Sweet Salvage!
Ottoman on wheels!
No, I wasn't out garage sale hunting or thrift store shopping. It was bulk trash day. We are having a garage sale on Saturday at my friend's house and I thought I'd run out and see if I could nab some things from the neighborhood trash to turn right around and sell. It was worth a try. Each week in my neighborhood, treasures are sitting curbside for those willing to stop and pick them up.
Trouble is, when I go looking, my eyes hone in on things that I would consider as having potential in my world. So then what do you suppose happens when I get home? Do I leave them in the car to take to the garage sale?
So while I was out early yesterday morning, I saw plenty. I sadly had to pass on a number of larger things because of lack of room in the back seat of my car. I thought of Distressed Donna's wise insistence that I get a truck. I really could have hauled so much home if I'd had one, but thank goodness I didn't. It took half the day to clean up and dismantle the few things I gathered and gleaned "for the garage sale", just in case and "on the off-chance" I decided to keep them. It also took plenty of time to haul it all from room to room to see if I could work any of it in to my decor, even eventually after some tweaking.
This color is called 7199 Briggs Seagreen. (So it says on the backs of the pieces with bare wood.) Do I need more aqua in my life? Well...
Certainly I would think of something to do with them. Right? I should probably keep them, shouldn't I? There are three cabinet doors, 2 drawers and a dummy front with no knobs, plus some random pieces that were attached. The cabinet doors weigh about 5 lbs (or slightly more) each. You think I'm exaggerating. Don't doubt me. In an attempt at verification of that weight, I did go and hold a 5 lb bag of sugar and then the cabinet door. The door felt heavier. Does this really matter, you ask?
Well, if I'm going to hang them on the walls in some fashion with other items hanging off of them, were I to go that route, the weight just might matter.
Now, this thing weighs a ton. It's mounted on wood. It's 3'x 2 1/2'. I liked that it was slightly curved at the top and had distressed edges.
I hauled home two mirrors like this, one had a chrome knob still attached in one corner.
Then there was this beauty. Sturdy, and quality-built.
It must have been well-loved and used over the years. The leather was torn and taped.
If nothing else, I thought I could salvage the legs and the casters. You know how I feel about casters!
Did I stop and call it a day? Why, no. No I didn't. I removed all the hinges from the doors and tore apart the ottoman to get to the heart of it, just to see if it cried out to be kept and remade. I measured the leather pieces that I took off in case I decide to recover it and wrote the measurements on the sides of the ottoman.
It was topped with some great old batting which I've decided to save because it's looks likely that it will be restored as an ottoman with a new/old look, since it's such a well-built piece.
Thanks, Lynn!
Meanwhile, my sweet and wonderful friend Lynn was over today, and she was kind enough to help us haul some of our garage sale stuff in her truck, Big Blue, sacrificing her back in the process, no doubt.
Tomorrow morning we garage sale (or float away in the flood waters - there's a tropical storm threatening and lots of rain expected.)
I'll be the one sloshing around in the raspberry red rain boots begging people to "take my junk, PLEASE!" It'll be a miracle if I make any money. I'm not known for my salesmanship. Last garage sale I was begging this couple to take a shelf for free even though they offered to pay for it. I know... go figure.
I am happy to say that the large frame and all three mirrors, even the big curved one, are on their way to be placed into the garage sale.
Wish me luck and tell me if you have any ideas for my Briggs Seagreen cabinet doors and drawers.
I was thinking these doors and drawer fronts might be cool on the wall going in different directions with things hung from the knobs (perhaps attaching other knobs, hooks etc. to them, as well.) Another idea was to use chalkboard paint on the middle of them. A piece of chalk could be tied to a ribbon or piece of twine and hung from the knob so its always handy. That's about all I've got at the moment.
There's copper color showing through on the chippy knobs!
Any ideas, you all? I'd really like to do more than just keep the knobs. I'd hate to have to get rid of the aqua goodness if there's a great idea out there to make the most of the doors and drawers as well.
Put your thinking caps on and please let me know what you think!
PS: Today I found a cool basket "for the garage sale" in someone's trash pile, but I got home and it looks great with my fire wood in it. I think I'm keeping it.
I know... someone help me, please!
I'll be sharing this at:
