Young House Love

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A Day Of Thrifting

Occasion: The thrifting bug struck on a lazy Saturday morning

Location: All over Richmond to six of my favorite thrift stores with the hubby and toddler in tow (Burger very smartly stayed home to nap)

You know we love a good thrift-fest (like these thrifty adventures of yore), so let’s go secondhand window shopping, shall we? First we went to Love of Jesus (on Midlothian for any locals who are wondering), which is an awesome place for larger furnishings. Of course like most thrift stores it’s hit or miss, but when you hit, it’s a good time. We actually got a lot of pieces that we transformed for our book here (like a $15 desk and a $10 headboard). Fun, fun, fun.

Love Of Jesus Sign

We’ve mentioned that we’re in the market for some sort of buffet/sideboard/dresser to convert into a media cabinet for the living room, and these long low cabinets were cool, but a bit too low for our liking. At $30 a pop (for six awesome drawers of storage) I thought they were a pretty great deal though. Hope someone snagged them!

Low Console

John found this and it took him a little while to figure out what it was. At first he was all “ooh look at this cool bright yellow table or island- wait a minute, is this one of those… OBGYN things?” But the color was fun! Maybe just for inspiration…

Yellow Ob Table

This old $5 chair looked like it could use some love. But picture it refinished in a rich stain color or painted navy or emerald green at a crisp white parson’s desk. Could be cute…

Little Chair

John loved this old orange hardcover book. You know the guy loves his maps. And as “well loved” as it looks in this picture, it actually didn’t smell musty or feel sticky or anything, so it totally could have been a cool find for a bookcase or coffee table – or even for wall art if you framed a bunch of old covers. I think it was under a buck. Now I wish we had taken it home.

Orange Book

These lockers would be awesome in a mudroom or playroom. I forget the exact price, but they were cheap. And if gray’s not your color you could always spray them glossy white, happy yellow, bright red – anything really.

Lockers

Then we headed over to Family Thrift on Midlothian near Love of Jesus. This was the first time I checked it out and the prices were awesome. This entire set of six chairs was $75. That’s $12.50 a chair! And they’d be so easy to paint and reupholster. I liked their lines too. Sort of art-nouveau-ish.

Six Chairs Eventy Five Bucks

They also had these cheeky tennis glasses for 45 cents each that I thought were adorable. If only I played tennis. And had a cool headband like that.

Tennis Cups

 Then it was over to the Salvation Army Family Store on Midlothian.

Salvation Army Sign

I thought this $49 cabinet was awesome (don’t the handles looked like the Apartment Therapy logo?) but we aren’t currently on the hunt for anything like that, so I passed him up.

49 Dollar Chest

This wooden rocker was sweet, and marked down to $25 I think. It reminds me of a Jenny Lind crib, so I’m picturing it in a nursery painted in a soft color like white, celery, aqua, or yellow.

Rocker

And then there was this sexiness (I didn’t even know that John had instagramed this exact same mannequin a few weeks back when he was in there snooping around). We’re meant to be. And oddly enough, no one has bought the outfit in all that time. Strange…

Sexiness

Then it was off to Diversity Thrift on the Northside near The Diamond. This doily stretcher (no idea what that is, other than guessing it’s how people make or stretch doilies?!) was $4. I think it makes such a fun and interesting piece of wall decor to lean or hang. I totally got it. Sorry for the blurry picture, I owe you a crisp one of it hanging or leaning somewhere in our house when I find the perfect spot…

Doily Stretcher Five Bucks

I also thought this sofa was pretty, even though the upholstery wasn’t my style. I can totally see someone like Emily Henderson working it out and making it look super fresh with turquoise pillows or even a coat of glossy navy paint on the wood parts.

Sofablue

There was also this little (needlepoint?) scene that was actually really charming. I think it was ten bucks. I know you might think I’m crazy, but just imagine it hanging in a collection on a wall like this one in Will’s room. Could be cute, right?

Knitted Art Thrift

Oh and there was this faux-wicker yellow and white tray (the design was printed on it, so it wasn’t bumpy or anything). That section was 50% off, so the $2 sticker is wrong-o and it was actually just a buck. I grabbed it. Could be cute in the guest room with a pitcher of water, some books, and a bowl of candy.

Yellow Tray

Oh and I mentioned that Clara was with us, so you might wonder how she likes a weekend thrift-fest. Well, let’s ask her. Clara, what do you do when you see something you love? Her answer? I go “oooh” and then I go “ahhhh!”

Clarathrifting

Next we swung by Pass It On in the Lakeside Towne Shops near Lewis Ginter, where I fell in love with these guys. They were still a bit too pricey for me (since I’d want to buy the whole set, and I think they were around $100+ total) but how awesome are they? I’m sure someone will give them a loving home.

Trunks

Then it was over to Consignment Connection, also on Lakeside. Clara usually comes into stores and pokes around with us, but this store is waaay too full of breakables and she had actually fallen asleep in her car seat, which was perfect since John could stay in the car with her while I ran in to see what I found.

Consignment Conection

This gorgeous table was already sold but I loved it. Picture it in a sunroom with the base painted a crisp white color. She was a beaut.

Thrift Table

And I actually bought this guy for $19 for Clara. Definitely steep for a globe, but it was a white globe with a ton of bright colors (which I’ve never seen before) and it was BEING HELD UP BY A WHALE. Which just happens to be one of Clara’s favorite animals since our trip to Hawaii where we went on a whale watching boat. So I just couldn’t leave without it.

Whale Globe

When she woke up from her nap and saw it sitting next to her in the backseat she was elated. And the checkout guy said he was so glad someone was getting it because he was in love with it and couldn’t wait for it to get “adopted.” Haha. It was meant to be.

And so ends our little thrifty adventure. Wait, first I’ll show you where our little whale globe landed:

Globe Hallway

Yup, he’s hanging out on the console table in our hallway full of frames. But things tend to move, so he might not be there for long…

I’ll have to share photos of the rest of our thrifted booty in our house whenever they find a place to live (like the doily stretcher and the yellow tray). We also got a small table at Love of Jesus thrift, but I took so many photos of it that I decided he deserved his own little post this afternoon (complete with my cleaning/restoring ritual for old musty wood). In the meantime, have you guys been thrifting? Find anything good? Have you ever seen such a happy yellow OBGYN table? I’m telling you, that doc must have been whistling while he or she worked.

Psst- Still in a thrifty mood? Here are a bunch of our other secondhand shopping trips. Whee.

Comments

  1. Cara D says

    I am so jealous of your thrift stores! I want those chairs and the 6 drawer chest would be perfect for a built in I want to do for the basement. Unfortunately way too far away from Illinois. I LOVE the globe. So cute. I am really good at imagining furniture/art but have a little trouble on accessories. Love how you guys do it.

    Reply

  2. Crystal @ 29 Rue House says

    “lazy Saturday morning”…somehow I doubt it but it wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong. :)

    Not thrifting but I did just go pick up a gazillion BM paint samples on my lunch for free. Needed some for painting and I’ve been wanting to try the paint chip art. I saw the Moonshine in person – very pretty! P.s. I have to admit that I’m very curious to know what you guys are thinking for the kitchen…I’ll just have to wait and see I guess! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We go back and forth because we really love Sesame but just hate how it photographs. My mon is visiting and she was saying its so pretty in person so it makes us second guess things. Haha. What else is new?!

      xo,
      s

    • Heather W says

      I vote don’t change it…. I know because my kitchen/family room is painted that same color and I lurve it! Everyone that comes over always comments on how it is such a pretty soft grellow… I know it does photograph funky! Everytime I take a pic it looks yellow and not at all how it is in real life. It really is a lovely color.

  3. Reagen says

    I recognize that needlepoint! My mom made that to hang above our couch when I was a kid. I didn’t even recall that they’d had that until I saw the photo you posted, and now I wonder what they did with the thing since it’s certainly not hanging out at home anymore.

    Reply

  4. Kirsten says

    Not sure what’s going on with me today. But, I laughed so hard at you calling that outfit “this sexiness” that I got teary-eyed. Amazing finds, awesome inspiration, adorable kid pix and SUCH a way with words. Thanks!!

    Reply

  6. Elisabeth@SimplyParkers says

    That globe with the wooden whale stand is the COOLEST find ever! On another note, I turned 30 on Monday and my sweet hubby not only took me to Disneyland to celebrate, but also pre-ordered your book for me…husband of the year? I think so!

    Reply

  7. Keisha says

    We are needing an entertainment center too. I just saw the neatest idea on Mega Dens on DIYnetwork…She took 2 nightstands/end tables and attached a big piece of wood across the top, about 8ft long(could make any length) and then added a shelf in between them for dvd players, etc. It was really simple and so easy. I can’t find a pic of it online, it was the “Beige Box Breakout” episode.

    Reply

  8. Ashley Reid says

    I just got back from thrifting. Haha! There’s a goodwill 2 minutes from work so I went during lunch. I got a small wicker stool that I’m going to put by the front door for the mailman to put packages on. And for my kitchen I got a cute little yellow and white stoneware canister, a soft mustardy yellow bud vase and planter (the colors are an exact match so I assume they are from a set), and a cute yellow and white daffodil painting that is ready to be hung. Yellow is my new accent color for the kitchen – it’s so bright and happy. I also got a wooden frame that I think I may use to frame a pretty gift bag I got at Target (the pattern is artsy and I think it would look very cute framed). That’s all for now. But I’m like you and KB – I can almost always find goodies while thrifting!!

    Reply

  9. Pam the Goatherd says

    OH!OH!OH! I would have handed over the $100 for the suitcases on the spot!!!! My Mom had that very same set. Her parents gave them to her when she went off to college in the mid-1950s. I remember using the make-up/overnight case and one of the bigger ones to go to summer camp when I was 12. I wonder what happened to them…

    Reply

  10. kelly says

    you have such great thrift stores. in hawaii there’s not much, i guess it just rotates around the island :) and it is super expensive, i’m always blown away by the prices you post ours are double that or more!! i love the whale globe!!!

    Reply

  11. Tracey says

    I can totally see my hubby doing the same thing! “Hey, honey! Look at this work ben… I mean look at this awesome orange book!” (Except my hubby hates books, so that doesn’t work. ANYWAY.) Can you imagine someone buying that table??? “And if you’ll walk in here, you’ll see the hors d’oeuvres laid out (pun intended) on the table. The dips are located below in the stirrups. YES, we sanitized them before squirting (pun intended) the Hidden Valley in there. GEESH.”

    Reply

  13. Leslie says

    I am completely cracking up over the OBGYN table. I keep trying to think what it could be repurposed as… changing table maybe? Minus the stirrups? Still too awkward.

    Reply

  15. Diane says

    Like a few earlier commenters, I wondered about those chairs for your dining room table, since you just aren’t in love with what you have. And we all know how great it is to **grin** every time we walk into a room and see things we love. Someone suggested finding 2 others to go with them for a matched-enough set of 8. Of course, you’d first have to pull one down to check out the comfort quotient, etc. Looked like a fun weekend! I’ve been to three of those places but no longer travel through Richmond for work.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yeah I definitely thought about it and even took that pic so we could mull it over. I think ultimately since we prefer more of the same type (8 I think, just to fill the table) we don’t want to be hasty and buy the wrong thing again, haha. We’re gun shy!

      xo,
      s

  17. Susan says

    I love your thrifting posts yet maddened by them because I have no luck when I go! I recognize I may be a bit impatient but I also don’t know of any great local stores. I’m in Northern VA (McLean, Reston, Leesburg)…if you (or your readers) are familiar, any suggestions? One exception is Lucketts; always great finds but a little pricey… Thanks for any tips!!

    Reply

  18. Coraniaid says

    I can not tell you how much I love Consignment Connection! They always have such nice, well cared for things on offer and the staff there has always been very nice.

    Reply

  20. Sue says

    True story – a friend of mine has an antique (wooden) OB/GYN table in the middle of her kitchen as an island! Stirrups not included. Hee hee.

    Reply

  21. Donna says

    I am so glad you didn’t pass up that globe! That has got to be the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time!

    Reply

  23. Vanessa B. says

    Seriously? I’m sure you guys could find a way to turn that OB/GYN table into a table for John’s workshop. It would be the most anticipated blog post ever. Or perhaps a fun project for your next book???

    Reply

  25. Evelyn says

    Thank y’all, thank y’all, thank y’all for this post. I live on the Middle Peninsula and will check out these places when in Richmond! Love your website!

    Reply

  26. Melissa says

    I’ve been contemplating who Clara looks like most and for the first time I see all Sherry in Clara’s “oooh” face. Clara is adorable!

    Reply

  28. Tracey says

    Your thrift shop posts are some of my favorite posts. I love to see what you find, buy or suggest. So much fun!

    Reply

  29. Courtney C says

    I love how you guys often give Clara her surprises when she wakes up from a nap. Everyone, I think I just figured out why Clara is such a good sleeper ;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hhahaha, she’s so funny. Sometimes she wakes up from a nap and walks around and says “what is different mommy?” – she’s so used to us changing things and doing projects while she sleeps that if she doesn’t see anything changed she asks. Hahah!

      xo,
      s

  31. Anastasia says

    That globe is amazing! I never knew that they are that cheap! I wanted one since I was little! I keep showing you guys to my husband telling him that this is what I want us to do – look for unique things and fix them up… :)

    Reply

  32. Adrienne J says

    We haven’t been thrifting too much lately but we live right in the Lakeside area so I’ll have to make a stop at the 2 stores that are super close to us!! Thanks for the insight!

    Reply

  34. Kathy says

    Oh, man, I wish we had some thrift stores here in Seattle with such great deals! Even if I were lucky enough to find a nice chest of drawers or that set of white chairs, they would be SO much more expensive in thrift shops here.

    Reply

  35. Amelia R. says

    Love some of your finds! That yellow gyno table had me in a laughing fit.

    I actually wrote up a similar post a couple of weeks ago of some of the thrift finds I’ve loved and left behind, here:

    http://nightgardendesign.blogspot.com/2012/08/thrift-store-finds-ones-that-got-away.html

    You might notice two egg-shaped rattan chairs in the post; I didn’t have space in my house, so I left them behind, but went back later (second thoughts) and they were gone!

    Reply

  36. Colleen W. says

    I, too, wanted an old piece to turn into a fun media cabinet and ended up finding the perfect one! We bought an old pie safe from a second-hand store. The mesh front allows for easy remote access without having to open the doors, and we just cut some holes in the back for cords. The shelves that used to store pies now hold all our electronics, etc., and our TV sits on top. I love it!

    Reply

  37. Julia@a-living-space says

    I love reading about your thrifting adventures! We are serious thrifters and post about it all the time on our blog. I’m a big fan of those awesome geometric designs on the doily stretcher (who knew they needed to be stretched?), and what a great idea to use it as “art.” Also, the whale stand on that globe is awesome! I’ve never seen anything like it at all… we actually bought a couple cool globes this week, too; if you’re interested you can check them out (and all the other neat stuff we thrifted this week) in our latest blog post here.

    Reply

  38. Jill says

    Ha! I didn’t read this closely enough and thought you went to only one thrift shop and found all these cute things. I was thinking, “Man, where IS this place? This is the best thrift store ever!”

    Reply

  41. Ashley says

    Love the dressers! I actually just bought one pretty similar from a thrift store 2 weeks ago for a media stand in our living room and after using ORB on the handles and metal details I absolutely love it! Can’t go wrong with thrift store finds. Hope you find the perfect one for you soon!

    Reply

  42. Alexis says

    The husband and I took the quickest day trip ever to Richmond for our anniversary back in January. We missed out on Love of Jesus Thrift though, they were closed by the time we got there. I cannot wait to go back. I thrift all the time, but it makes me super cheap when I shop anywhere else. I think almost every piece of our home may be thrifted or secondhand.

    Reply

  43. Meagan Bryant says

    My husbands’s grandmother has that EXACT needlepoint hanging in her livingroom, done by herself. And many that match it through out her home. And someday they’ll be passed along to us. Wouldn’t they be awesome to shrink and be able to put in a dollhouse?

    Reply

  44. Kat says

    That’s actually not too steep for a globe- I have an illuminated one in the same color scheme that was around $75.

    Reply

  45. Teresa says

    You won’t believe this but I went to my local thrift store yesterday and the same exact egg chair that you blogged about a couple weeks ago was there. It even had the mauve pad-esque cushion! I should have taken a picture! While thrifting I purchased a pretty awesome mirror for my entry way for 8 bucks. I’m wondering if I should paint it though. Do you guys offer advice to your followers? I’d love your opinion on it.

    Reply

  46. Lakeya Moore says

    Yay! This just gave me a good weekend adventure! Hopefully that cabinet will still be at Salvation Army…it’s too cute! Thanks guys! =)

    Reply

  47. Beryl says

    I just found your blog and I love it! What is that covered glass jar thingy (where you put the green bowls and apple in) called? I’ve been looking for something like that everywhere and can’t find it. Where did you find it? Thanks!

    Reply

  48. Kristin L. says

    As a fellow Richmonder, I get super excited when you post about your thrifting trips! I feel like I would probably scream if I saw your adorbs fam thrifting around… so don’t be alarmed!

    Reply

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