The Hunt

Adventurers dive to the depths of the ocean in search of lost Spanish galleons; hack their 
way through the Amazon jungle to uncover forgotten civilizations; scale the heights of the 
Himalayans in a quest to spot the elusive Yeti - that's the same mysterious force that 
drives the thrift store treasure seeker.  


It goes beyond simple bargain hunting.  The quest to reclaim the unappreciated work of 
artists, designers, and creators is an irresistible addiction that drives us to dig through trash, 
stop on the side of the road to pick up discarded gems, and know that a true discovery 
is waiting for us at the next yard sale.  


Here is a perfect example of the type of Thrift Store Gold that keeps us on The Hunt:

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Retro lamps from the 1960's found in a thrift shop . . . . . .

. . . . . were featured in Elle Decor . . . . . 

. . . . . . then spotted in Metropolitan Home! 

My goodness, what have we here?  The West Elm catalogue

features familiar looking vases - almost as if they are vintage

lamps with the tops cut off!

At a local flea market I paid $3 for this vintage lamp: 

Now, I'm not saying that this lamp is going to pop up 

in Vogue or Veranda but it is pretty neat, isn't it?

To fuel your desire for treasure hunting, 
here are a few retro pix for inspiration:

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Remember - today's bargain priced

vintage and retro pieces

are tomorrow's antiques.

Happy hunting!

For the Love of Twin Beds

The most cherished family heirloom that I own is an antique twin bed given to me by my 
father's mother, Granny Gillis.  Whenever we visited her in south Alabama, Granny let me 
sleep in one of the two twin beds in her room.  

On summer evenings we would lie in our beds with the window open, listening to crickets
and sharing stories before dozing off.  My mother has the matching twin bed and one day 
the two will be reunited in my guest room.   I love twin beds.

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Twin beds have a camaraderie that other beds don't have - a mate, if you will.  
Consider the possibility of outfitting your guest room with a unique pair.

Let's start the week with a little Inspiration

Mondays can be pretty tricky so let's ease into the week with some
motivational Before and After projects:

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The little console table was purchased on Craig's List

quite inexpensively but it looked as if it was part of a

larger unit.  Now it can charmingly stand alone.

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LOVE the instant aging patina on this dividing screen.

We've all seen little chests like the one below at

Goodwill and thrift shops: 

Before:

After:

Darling!

You're thinking, "This old 60's record/stereo cabinet

cannot be salvaged."   (I thought so, too.)

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Boy, were we wrong!  The parents of a lucky little girl 

turned it into a Sweet Shop for her toy room.

Don't think you can do much with old pre-fab computer 

desk parts and the shell of a 1970's television cabinet?

 Source:  Frank North Designs

Think again - they make a darling playroom kitchen! 

(The 'oven' and cabinet doors are chalkboards.) 

Here's another precious repurposing of an old TV cabinet:

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Creativity is an amazing thing!

Speaking of repurposing, here are some more clever ideas:

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Old ladders make excellent magazine racks.

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The interior of this house was paneled with

wood salvaged from an old barn.  Beautiful.

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Another garden use for an old grain scoop.

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Got an old cigar box lying around?  Pad it with a little

foam, cut some slits, and display your costume jewelry.

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Weathered posts make charming lamps.

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We've seen dressers converted into sink cabinets in

bathrooms but this couple just added a marble top and use 

the dresser for additional kitchen counter space and storage.

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Old glass telephone line insulators are darling

but mostly just sit around being used as paperweights.

Here's another idea - make them into hanging light fixtures!

Take a second look at objects lying around your house and think 

of ways to reuse them.  Not only is it economical, repurposing

is a charming way to keep salvageable items out of landfills.