vintage Archives - Hopeful Homemaker

Yard Sale Finds

August 31, 2013 jennifer Decorating, Happy Finds

I’ve pretty much quit going to yard sales, not because I don’t love it but because I just don’t need to bring home more stuff. This year I’m trying to simplify our way of life and fewer things in the house is part of the program. But a few weeks ago my neighbor told me she was having a yard sale the next day and invited me down to her garage to get an early peek a the stuff her mom had brought over to sell. (Thanks Lindsay and Gloria!)

Soooo, I ended up bringing home a few new things.

I have a weakness for vintage children’s chairs and this pink one had me at hello. I love the sweet details on it, from the holes to the handles to the scallop detail below the seat. It’s also the perfect kind of vintage – still sturdy but distressed in all the right places. And pink. I really do like pink. It’s the perfect size for my youngest who was turning four the next day so it came home and became one of her birthday gifts.

I’m happy with how much fun she’s having with it, and also with how it looks in her room at the foot of her bed.

The second item is this coral colored corner shelf which fits perfectly in the corner next to her closet. I’m trying to help my little girls with clutter – they take everything to their room! So far they’re loving the shelf and it hasn’t been overloaded with stuff.

There is still a lot for me to do in here since painting the walls gray. When it’s clean, I love the simplicity of what we have in there and I especially love this bed, from a yard sale in Denver (thanks again, Dad!).

There you have it: my two new finds. I actually bought a couple of other things as well, which I have big plans for.
It’s Labor Day weekend, which is kind of the last big hurrah for yard sales. Are you out finding something awesome? I hope you have a relaxing few days!

Jennifer

One comment Decorating, pink, vintage

Like New

January 18, 2013 jennifer Linens

We set up the video games in my living room during the holidays. When we had a large group over for Christmas dinner, the teenagers had a room to hang out in and we still had the family room for the adults, so the set-up worked great.

It didn’t work so well for my white slipcovers, however. Food, markers, dirt,ketchup, crayon… you name it ended up on the couch, and I wondered if I was a complete fool to go with white. I always thought it was the little children I had to deal with; now I’m learning that it’s really the big ones who do the damage. So after days of soaking and washing and soaking some more, my couch is white again.

When I had got the main part of the slipcover white again, I carried it to my washing machine to wash it again. To my dismay, when I opened the washer after the load, it was streaked with mud. I took it out and found large streaks of mud inside the washer. I have no idea how it got there, and so the process began again. I’m very happy to have this clean!

Some of my favorite vintage linens are used on this couch. Years ago when I made the slipcover, I swapped out the two cushions and began using large down filled pillows in their place. It was amazing how much more comfortable the couch became with down to sink into as you lean back. On each pillow I use a different vintage sham, and they have taking a bit of a beating as well. Like the cotton duck that I used for the slipcover, I’m so glad that these cotton and linen shams cleaned up so nicely. I love looking at the beautiful details in the stitching on these shams and they play well with the Marghab linens I have framed on the walls.

Vintage monograms are a huge weakness for me. They’re found in so many different styles and are executed so beautifully. As someone who enjoys making things with her hands, I always marvel at these pieces of work.

I used to want new furniture, and I’d still like it, I’m sure, but as we slowly become a house full of teenagers I find myself walking around saying to my furniture, “Don’t you dare break! You have to live through these kids because I’m not replacing you for a long time!” It makes me laugh, but I’m quite serious.

I’m relieved to have restored my couch to a respectable state, and happy that one of my favorite rooms in the house is now back to its usual self. Today’s first entry in my gratitude journal reads: “Today I’m grateful for Oxy Clean.” It’s not the first time I’ve felt that way, and it certainly won’t be the last!

I’m off to rescue the pantry from it’s current state of disarray. Have a great weekend!

Jennifer

One comment vintage, white

Vintage Dresser Painted

September 6, 2011 jennifer Decorating

I scored this old dresser for $15 at a yard sale in Denver early in the summer and it took me a while to rehabilitate it enough that it could be used. Now it’s done, and I’m so pleased with it.

I realized after it was home that it had a strong musty smell so I stored it in the garage for a couple of months where it could get some afternoon sun every day. I also sprayed some bleach water on the inside of it to try to kill the smell. I scrubbed the paint but couldn’t get it to look clean enough so painting was necessary. I chose a dark, cool gray color and went to work.

I love the detail on this dresser! It looks as beautiful in gray as it did in aqua. I got all the work done and then was stuck on the last part: fixing the bottom drawer. I wanted to ask my husband for help several times but my pride prevented me from asking him to lift a finger on this project. He was opposed to my buying it in the first place so I had to do it myself. The bottom of the drawer was missing and had been repaired once in such a way that I couldn’t take it apart again to add a new bottom so I had to get creative. My handy extended family would probably be disgusted with me, but I did it and it’s now functional.

The piece was missing one of the drawer knobs so I found a similar pair of knobs to use on the top drawer. I think they look very natural with the other hardware and don’t take away at all from be beauty of the old brass hardware which I put back on the other four drawers. I know that brass is coming back and in general I’m still completely opposed to that, but I do think this hardware is gorgeous.

I put the dresser in my studio and my quilting fabric is now stored in it. The piece I was using previously was white, so having the dark color in that spot does change the feel of the room just a bit. There is a lot of natural light in there though, so it works. The white piece went to my son’s room and I’m the lucky one that gets to look at this beautiful dresser full of vintage charm and character!

Hooray for a finished project!

Jennifer P.S. Want to read about me and the color purple? Head over here for my confessions!