I've always been enamored with thrift shopping. The whole 'used' factor doesn't creep me out one bit and lately as I learn more about clothing waste and ethical shopping (mostly from my rock star friend Molly) I'm even more motivated to shop second hand. Add to that a 'cause,' and well I'm a goner. In this case, the thrift store is Recovered Treasures and it supports an organization called Healing Transitions. Healing Transitions is a nonprofit recovery facility for homeless individuals with alcohol and other drug problems. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty and addiction by providing a peer based recovery program, at no cost to participants. One of the things I love about Recovered Treasures is that 100% of the proceeds from my purchase, helps support Healing Transitions. If that's enough to convince you to hop aboard the thrift store train, today I'm sharing what to look for at a thrift store!

This will barely be a tutorial because it's so easy.  But I recently recovered a seat cushion and it made all the difference so of course I had to share. Here's my version of how to recover a seat cushion:

You know I love thrifting and painting.  If I had the time I'd much rather find an old piece of furniture and paint it than buy new.  I suppose if I had more dough I might just buy something new that looked old but I bet I'd still miss the makeover process. Just keepin it real.  Anyway, when I happened upon this little bar for $25 at Goodwill I fell in love!  I purchased it and a short year later (I said if I had time didn't I?), I completed it.

I took a stroll through the new Vintage, Antiques, and Collectibles shop on Candia Road yesterday.  Can I just say I loved that place?  The prices weren't my kind of prices (i.e. dirt cheap) but if you're looking for "real" antique pieces, original home décor, or even party or kid space centerpieces, this place is a fantastic place to start.  And in addition there are smaller less expensive items (like old milk bottles and Coke bottles for instance) that every vintage lover can enjoy. 

No clever title here folks.  It's all I can do to pause for a moment and give you the sneak peek I promised a few days ago!  And to be clear it's not that I think you're anxiously awaiting the details and so I'm teasing with a sneak peek...it's more like I still have one tiny task left to complete on the dresser and can't bring myself to post full pictures of it with a missing knob.  Yes, it's missing 1 knob.  Why didn't I replace it before painting you ask?  That's a great question. Why didn't I? Oh right- I'm super impatient.  AND I didn't realize until just before I started prepping that the knobs were sort of dovetailed in (probably not the right term) and not screwed in. I'd always planned to replace them with cuter knobs with more personality. But, I couldn't get the dang things off.  So I just went ahead.  And now that it's 99% complete, I'm kicking myself for not running to Lowe's and getting that knob...

But without further ado, here's the "sneak peek" or "I'm not quite finished yet but I want you to know I haven't been lying about this project that took forever peek"  Hmmm, that doesn't quite roll off the tongue.

I meant to post this a week ago.  Key words: Meant To.  Here are just a few things I "found" at my last visit to a local thrift store.  Underneath each photo of the furniture finds I've written a  little blurb on my "vision," for the piece with a photo included--just one vision; there were many more floating around this head of mine.  This a scary peek into my psyche.  I can't help it. I see the potential in junk.  It's a blessing and a curse.  Oh and I'm sorry about the bad photos/lighting but let's face it--it's a thrift store, not a studio ;)

After this post fed to Taste{full}'s Facebook page, I got a question: Where do you get the furniture you paint? Here are my top sources for used  pre-loved furniture:

1. The side of the road.  Yes, it can be embarrassing.  You have to be fearless. Like me.  I seriously don't care what people think if I see potential in a cool piece of furniture for FREE! Unfortunately the husband is not like me so I've passed up some good pieces because he refused to didn't pull over.  (Although maybe it's good that he's less tolerant because my garage would be even more of a mess than it already is).  Here are the pieces I've found on the side of the road:
-magazine rack.
-nadia's modern rocker.
-cool vintage office chair kind of like this one (I never got around to painting it though and ended up selling it on Craigslist.  Easiest $15 I ever made).


2. Craigslist.  You have to be patient, willing to negotiate, and willing to drive.  Here are a couple of pieces I've found on Craigslist.
-genevieve's "new" dresser (to be revealed soon)!
-"vintage" wooden high chair (below).


3. Thrift/Antique stores.  This might be my favorite "source."  It's more convenient than randomly stopping on the side of the road, they'll hold furniture for you until you can pick it up (usually 24 to 48 hours), and while it's more expensive than "free," it's still pretty cheap. Here are a few pieces I've found at Thrift stores (I could list so many more!).
-Genevieve's 1st Dresser.
-genevieve's rocking chair.
-nadia's changing table.
-Quarterfoil bar- I can't wait to share this project with you.  I just have to start it first.



1. Bring a tape measure with you whenever possible.  And have your home/space measurements with you if you're looking for a specific piece (I keep a "note," in my phone).
2. Take your time to check out condition and if the item is real wood.  If it's in rough shape and you're aware of that, fine, but it's a bummer when you get home and realize the piece isn't what you thought it was or is more damaged than you realized--this has happened to me a few times!
3. Don't be scared to negotiate.  The worst that can happen is they say no.  The best- with 20 seconds of your time you just saved ten or twenty bucks!

Well I have to say, looking at all the furniture I've painted over the last few years (and I didn't include every piece) is so fun. It often feels like I never get around to projects but now I have proof! ha!

I always forget to take a good "before" picture...

sorry for the crappy cell phone shot.  and ignore my table and lack of styling. ick.

Next, my look for less mirror…

Nadia is 8 weeks old and I am finally finished her nursery.  Actually I'm lying.  I still have one more tiny task to take care of but it requires shopping around for the perfect thing and I don't know how long that might take (I mean it IS me, after all!).  But more on that later...

Nadia's Nursery was such a fun adventure.  I really wanted to create a fun, unique, functional nursery on a budget.  I wanted it to reflect my style but also be suitable for a baby/toddler and a happy place for Nadia.  I have a love/hate relationship with decorating.  On one hand, I love it.  I love all things pretty and the thought of creating a space that makes me feel a certain way is a welcomed challenge.  On the other hand, I am very indecisive, can have a hard time visualizing the finished project, and am painfully aware of my shortcomings when it comes to interior design.  But when all is said and done, I love learning about design and learning how to execute my ever evolving style.

my inspiration.

Initially I had several different design schemes I really liked for Nadia's nursery. One involved a palette of beige, cream, taupe, and white...a peaceful, natural vibe.  One involved Joel Dewberry's aviary line with a rustic woodsy feel (I have to admit part of the draw here was using owls which despite their trendiness, I think are simply adorable).  The next involved a modernly shabby chic feel with florals and distressed furniture in a palette of bubble gum pink, red, and aqua.  The last was a girly room of bright colors- aqua, pink, and yellow, with an ethnic vibe- based on Dena Fishbein's Kumari Garden line.  Hey, I warned you about my indecisiveness!  I dropped the Joel Dewberry version and then showed photos and described my 3 ideas to my super artistic sister and my designer friend and they both gave me the same advice: combine all three.  At first I wasn't sure if I could do that--I'm a bit of a design schizo and I felt like they were all so different.  But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I could totally take my favorite elements from each scheme and make it work.  So that's what I did.  I did give one priority and that was the Kumari Garden inspired room.

I had crib bedding made from it and the rest flowed from there.  From the peaceful beige palette, I took the natural elements and used DIY drop cloth curtains, the cute hamper, the natural blond wood shelves, and woven accessories.  From the shabby chic scheme, I took the aqua and pink, used a painted yellow dresser, and painted and distressed an antique dry sink to re-purpose as a changing table.  I also used the ornate (and yes, ubiquitous) ung frame.  The goal of "ethnic" might not have been achieved. I ordered a Moroccan Pouf from Morocco (yes straight from Morocco) and it ended up being a total NIGHTMARE!!!  I ended up returning it and since I can't afford the $400 version and am now deathly afraid of ordering a cheap one after my experience (let's just say it involved goat urine.  yeah that happened), I had to give up that dream. I also ordered a cool coffee sack pillow that I thought gave it an ethnic vibe, but that too didn't pan out.  I won't give you the boring details...I did however create this cool (if I do say so myself) Chinese lantern, pom, and lace lantern mobile and order this beautiful print from Jones Design company--all of which I think contribute to an ethnic feel.  And the Dena Fishbein print which was the entire inspiration, is one of the beautiful prints in her Kumari Garden collection which invokes an ethnic bohemian vibe. I also used her Tarika in gem as well as the Sujata in pink prints.

One last note and then I'll shut  up!  One of the most fun things about this room was doing it on a budget (Not as super tight as Genevieve's nursery but not nearly as expensive as many of the nurseries I ogled on design blogs).  Many of the items in her room came from thrift stores, yard sales, and even the side of the road.  I loved upcycling the changing table and painting the $20 yard sale dresser a cheerful yellow.

So here are some photos for your viewing pleasure (sources for almost everything at the very end)...

One of my absolute favorite features!  Lantern and pom mobile inspired by hers and hers.

Natural wood shelves-- styled but functional.