Archive for March, 2010

Estate!

Monday, March 15th, 2010

After the last estate sale debacle I wanted to try it again with what looked like the mother-load of Danish and mid century treasures.

Well. Debacle.

Woke up at 5am which is like AN INCREDIBLE FEAT for my lazy ass. Drove over an hour to get to the estate sale 45 minutes early. Had to sign in order to be let in (what? this is new to me)…and I was number 37…after lots of dealers and other pickers who let me know that they got there at like 5am to sign in. I guess I’m still pretty amateur.

It was a bad sign when a lot of dealers and other folks started leaving empty handed in disgust after they opened the doors. I waited to be let in for twenty minutes after other folks had been rummaging around for a good long while to find that the pricing was RIDICULOUS.

What I really came for were the coffee tables. How much was this one? Oh just $850.

This coffee table was just as affordable at $650. BULLSHIT.

The one big thrifty score was this spiraling globe lamp. I know a certain someone nabbed it for $65 for his stylish daughters room. Score.

$1250 for the credenza, $1500 for the dining set, $450 for the chandelier, $650 for those rad glass lamps. Bullshit I say. But really, how cool are those lamps on the left!?!?

This was an estate sale! Not a store in Palm Springs or Los Angeles. Oh, and speaking of LA – this guy saw me taking pictures and was like “Oh, are you here because of the LA Times?” I was like – what??? “Well we posted about this sale, I write for the Times.”

YEAH, they sure did.

Debacle.

FILED UNDER: estate, Not Thrifty, thrifting, vintage

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Not Thrifty!

Friday, March 12th, 2010

I’ve been super grumpy this week – the non-stop rain and the fact that I found nothing on the thrifting rounds equals everything is poopy and stupid.

The main reason for this unwelcome unhappiness was a big tease of an estate sale we hit up on Sunday. I had been traveling around on Friday and Saturday and then happened upon all these pictures Sunday morning on Craigslist advertising 50% OFF at an estate sale about an hour from The Brick House. I didn’t shower. I didn’t put on make-up. I just grabbed my shoes and The Boy and ran over there…

Danish Selig sofa? Check. Price? $750. Uncheck.

Interesting mid century credenza? Check. Missing two knobs and $125. Uncheck.

Vintage Bertoia diamond chair with original yellow cover! CHECK. $75!!! CHECK. One hour too late. UNCHECK.

I drove like a mad person to get over there to grab this chair that was 50% off and had lasted throughout the sale to Sunday (obviously it was waiting for me). I truly, deeply believed it was mine, but apparently another couple picked it up an hour before we arrived. Then stormy rain clouds settled on my brain and I haven’t been able to shake the stench of disappointment off me.

Also, notice that Platner side table? GONE.

I was too cheap and too late to score. I’m still pouting like an adolescent.

FILED UNDER: furniture, Not Thrifty

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Laundry Remodel

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

A lot of folks were curious about where this funky bathroom/laundry room actually was located…and no it’s not near a pool and we don’t really have a need for a mud room being mostly weather-less in California and we lack the privacy for an outdoor shower. I wish we had the pool dilemma.

The bathroom is connected to the kitchen and both (as well as the den) exit out onto the back porch. That water heater? Yeah – it’s worse in real life. Still working on a plan for that bad boy.

Here is my magical first draft remodel plan that is vaguely concerned with price, but honestly, mostly concerned with aesthetics. I kept the door and made it usable and now it’s suddenly sexy single panel with a glass insert.

Here is the rundown:

-Washer and Dryer : Two separate units that stack. Located at the old sink plumbing.

*Need to do to make it happen : Buy the actual machines, rewire the 220volt plug through the roof and drop into the corner. Where to vent? Hmmmm. Don’t know.

-Sink : Install a deep, but modern large sink on a floating cabinet. (To store cleaners and laundry stuff.)

*Need to do to make it happen : The water lines are already there, but there is no drainage. Install a drain, buy the sink, faucet and cabinet.

– Shower : Tear it down, but keep it located in the same area. I want one nice shower for resale and also for personal enjoyment. I love showers.

*Need to do to make it happen : Relocate the plumbing from the interior wall to exterior wall. Install subway tile and a little bench to sit on. Glass door and shower pan. Buy faucets and hardware.

– Electrical breaker box : Flip to the interior of the poopicle.

*Need to do to make it happen : Hmmm. Flip? Probably need an electrician.

Look how awesome I’m getting at Google sketchup! F*ck yeah. What I meant to say before that bit of self aggrandizing is that from the kitchen it would look more like a laundry room and therefore not totally as random as a full bathroom next to the fridge.

And yeah. I’m slowly building out the whole house in sketchup. Cause I’m CRAZY PANTS.

FILED UNDER: laundry, sketchup

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