Happy Little Kitchen

I've been gone for a few days because Tim and I are officially in transit to our new apartment across the country! Before we get to have at our new place, I'm going to cover a few more features of the old one (I miss you already Somerville).  

Kitchen!!

We were so fortunate to have a big sunny kitchen. At first I was a little nervous with the bit of a farmhouse vibe (bead-board, chair rail, white appliances, buttery farm yellow walls), but it turns out the happy farm look mixed super well with our eclectic kitchen wares! We mixed in whimsical mugs, happy dishes in bright colors, and a few vintage pieces like mason jars. It gave the room a lived-in, but young vibe that I really liked. 

I grabbed this 1950s table with three matching vintage chairs on craigslist for $30 - beautiful. One chair was broken, so I took the fabric and nail heads for a future project. The other two were paired with a more farm-like chair in a color scheme that worked. I've always wanted to have several mismatched chairs, so I'm working towards that :).  Oh PS: My friend Kait took the picture above. She. Is. Amazing. So if you're in NC (or nearby) and need pictures, contact her.

One of the bigger challenges of this space was all of the open storage. Instead of obsessing over having everything placed just so all of the time, I opted for the casual but sunny layout. So basically, avoiding a cluttered look, but not worrying about everything looking symmetrical or something. We also made sure to store our tupperware (always messy!!!) and all of our food on the wall you can't see if you're hanging in the kitchen. Tricky, I know (not really).

We also added a chalk board for our shopping list. It was a nice nod to the vintage vibe of the room and was especially fun when people cat-sat for us and left us little messages :)

Anywho, we loved this space - sunny, happy, perfect.

Curb Find: Wire Chandelier

This is one of the most interesting curb finds I've ever had.

It's hard to take a picture that does it justice, but it's a chandelier made of wire.  The wire isn't galvanized (a coating that protects against oxidation, aka rust), so the whole things has this great rust coating.  It's shabby chic and industrial all at the same time.  I've hung it up in my studio as a great accent piece.  Love it :)

Thank you streets of Boston!!

My Perfect Cello Studio

For a young musician, it's a dream to be able to have a space to dedicate just to my work.  I've been in school practice rooms or my parents living room for years, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make the perfect space.  This apartment was my chance.  

I started with a beautiful grey paint.  I'm a big fan of grey walls because they're a modern neutral.  If you spend the time to choose the right grey, it can be warm, cool, vintage, modern, classic, clean, whatever - super versatile!  I used the same color in my living room.

ANYWHO, I also painted a few birch trees on the walls inspired by this print:

I really love the texture, interest, and height it adds to the walls.

A boring Ikea bookcase is perfect when accessorized with my music (in alphabetical order, what what), treasures, and other little celloing necessities stored in a vintage crate and neutral canvas box.  A vintage receiver and speakers with a bluetooth receptor create the perfect music listening scenario for about $30. (The receiver/speakers were $2 at a garage sale!!)

Add the perfect chair ($15 on craigslist), a white shag rug to keep my endpin from slipping ($20 on craigslist), and I'm ready to get practicing.

Since cello isn't all practicing, I have a little set up for administrative work.  This antique school desk has a cubby for my computer wires, which is too perfect ($35 on craigslist - there are a lot of these for sale in the Boston area).  The captain's chair matches the feel and wood tone, while still keeping the collected feel to the room ($10 on craigslist).  The built-in is just an uh-mazing feature of the apartment.  Oh 1920's, you were pretty great.

The mirror... oh yes musicians be jealous...  The mirror is just a little smaller than a twin mattress, has beautiful antique trim, and was $20 on craigslist.  Posture watching while I practice?  Yes I think I'm ready for that :)

Moral of the story:  I spend too much time on craigslist, but it's all worth it for the perfect space.

Homeless Housewares: Adopt an armoire!

Mid Century Armoire - $425

This is a lot more pricey of an item than I would usually list, but I wanted to point it out for two reasons.  1) It's BEAUTIFUL.  I leurve the lime green on the inside.  Clearly this piece is in great shape and worth the price (though it's not a deal - it seems fair).   2) This is a great example of the kind of pictures you should use to sell your things.  Lots of bright light - stylist surroundings (cudos on the antlers) - and pictures that show both the sitting look and the beautiful inside details.  Well done seller.  Take note all.

Victorian Accent Chair - $50

Again a little more than I would spend, but fair if it's really that old.  This chair might be one that you'd overlook initially, but reupholstered in a nice modern fabric like this one (above right), it could look updated and so cute.  I would highly recommend doing the reupholstery yourself to save money.  Keep those awesome nailheads surrounding the seat and reuse them on your new fabric!

Wicker Drawer Tower - $30

Now for the real deals.  This is definitely a steal for this piece.  It cooould look really traditional and boring, but in the right space all of this texture could be the perfect touch.

Vintage Bowling Alley Benches - $150

Oh and the big finale.  Now THIS is an exciting find.  You would need enough space, but this could be a kitchen banquette dream.  $150 may seem like a lot at first, but when you think of the size and just raw material, it's totally a steal.  Trust me, just google kitchen banquette and you'll see how much those things can run.  I'm super jealous of whoever gets to take this one home...



*to find these pieces search the Boston craigslist using the titles above.  Hopefully you can snatch these up before someone else does!

How to Sell Your Stuff Fast on Craigslist!

I've had a lot of people ask me about my used furniture buying and selling lately - especially in regards to craigslist - and I thought that today I would share some thoughts on selling things that oh-so-handy site.  I know a lot of people out there are moving right now, and no one wants to fill the dumps with perfectly good stuff!  How do we pass along these treasures and get it done fast?  Here are my two cents... or six cents...

1. Have Pictures:  You are significantly less likely to sell anything if you don't post a picture.  Take 5min and take a nice picture.  Choose a couple of different angles that will be helpful to the buyer, use nice lighting, clean the piece, and stage the area a little.  Make the buyer feel the piece is beautiful, in good condition, and well cared for.  No one wants to buy a piece of furniture covered in garbage or barely visible.  If you're thinking, "Wait, what? Nice lighting? Staging?" you should check out the (too much) I had to say about taking pictures for online selling.

2. Be Found: This has to do with being one step ahead of your buyers.  Do you call it a couch or sofa?  Side table or end table or nightstand?  Midcentury, mid-century, or mid century?  Chair or chairS?  I would highly recommend putting a list of searchable words at the end of each Craig's List advert that you post.  List ANYTHING you can think of that would be relevant.  Remember, you don't need to re-list words you've already used in the body of your post.  Here's an example:
If I were selling this...

I would list this....
bookcase, book, case, shelf, shelving, books, shelves, white, Ikea, expedit, storage (and maybe more if I could think of things)

3. Be Specific: Being one step ahead of your potential buyers' questions will save you a lot of time in emails back and forth to find your buyer.  What you don't want: "Does it disassemble into smaller parts?"  What you want: "I'll pick it up today!"  List anything you can think people might want to know: dimensions, links to original sale price or vendor (Ikea?), disassembly options, suggestions for moving (will they need a truck?  a friend for carrying?), etc.

4. Be Honest: Glossing over imperfections may seem like the best way to find a buyer, but you're just finding the wrong buyer.  If the piece has damage you don't mention or doesn't look like the pictures you've posted, you're very likely to set up a buyer visit only to have them walk away.  If buyers know exactly what they're getting, you'll get the cash and your item sold quickly.  Build up good craigslist karma; be honest.

5. Price It Right: We all know that we should price things right if they're going to sell, but I want to give my two cents on the situation.

• Half the original price.  You might think your item is as good as new, but it's still used (even if it's in the package).  Buyers on craigslist are not looking to pay full price.  If you're selling an unopened item, mark it down by 25-35%.  If you're selling a used item, mark it down by at least 50%.  If there is damage, mark it down even more.
• Look at other postings.  What are other people asking for something similar?  If you want your item gone fast - price yours a little lower.
• Ask yourself - what would I pay?  Do you think you would be getting a fair deal if you bought this? If you want to sell quick - do you think you would be getting a GREAT deal if you bought this?

6. Be Safe!!:  Don't forget everyone, even though these are awesome communities of people trying to find good homes for treasures, these are still strangers.  Don't post your address! Don't meet someone in a vulnerable area! If you get a creepy vibe - ditch them! Have a buddy know where you are and what you're doing!   Let's keep this the fun adventure that it is and all play it safe with a good dose of common sense.

Happy scavenging!!