pretty excited about this chair for $45. 

I plan to paint the wood (once I decide what color) in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I could reupholster it, but I want to have it ready for my Halloween party and am not sure I want to remove the current upholstery. The chair has a lot of potential and saved me from splurging on my first choice:

Restoration Hardware

The second piece I purchased is a very heavy, old dresser mirror. 

Luckily for me, it was already repainted a beautiful grey. The grey reminds me of the grey you often see in Restoration Hardware stores. In fact, I am positive that I have seen this same mirror in a RH catalog before. I cannot find it now, but here is one that is close.

Restoration Hardware

This purchase saved me from my first choice of an Anthropologie mirror with a hefty price tag of $498. I have had my eye on this mirror ever since I moved into my new house. I'm happy with my thrift find though. Here are the above two side by side. 

Pretty close considering the one on the left costs $2,195, and the one on the right was $85. The only difference I notice is one leaves more money in my bank account. :)