Yard Sales never cease to amaze me. My sister and I went to our parents for their neighborhood’s semiannual yard sale. Usually I come home with lots of books and toys and heelys and candle holders. This time was different.
The Mommymobile was very happy.
We found this dresser for $20. My mom talked them down to $18 since my sister bought a little night stand from the same people. It came with all the handle parts, some are just in the drawers. And what a well made piece. The drawers glide super easy, it’s sturdy and dovetailed.
I painted it yesterday with my trusty BEHR paint and primer with a semi-gloss finish, the color is Hushed White but any white would do. And look, it looks like an expensive piece. I had just moved my blue painted dresser into my office a few days ago and I was on the prowl for something to paint white for this space. Dressers can work great in any room of your house. I love the storage they provide.
We drove by this table at the end of the day. I slowed the car because I admit, I’m a leg girl. Those chunky legs caught my eye but I was sure that it was either sold, not for sale or the owner was asking $400. But my mom hopped out of the car and I heard her say “would you take $15?”. Apparently the fella wanted $20 for it but, since it was 11:00 he was willing to take less. I had no idea what I was going to do with this table. We already have 3 full sized tables in our home–and I was looking for a coffee table not a regular table. But, I loved it and it wanted to be loved and no one else had bought it. That pretty much sums up my weakness for furniture. It looked like someone might have barfed down one leg but I was able to wash it down and give it a layer of fresh paint and it looks amazing. I think I’ll slipcover my dirty old parsons chairs and pull them up to the table and stack books on it and use it kind of like this. I mean, since my dining chairs are the same height as my sofa, why can’t I try the sofa in place of chairs? We’ll see if it stays or not.
I’m continually convinced that anyone can furnish their house beautifully and inexpensively with quality furniture if they are willing to be patient and invest in some elbow grease. And barf cleaner upper. Want to see more finds by other resourceful women? Check out Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasure linky.
Related Posts::
Painted Pine Furniture {our $75 second hand armiore}
***
Tomorrow, we are talking about tassels and on Thursday, I’m hosting a tassel link up party. So, get those tassels made and photographed so you can show them off. If you are wondering what the heck a tassel is, stay tuned till tomorrow.
The dresser is just beauteeful!!! …and those legs!!! Awesome. Sigh! I’m moving so I can’t go looking for furniture.
Dear Nester,
I love this post! Would you be able to write something similar about other furniture… like couches? Or point me in the direction of someone who can give some advice about finding a new-to-us couch for not a lot of $$$. And, just so you don’t think I’m being a couch snob… our current couch is dying. DYING. It is well past the ‘well-loved’ stage that you wrote about your toile sofa (which I LOVE)… every cushion is falling apart at the seems, there are MAJOR stains (my girls + my husband watching them + chocolate pudding = sad couch) that will not come out and we are getting dangerously close to that ‘you’re never gonna be able to stand up again if you sit down properly’ state. I really have loved it as long as I can, but this summer I absolutely must replace it.
I would love advice of what to look for (especially in a 3 little girls watched all summer by dad where there is sure to be chocolate pudding) to best suit our lifestyle.
Nester, I love this post. And I completely agree on furnishing a home with second hand finds. LOVE the dresser! Holy buckets of paint, you are a fast painter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very nice table, too. The room with the tan couch looks soooooo cozy and welcoming. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
I am HUGE into garage saling. I’m so excited they are starting to pop up on the weekends around here. (I live in a really small rural area). One of my pieces of furniture that gets the most compliments is a hutch I made. It was a hand-me-down heavy shelving unity (long and up to the waist). I then found a desk hutch on the side of the street that said ‘take me’. I couldn’t resist it. I painted them back and put them together and it looks fantastic! And it was all free other than the paint!
Wow. You really did hit the jackpot! I love that dresser…it looks so expensive. I posted about a vanity table I got for $25. I love it. If you get a chance, come check it out. Enjoy your great finds!
Nester, I’ve got to say I think this is the first picture I have ever not liked on your site! It’s a beautiful table but the scale is just off. It just dwarfs everything in the room. I agree you can’t cut off those beautiful legs, but I think you in your all-knowing-nesting power could find a better location for it. Don’t kick me out of your website, but I had to put in my two cents. And I readily admit that you’re the one with the design blog, not me! :)
Joyce, I would have never gone out looking for a table like that for this room I was looking for a coffee table. And I’m not trying to trick anyone into thinking this is a coffee table. This is a FULL sized breakfast table people.
However, I don’t understand why it’s so odd to pull a sofa up to a table. We are ok with parson’s chairs. We are ok with wingback chairs, my sofa sits at the same level as all those.
but yes, I agree the table is big for our room. And that is even supposed to be the dining room for this house! But, it’s an example of the “sacrifices” one can make to have pretty things they love even if the scale isn’t quite right.
I’m not telling people to copy the scale.
I’m trying to free people to use things that they love, purchase things they can afford and work them in.
I rent the house. I own the table.
RIDICULOUS SCORES! Wow…having never found such treasures at such great prices I gave up on garage sales & thrift stores around here for a long time. I’m inspired to give it another try – maybe quality & prices have improved in my long absence :)
(P.S. I got my Danielson Designs quote Saturday from DaySpring – Thanks Again for the awesome giveaway….I’m posting a picture and a “linky” post later today)
I was part of our church yardsale on Saturday and people got some great deals off me…because I didn’t want to take any of it back home! I sold six parsons chairs for a total of $40, a kitchen table and chairs for $50 and two gorgeous pedastals for a dining room table for $45. I didn’t make much, but it is all gone!
I am pretty sure that is the dresser I grew up with. I had the whole set – dresser, high boy, nightstands, and two twin beds. My grandma passed it down to me. I think she bought it in Chicago.
You are the second person who thinks it’s theirs!
Love that dresser! I have them all over my house too — the extra storage is so great (esp. for me in a house with a serious lack of closets)!
As for the table, why not chop it down? I’ve done this for me and for some clients in the past, with great results. If you are reluctant to chop those lovely legs, do it to one of your other tables… Viola — instant coffee table! As an added bonus, using a dining table as a coffee table gives you extra surface area for board games on family games night.
Ok. You’ve inspired me. We’ renting a good sized apartment, and our dinig room is just TOO big for just the little table we own, but we don’t have the $$ to purchase a larger, more permanant one, nor do I really want to, since we don’t even have a house yet, not to mention that we NEVER eat in the dining room anyway! So, last month, I noticed a long, low dresser in my husband’s grandparent’s den that looked out of place, and it turns out they were just storing it until someone ‘needed’ one. Well, I needed one. I already purchased the bright green paint for it, but have not had the motivation to just PAINT IT! It’s going to be an awesome buffet and will change my dining room and life! I’m going to do, and I need YOU to hold me accountable! ;) I’m going to link you to it once it’s finished! ;) Thanks for the motivation!
Mandie, YOU can SO do this!
Painting that dresser took about 2 hours total! and it is SO rewarding!
I’m going to do it. I can’t do it tonight or tomorrow, but Wednesday, it’s ON! ;) At least I can prime it on Wednesday, then try to finish Thursday, then once I get paid on Friday, march myself down to Anthro and buy new hardware. ;)
BEAUTIFUL pieces! Bravo!
I too have a furniture problem. Some women have lots of shoes…I have lots of furniture. Fortunately I married a man who doesn’t mind. And while we don’t have lots of closet space, we do have a basement with lots of storage space for those pieces that I know I’ll use/repaint/fix up one day. Great finds!
wow. super jealous. i’ve seen some good yard sale hauls – but this one takes the cake! Good day!
Wow, you had way more success than I did this weekend….I found three dining tables ranging from 400 to 1,000, a dresser for 30 that had the drawers falling out of it, and butcher block microwave cart for $25 that had the drawer front fall off in your hand and…this was all on Saturday after 11. I didn’t buy any furniture, which is what I headed out for. Instead I came home with clothes to put back for my boys, the girls already have a closet, tubs, and dressers full.
I can’t believe the prices!! Paint sure does work wonders. I’m keeping a list of paint colors I see on blogs that I love so am adding hushed white to it.
What a great redo! I love it. What paint did you use?
Beautiful, I love furniture as well. So much that I try to stay inside on yard sale days since I know I’ll come home with something.
WOW! You really hit the jackpot! I am looking for a dresser like that. I hope I can find one for $20. Yay for yard sales! :)
Wish my mom would get a sofa for her dining table — holiday dinners would be waaay more comfortable! :)
I am thinking through possible scenarios other than “someone barfed down one leg” and the best I can come up with is that someone dropped an entire tuna casserole on the floor right next to that table leg.
Nester, those are some seriously GREAT yardsale finds. You did awesome! Thanks for the shout-out. You know how I feel about 2nd hand furniture too. :)
Wow…I’d say you hit the jackpot with these finds. I totally love the idea of pulling up your dining room chairs to the table in front of the sofa!!!! Brilliant~ Thanks for sharing your lovely finds! Beth
So, let me get this straight. You went yardsaling (sailing?) this weekend. Came home with two slammin’ finds and managed to paint them and get them on the blog by Monday morning.
I bow to your greatness!
My husband was out of town, I have magical energy when he is away. Now he’s home and I’m normal again.
Nester,
What color of “white” do you suggest for white painted furniture? I just bought my first craiglist table with good bones (in other words, a piece of junk, otherwise), and I would like to do the same white I see in your photos. I’ve tried two different whites already and they don’t look like anything I see on your site!
I TOTALLY agree. And patience is the key. You never know when you are going to stumble on the beauty you’ve been waiting for! My house has been furnished almost totally by second-hand pieces. It has been slow-going but so worth it. My heart is happy that it’s garage sale season again! Great post!
That table has such awesomeness… I can never resist a great pair of chunky legs either!!! Jennifer Rizzo
LOVE LOVE LOVE the dresser! How do you get so lucky? Yeah for garage sale season again!
Fantastic!!! I can’t wait to get out on the prowl….grrr!!!! The hunt is so exciting, but not nearly as exciting as those new pieces!!!!
I can’t wait to watch you play with the table and couch…I’m always trying that and then going conservative again.
This summer my goal is to learn how to yard sale… any tips? I have done very little, and aside from a our DR table and chairs we found on accident on our way somewhere else (for $50- with a glass top protecting the wood!) I don’t generally have much luck. Perhaps you have already blogged yard-sale-ing 101 in the past and I missed it?
Spring, yep, I have a huge post full of tips–click on the link “how to yard sale” at the bottom of this post!
Holy smokes I love it!!! I’m so happy that garage/yard sales are back in season! Yay to hidden treasures waiting for us to seek them out! :o)
i wanted to move a dresser into the living room the other week. and my husband said, “yeah. but it’ll look like a dresser. dressers go in bedrooms.” siiiiiiiiiigh. i’m trying to sweetly and casually talk him out of the furniture/windowtreatment/decorations box that he’s housed himself in! it’s hard work!!!–he’s a strong-willed, left brained, engineer. woe is me. ;-)
oh my gosh. i just read the part about you & magical energy when hubby is gone. ME TOO!! I don’t know what it is! He’s gone right now…so maybe I’ll move a dresser into the living room or something scandelous like that.
What a great find. So satisfying to find such treasure and make it even better with just a bit of paint. I always say that paint can fix almost anything.
Debbie
Nester, what is that beautiful color on the walls? That yummy, slightly muddy robin’s egg blue behind your couch? Will you tell?
I need to include it every time I show that room!
Comfort Gray Grey? Sherwin Williams
Way to score some deals! And get them painted quick as lightning! I’ve got a whole village of furniture in my studio awaiting paint. :( Time, more time, I need!
Don’t you just love the high you get from good yard sale purchases? :)
Awesome awesome AWESOME!!! That dresser is exactly what I’m looking for in about three different spots in my house!!! My problem with garage sales is you have to get up early to go, and I SO do not get up early.
Our home is almost entirely full of second hand furniture. Whether it’s antiques from my parents, yard sales, flea markets, or craigslist finds! I acutally like it more, because when it isn’t brand new and expensive, I allow myself to be more creative and take more risks with it. And that almost always pays off more than playing it safe!
Someone else asked this in the comments and I didn’t see an answer to it…did you spray paint these or hand paint? I am looking to paint some furniture and would love to hear your thoughts on spraying vs. hand painting.
Thanks ;)
I used a small roller and a brush–just like in the post that I linked to to the painted armiore–wait, did I link to that post? hate me. If not, search the sidebar search box for “painted armiore”
Thank You :)
I’ve been hunting for a table like this for months. If you would part with it, I would pay your asking price (up to $150) and drive to pick it up. Let me know if you are interested!
elizabeth
Girl, I cannot part with it but, I promise if I ever see one again, I will tweet about it and write about it on facebook so you all will be able to snatch it up.
But I SO don’t blame you for trying!
Hi, Love the dresser! I was wondering if you could tell me what color paint is on the wall where the dresser is? The tanish color? I’m looking for something just like that for our living room. Thank you!
Those are amazing finds! I’m so jealous of the dresser! I think you’ve inspired me to go yardsaling next weekend. Fun!
Also, I have something for you on my blog; come see! :)
http://theclevermommy.blogspot.com/2010/04/winner-winner.html
Love the high end table. Looks like a million bucks!
HEY!!! I think that is MY dresser!!! Looks like they had painted the gold trim blue in the photo. It was called Impressa by Kent Ciffey ( it is labeled inside the top drawer) . We bought it in 1965 ,wholesale, at the LA Furniture Mart!! Been thinking of painting it turquoise. Did yours still have the laminate coating on the top? I also have the bed, one nitestand and the desk. OH do tell me if this is my dressers twin sister!!!
if they are the same I can send you photos of the other pieces just for fun if you like! haha family portrait. they are scattered in different rooms (i don’t do sets!)
MAN! That is gorgeous! I want a buffet-type thingy for my living room and adore one from Ballard Designs but’s $1000 and I like yours better! MUCH better. Thanks for the motivation and inspiration. I am on the hunt! Thanks!
I am sure this is somewhere on this site, but could you give us your top 3 strategies in painting old furniture. I never do it cuz I fear sanding, and edges and fumes. But I’m sure there is an easier way.
I have a similar dresser (Marsha Brady 70s dresser) – could you advise on how you painted it, or point me to some articles on how to paint something with a slick, shiny surface? I’ve wanted to paint it for years, but don’t know how to sand it – because the surface isn’t wood, it’s that fake, slick stuff. Thanks for any pointers. :) Molly
hi there nester,
i was wondering if you could email me about a (rather stupid) question. when you bought the second hand dresser, did you paint in the insides of the drawers? i have a dresser all ready for paint, but the task of painting the interior seems to dauting!