We are all on a budget these days, but the desire for something new or different continues. Who doesn’t like a little something special for their house to make the room brighter or to help you feel a little better? More importantly, sometimes a furniture purchase is unavoidable but also unaffordable. New furniture is not your only option. Used furniture is not only the right price but in many ways might be the best choice for you. Here are some pros for choosing used furniture and some tips to sprucing it up to blend into your home.
Pros:
• The price is right, almost too good to be true. Yard sales, Craigslist, Thrift stores and flea markets are great places to furniture shop. I recently bought a dresser for $27 from Goodwill (see more below).
• You love vintage style. You can often find one of a kind designs or a pattern that is no longer being produced. These pieces can add color or warmth to any decor.
• Be creative. Anyone would be hard pressed to take a hammer or paint brush to a $800 buffet but a $100 or $50 piece is a whole different story
• Perfect match. You can repaint or recover any piece to match your home perfectly or just a few dollars on top of the purchase price
My own thrift store find started as a search for a changing table for my new baby. A trip to a local goodwill provided many dressers but I really liked the look of this 1960’s wide bureau despite its unfortunate paint (cream and gold) and federal style handles. I bought the dresser for $27, hardware cost an additional $18 and I used some left over paint from my dining room (a medium grey). I had to patch the handle holes in each drawer because my new hardware was a different spacing. You can use spackle or Bondo (automotive patch). After the spackle dried, I sanded and applied one coat of primer and then 2 coats of paint. I added semi-gloss white to the beveled edges. Next, I drilled new holes for the new hardware. Once the new handles were secure, I was done and all for around $50. The beauty of my paint choice is that if I no longer want to use this piece in the nursery, I can move it to the dining room (it shares the wall color) as a buffet or our bedroom (the grey blends well with the colors). The neutral natural of grey makes it easy to move to any room.
Refurbishing furniture can not only be cheap but fun at the same time. You will be amazed at what you can save and how good your finished piece can look. That makes it much more satisfying that store bought!
Source : www.examiner.com
