Craig's List Series #12

This series of posts features Craig's List finds from my area of the country, South Jersey/Philadelphia.  Even if you don't live in this area, and most of you don't, I thought it would be fun to show you some interesting and unique pieces and what they are worth.  If you are in the market for rare antiques or just trying to gain a knowledge for what pieces are worth, I strongly suggest you visit Craig's List and scour the antique category.  

Most sellers will try to give as much information about a piece as possible.  So as a regular visitor to CL, I've gained a knowledge of terminology and time-period, as well as an understanding of which pieces are rare as opposed to those that are a dime a dozen.  For this series, I'm showing you the ones I think are either rare, very interesting, or an extremely good value. 

Please note:  Unless otherwise stated, I did NOT purchase any of these items.

I'm so happy to see many of you utilizing CL to furnish your homes these days.  I've had tons of fun doing this series and sharing my finds with you.  My latest project is converting a large office into an office/living room for my sister-in-law.  I was able to score some great items on CL for a song to use in this space.   A gorgeous area rug, 7' x 10' from a smoke-free/pet-free home that cost a mere $85, as well as a beautiful console table with granite top for $180.  Both go perfectly in the room and the only thing left to do is find some casual seating.

Speaking of seating, check out these amazing chairs that I spotted recently while browsing CL:

A gorgeous antique needlepoint chair for $65.

These next three chairs were listed together, but for different prices.

This red Victorian was going for $60.

A lime green Eastlake chair for $50.

And a maroon rosewood accent chair for $75.

I fell in love with this vintage desk.  It was listed for just $50, but alas, I have no use for it.......sniff,sniff.

Same with this tall oak secretary.  Asking price: $75.

Precious!

I swooned over these old chippy shutters listed for $15 a piece.

And how about this rustic 6' ladder for $20?

And rounding out the shabby category is this white china cabinet for $75.

Don't you just love the chicken wire on the doors??  $75!!!!!  And you wouldn't even have to paint it!

And for those of you who've been following for a while, you know my series wouldn't be complete without a gory ending.

Not one.  Not two.  But THREE new caskets.  Floor models for $350 a piece!  Delivery available....

Happy hunting and have a Blessed Easter my CL friends!

xoxo,

Kim

Pillow Talk

Call it what you want.  My Achilles Heel, the thorn in my side, the bane of my existence.  Truth be told, I hate decorating with pillows.  More to the point - I suck at it.

I can put together a tabletop display or assemble a decent vignette without batting an eye.  I love to put the finishing touches in my decorating.  To me, accessorizing is like an aphrodesiac.

But the one thing I struggle with in nearly every room is pillows.  Which is especially frustrating because these days, pillows are the thing - indoors and out.  Never before has there been such a plethora of fabric choices for your outdoor seating.  Perhaps that is my problem in a nutshell - too many choices.  I can be the most decisive person given a choice between A and B, but put me in a room with a thousand different pillows and I break out in hives.  Too many choices can be a bad thing for someone like me.

But someone like me also loves a good challenge.

One decorating challenge I have managed to overcome is mixing the old with the new.  I'm a traditional girl at heart, and I have an appreciation for all things old and worn.  Pieces with a history have me at hello.  But decorating with them can be tricky.  There's a fine line between traditional decor and grandmom chic.    

The easiest way to balance old and new is also the most inexpensive - with your accessories.   Which brings us back to pillows.  I love the contemporary pillows I'm seeing all over these days with their funky geometric patterns and cheery bright colors.  I've even seen pillows all blinged out with rhinestones and sequins.  But what intrigues me the most are those of you who are able to mix pillows using fabrics and colors that don't match.  That takes serious skillz.  I have a nasty old habit of coordinating colors.  To date the most I've been able to use in a single room is three.  I also have a thing for balance, which requires two of the same.  BORING!  I find a pillow that I love and I buy two - one for each end of the sofa.

So, I've decided to challenge myself to buy, or rather NOT to buy the same two pillows ever again.  What I wasn't prepared for was how difficult that would be.  For someone like me.

Here are some examples of pure pillow fabulosity that I've come across in blogland recently.

Marty's living room sofas dazzle with these pillows in contrasting colors and fabrics.

Kim at Keller Creative has clearly mastered the art.  In my wildest dreams I wouldn't be able to pull this off.

Absolute perfection.

And Oakridge Revival cleverly uses a bold patterned pillow to bring contemporary style to an old but stylish chair.

See how it brings life to this beautiful room?

And this brown leather sofa from Hernando House goes from dull to wow with a mix of new and old pillows in an array of colors, sizes and styles.  I love how this room looks lived-in but chic at the same time.

And the name of this blog tells the tale.  Involving Color is a genius at mixing colors and styles, using artwork as well as pillows to bring a contemporary vibe to this chic space.

What I love most here, is how Candysu wasn't afraid to introduce bold colors in a room with neutral beige walls and window treatments.   I would have never thought to do this, but it works so well.

In my living room I have no excuses.  I have a brown leather sofa, which in the decorating world translates to a blank canvas.  I also have yellow walls, which goes with every color on the wheel.  So what's my problem?  Baby steps.  I'm taking baby steps.  The palette in this room is blue and yellow.  So far I've used the colors blue and yellow.......

The above pillows came from Walmart.  Given my problem with commitment, why spend a lot?  The one on the left is a bit outside of my comfort zone with its bold geometric pattern, but that is the point.

Another bold pattern, this pillow is from Burlington Coat Factory and is a bit out of shape.  But again, it's blue and yellow.

Not bad, but I'm looking for wow.

In the master, I've been shopping for accent pillows for months.  I finally took the plunge with this pillow from Pottery Barn.  I knew this one was right so I didn't mind the splurge.

This was the look before my splurge pillow.  All of the bedding here is Pottery Barn, but I wanted more color.

Subtle change, I know, but I love the soft colors.

Also goes well with the artwork on the opposite wall.

This canvas is huge.

Not much brave going on here.  Just not sure how hot  pink or bright orange would work in this room.

So what are your decorating challenges?  I'd love to hear from you!

xoxo,
Kim

Outdoor Wednesday

Do you see me??

Get a little closer.

Do you see me now?  Come on in a little bit closer.

Here I am!

I'm a morning dove.

I have to leave for a little while.  Would you mind keeping an eye on these for me while I'm gone?

They are very special to me, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them while I'm away.

I saw a stork at this house a few months back, so I thought this would be a safe place to have my babies too.

Baby Bliss was baptized last Sunday.  God Bless you my sweet baby boy.

Boring to Better Party

Today I'm joining Kim's Wow Us Wednesday party and showing you some changes I've made to my family room.  You may be getting sick of seeing this room, but I think I've finally got it right.

Before Christmas it looked like this:

Lotsa stuff.

After Christmas I scaled down quite a bit, removing bulky pieces of furniture and taking things off the walls.  I liked this look for a while, but quickly realized it was missing a little som'n som'n.

And here it is now.

And I did it pretty much using what I already had around the house.

The only thing I added was this picture.

It's a picture of a gristmill at our favorite family vacation spot, Pigeon Forge, TN that I took with my new camera.  I purchased the frame at Michaels and it was 55% off so I only paid $20 for it.  I love the gorgeous detail and the gold hues blend in with the surroundings in the rest of the room.

I also added this greenery.  I purchased the greenery and wicker urn at Target a very long time ago and just kept it in storage.

I mainly put it there to hide the outlet and cord.

I like how this corner of the room looks now.

The chair I got for free from a friend who had it sitting in her basement.  Can you believe it?  It goes perfectly in this room.

Boy do I need a new sofa.  This one is looking worn.  Ya here that Big Daddy???
The only other thing I bought was a darker candle for my table.

This one looks more Tuscan and I love that look.  The charger I got at a yardsale last year for $1.

The mirror was a Christmas present from my husband several years ago and it's from Sam's Club as is the entertainment center and sofa/loveseat combo.  The coffee table was a Craig's List find for $20.  And the wrought iron screen I got at Kirklands years ago and it has always been in this room, just moved around a lot.  I think it adds a bit of pizzazz.

The mantle has always been one of my favorite things about this room.  Big Daddy designed it when we first bought the house.

This is becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house I think.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit Savvy Southern Style for more WOW's!
Also joining the Anything Goes party at Type A.
xoxo,
Kim