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.
I love this post. Can’t wait to take some time and read more. God bless.
What great finds! Quite jealous. I too am a leg girl and that is the first thing I gravitate too. Give me a great leg, and she’s on her way home with me! Any before shots of the table?
The table would have looked exactly the same in photos, it was already white, just with dirty legs.
I have been actively looking for a dresser for a couple of months. Thanks for showing us your finds. I will not be discouraged. I know there is a dresser for me out there somewhere! A little more footwork…
That first white piece is stunning now that you have shown it some lovin ! I can’t believe the finds you find! I am wondering if that coffee table wouldn’t look better with the legs shortened just a tad? It seems tall in that picture, but maybe it’s just me since I havn’t even had my first morning coffee yet! Great job on finding both of them…wish your mom could come prowl the neighborhood with me!!
It’s not a coffee table. Tee hee. it’s a HUGE full sized pull your chairs up to it table. And I LOVE the legs. Since this is not our forever house we will make due with it as is.
Oh.my.word! Yay! I LOVE what you did with that dresser! I am a MAJOR yard sale girl myself and you’ve inspired me to start looking for furniture pieces. Wow! Go you! That dresser is GORGEOUS! I love the coffee table as well but would maybe “trim” the legs a little bit for my own space. Great post as always!
What a great dresser! Can’t believe you got that for $18? Wow. I never find great stuff like that at yard sales around here. I’m clearly going to the wrong neighborhoods.
Love the table, too. It does have great legs. Is it really is as giant as it looks, or is that an optical illusion?
Those are definite treasures especially at those prices!! Beautiful…I’m in love with the rug too!
Okay, that dresser is seriously slammin’. I never find good furniture at sales. Maybe I should go to more. But then I leave with little things that never remain in my good graces. Okay, self-control. I can do this. And for real. Awesome awesome dresser. Why would someone be selling that thing?!
Great finds! It seems like in the spring, there’s a community yard sale every weekend. Perfect time for treasure hunting!
You totally scored with these great finds! I love it, you have me wanting to get up early and get out there!
Great finds! And I totally agree with you – with the exception of a very few pieces, our home has been furnished second hand through yard sales, thrift stores and junk stores {with the occasional Big Lots and TJ Max thrown in}. And we have some beautiful pieces, if I do say so myself.
I will admit, though, sometimes I get tired of being patient. Thanks for the encouragement!
I love yard sales too. I love your dresser! I love the challenge of decorating my home with wonderful yard sale finds! Thanks for your daily inspirations.
You got a deal, but without your vision (and your mom’s) you would have let it go by. I love your painted white furniture. I’m seeing a lot of white these days and it’s scaring me. I don’t want to start painting all my furniture white!!! What work! LOL!
Marsha, YES if it weren’t for my mom saying–you’ll be sorry if you don’t get this, I would have come home empty handed. It really helps to have someone with you when you are yard saleling.
And, I had to be open to buying that table because it was a great deal. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for but, I fell in love and I have a few rooms it could work in. If it doesn’t work out in this little room, it can go in the playroom.
Good post. Looks like you now have the perfect place for a game room…Scrabble, cards, Monopoly! Much nicer than the kitchen!
I totally agree–game it up.
What magnificent finds! I swear to you, I never find stuff THAT good! I think, though, that I will start shopping with a keener eye, after having read your blog!
Congrats on such beautiful purchases!
I was at that same yardsale this weekend! We live right across the street from the church where that dresser was. I made a beeline for it as soon as I got there only to find your card taped to it! Imagine my surprise to find that one of my favorite bloggers had beaten me to a great deal! It’ll teach me not to be 20 minutes late for the neighborhood garage sale again!
AHHHHH! How crazy is that?!
Great work and it sounds like your mom is a big money saver for you girls!!!!
Great finds, and great transformations!
Most of house is furnished with second hand buys (yard sales, Goodwill, curbside). I love that dresser! We have a dresser in our family room for the TV. We use the drawers for storage of DVDs, games, power cords etc. I’ve not painted it yet, but I love how yours looks painted white!
Mary Ellen
Wow, girl, you seriously scored. Good for you! Looks like that you need to have several things with you when you go out yard-saling: Tape measure. Vision. Mom.
Good for you! Can I come lounge on that sofa while eating at that table?
Yes, if anyone would like to rent out my mom next weekend, she might be available for the price of a dunkin donuts coffee.
Great finds, Nester! You never cease to amaze me. Gorgeous!
Awesome finds! High five!
I love your idea with the table. Or you could cut the legs down to coffee table height as an alternative.
I can’t cut them–because I’m in LOVE with those legs! See my problems! Oh the humanity.
otherwise it would be a grand idea.
I’m a sucker for second hand furniture. I love refinishing it so much that I just opened a booth and a local antique store. It’s so fun to see the potential it has and paint is a miracle worker!
Fabulous finds. I completely agree. There is great furniture to be had at yard sales and thrift stores. All it takes is patience, a little bit of creative vision and a willingness to do a some work.
It’s good to know I am not the only one obsessed with other people’s castoff furniture! Just a month ago I had 4 dining tables in my home — I’ve sold one and it’s gone, need to sell another so i can keep the two I really love. One I inherited, one I found in someone’s garage.
I’m also a terrible sucker for small tables, those little occasional ones — night stands, end tables — that just don’t take all that much paint you know? I’ve got so many that if they ever animate and decide to march as a small wooden army, my goose is cooked.
Lovely post! And mothers are wonderful at yard sales. 30 years ago my Mum got our still-in-use tea table for $3 and a pie crust antique table for $5. No one says No to Mom.
Keep re-using!
Cass
I love that dresser. What a score! And can your mom come yard saling with me?
Love your finds!!! And painted white…oh so gorgeous!!
This is so encouraging. . . My husband and I are moving across the country next month, and I’m going to leave most of our furniture behind and start over. I am so excited about looking for new furniture at yard sales and re-painting it!
Bee-yoo-ti-ful!!!
The dresser was a great find! With patience, good things will be found!
Janell
Goooooooooood stuff! This is the kind of stuff that makes me weak in the knees.
very pretty! did you spray paint them, or use regular paint?
Love the dresser and the table! They look great white and it freshened them right up. Your Mom sounds like me, I always ask about price {no matter where I am}.
As for the tall coffee table legs, my husband put those bed risers under the couch for ‘optimal tv viewing’… you know the kind you get at bed bath n beyond for $10?
It would raise your sofa about 6 inches and you can slipcover mistreat the bottom with fabric to hide the bedrisers. Or your slipcover may be able to go down far enough to hide them like ours did.
just a thought
Such a smart idea!
I have been looking at yard sales and thrift shops for an end table with no luck! I’m hoping now that spring is here there will be a lot more sales going on! I love the dresser painted white!
I decorate our home almost solely from yard sale and estate sale finds! I prefer this way because it makes me be more creative which makes for a much more personal look. It’s so fun to treasure hunt!
You know, early in my marriage, Hubby and I aimed to have as nice a stuff as our parents have. So our home went emmediate to grownup and sleek. Now almost six years later we realize as we look around at nice stuff we are kinda stuck with for who knows how long we both (Hubby even voiced it without prompting, love that guy) that we’ve limited the flexibility in changing our home as we change. While we have beautiful things we find our favorite place now to get things for our home isn’t Thomasville but Habitat for Humanitie’s ReStore, garage sales and random curb side finds one bulk pick up day. I just posted our most recent ReStore visit.
You SO inspire me. I know I can do this stuff. I just need to jump in.
Looks like you hit the JACKPOT at this neighborhood sale…I always luv going to these! That dresser was a steal…luv the makeover you did on her. The table was also a great find…luv her big fat legs! Come on over to my NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAYS PARTY and show your two cuties off…hope to see them there:)
Blessings,
Linda
What great deals you got love that dresser !!!!
Kathy :)
OH MY GOSH!
You are SO lucky!
I have been looking for a table like that for AGES for my kitchen!
(((POUT)))
Where do you live. I’ll give you $40 bucks for it. LOL
And it would have a STELLAR place in my house… and will always be loved and cared for. :)
Dang you… Thrifty girl!!!
lol. jk.
~Shelley
What great finds!! Great pieces of furniture. I need to get out there to some yard sales and see what I can find.
I LOVE yard sales! Looks like you got some great deals, my friend!
Those look great! I really like the dresser, it’s lines are so formal it could be anywhere in the house and fit right in! Great finds.
Hi- what color paint is in your room here? I love it!
yum, yum, yum, YUM!
lucky. duck.
:)
Your room looks beautiful, and of course the white plates are perfection with the new white table! *sigh* I need to get some luck tossed my way so I can find the perfect vintage sideboard to paint and make over for my dining room! Enjoy your new finds & have fun “playing house” & getting the made over spaces all set up today!!
Blessings,
Stacey
Barf cleaner upper…I think you should market that and put it for sale on the blog. Moms everywhere will thank you. ;)
LOVE what you did with the newly white dresser! I am also a firm believer in the miracle of the yard sale transformation…you’re a good example of practicing what you preach. :)
Hi Girl! Love the dresser, well, love all that you found! I posted yesterday, too, about being content with even just ONE find. Kinda a yard sale philosophical post (pep talk to myself! LOL). Happy Monday!