You know how a bunch of designers have been saying things like “every room should have something old in it”? Or have I been the only one noticing that lately? Sort of like how they say “every room should have something black in it” (but other than oil rubbed bronze curtain rods or dark mocha wood, virtually nothing in any of our rooms is black – although 95% of my shirts are black, so maybe that counts?). Either way, it’s official. I’m on the “something old” train.
It all happened when I was browsing craigslist (searching the words “dresser” and “sideboard” and “buffet” every week or so, if you’re wondering about my craigslist technique) since we want to convert a big piece of wood furniture like a dresser/buffet/cabinet to be a TV stand in the living room and also want a big buffet-ish piece for the entryway next to the front door. Then bam, out of nowhere, this happened:
I went crazy with sideboard lust. I immediately emailed the seller (it had just been posted that morning) and said “I love your sideboard, is it still available?” People ask us for craigslist tips so here ya go. Tip number one: don’t inundate the seller with a bunch of questions. I’ve found one of the most successful ways to get a good response is just to tell someone you like what they’re selling and ask if it’s still available. No complicated questions about size, finish, defects, delivery methods, price-negotiating, etc. That all makes you sound high maintenance off the bat. Just see if the thing is still for sale first.
Thankfully I heard back from the seller about five agonizing hours later and her response was very friendly. She indicated that she had a number of people interested and she was just going to sell it to the first full price bidder to come get it. This info was no surprise to me (aka: I knew she wasn’t bluffing) since about 99% of the dressers/buffets/sideboards on craigslist here in Richmond are listed for more money and aren’t half as easy on the eyes. We’re talking particle board dressers from Walmart listed for $180! Crazytown. Most other solid wood sideboards usually run around 400 beans like this one:
Tip number two: I like to use the “we’ll come get it and pay you cash right now!” approach when I’m trying to talk someone down on the price of something. But that only works when you’re one of the only people interested (when lots of people are vying for the same piece the seller will usually just wait for the highest bid since their fears of no one wanting what they’re selling are gone). So as soon as I heard that others wanted my buffet I knew it could come down to how badly I fought for it. And we wanted that sucker. Bad. John included. As in, he was totally crossing all appendages with me as an act of sideboard solidarity.
We probably would have paid $200 for it, especially after doing some googling around for something similar and coming up with other solid wood sideboards of about the same size on sites like antiques.com and craigslist alike for around $400 and $500! And when I looked for similar painted sideboards (in that pretty antique blue-green finish like the craigslist one) the prices got even higher. Like 695+ bucks.
So we probably could have purchased a wood sideboard and painted it to look distressed, but I wasn’t finding any other similar solid wood sideboards with the same chunky curved legs and perfect hefty size as the one that already came painted (and it was a few hundred less than the wood ones!). So we went all in. I emailed her back and said “Oh please oh please let me buy it! I’ll pay $155 so you’ll pick me over the others! I love it. If you’re available, we can come get it tonight and pay you in cash. Just say the word. I really am in love with it and promise to give it a nice home!”
Tip number three: if you want something on cragislist, especially something you think is worth more than the seller is asking, definitely give them at least full asking price or it’ll end up going to someone else. Often folks will buy things that are priced too low on craigslist just to resell them for more themselves (and I knew this buffet could go for more if someone linked to a similar one for $700 and made a good case about why it should be $400). So five bucks over asking price was my way of telling her “please pick me!!” – it was certainly worth five bucks to get the advantage and stand out from the pack.
Tip number four: if possible, offer to get the item right away (that way they won’t get an email from someone else offering them $50 over your offer in the day or two that it takes you to collect said item). So I shot off that “please pick me” email and then I waited. And about half an hour later I heard back. Sold! We just had to go grab it that night and bring the cash. So we switched cars with John’s dad (he has a Honda Pilot that has room in the back for pieces like this) and made haste over to the seller’s house with cash in hand while Clara hung with the grandparents. Tip number five: when you know you’ll be carrying a giant piece of furniture down three flights of stairs, it’s always nice to leave children in someone else’s care whenever possible – just so it’s one less thing to worry about while you’re cursing the day you ever laid eyes on that heavy-a$$ solid wood buffet.
About a half an hour later, this guy was in our entryway. And we were totally staring at it in that love-at-first-sight-in-a-cheesy-romantic-comedy way.
Tip number six: if a piece is old and painted, it always makes sense to test it for lead. Just to be safe. I used one of those lead paint test strips from Home Depot (they sell them in a set of four) and it tested out clean (many antique pieces were kept au naturale for decades and only painted in more recent years after lead paint was phased out, so I had pretty high expectations that this wasn’t lead paint but was very happy to have it confirmed). Whew. I do plan to use some sort of clear sealer on it, just to keep it from chipping any further, but I don’t mind the chips at all – I think it totally looks like something Anthropologie or Restoration Hardware would sell for 1K after sanding the heck out of a new piece to make it look old like this.
Once I saw it in the dining room I realized it was totally worth the price and those three long sets of stairs that John and I dragged it down. Doesn’t it look awesome with the green tones in the dining room curtains? This is the view from the kitchen peninsula. Can’t wait to add lamps and stacks of books and art behind it. Wahooo.
It’s pretty much my favorite thing in the whole house. There’s so much storage space and I love those curved baluster legs of hers. And every time I get a little pang about spending $155 for it, I just remember that we only paid $20 for Clara’s dresser that we refinished back in 2010…
…which we’ve now seen selling for $200+ every single time it pops up locally. So I guess scoring one big six drawer dresser and one giant leggy sideboard for $175 total brings the average price per piece down to $87. I can totally live with that. That’s basically the price of a three drawer dresser made of laminate from Ikea. And we actually got the old wood dresser in our bedroom as a hand-me-down from John’s parents (aka: free) so if you add that into the mix, we have three old wood pieces in our house for an average of $58 each.
So as much as we love clean and modern, we have to agree that an old piece in every room is beginning to sound like an awesome idea (we already have that old dresser in our bedroom along with an old chair & dresser in Clara’s room and a pair of old secondhand chairs in our office). And I guess we shouldn’t be surprised about the old furniture thing – I mean we like older homes packed with character, so it makes sense that an old piece of furniture with charm to spare is right up there with a box of Oreos and a Don’t Be Tardy For The Wedding marathon. For me. John wants me to clarify that that’s his idea of a nightmare.
Heather says
Absolutely love the antique buffet! I also use craigslist for antique finds. When we bought our house last July I needed a small buffet that was tall and skinny for all of my currier and ives dishes that I collect (and probably will never use). :) We found one in PERFECT condition for $100! She was practically giving it away!
Way to go on the antique buffet. I’m sure we’ll see a post soon on how you “dressed” it up. Thanks for sharing!
Kristen says
Someone else may have mentioned this, but please tell me you know about list-alert! You’ll save a lot of time (but probably spend a lot more money because you’ll find more stuff) on craigslist!
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t but thanks! I usually only spend about fifteen minutes a week on craigslist.org. I just search whatever I’m looking for (ex: dresser or sideboard) and click on the ones with a price I like (and the word “pic” next to them) and it’s not too bad. But we hear list alert is awesome so we might have to try it!
xo,
s
Pam the Goatherd says
My parents have a sideboard like that that hasn’t been painted. It was my grandma’s. There is a china hutch and dining room table/chairs that match it also in my parents home. My parents live in FL and I live in MI and I live in holy fear that my parents will decide to downsize and sell it all in a yard sale without telling me. They don’t understand/believe the value, to say nothing of the sentimental value it has for me. They’ve been living with it so long (my Dad grew up with that furniture and inherited it when he bought my grandparents house after they died in the 1970s) that they don’t think anything of it anymore. When I have told them that I’d like to have it they just look at me with that “Are you insane?” look. They don’t get it that I would totally rent a U-Haul just to haul the whole set back to my home in MI!
Vicki says
Going to get crass for a second, but holy sh*t that is an AMAZING find!! It fits perfectly in that room. I’m green with envy!
kelly taylor says
LOVE it!
alg says
FAIR WARNING: If I ever visit your house, do not turn your back on me for a second. I WILL attempt to distract you so Dan can stealthily wrestle that gorgeous beast into our Hyundai.
#alreadyplanningtheheist ;->
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahha, I love it. Sounds fun to see.
xo
s
Heather W says
Love your find and it looks great in your dining room! I stumbled across a dresser/sideboard for my dining room at the Goodwill. It is definitely a 50-60’s era piece in excellent condition and solid wood. They had just put it out and it was $45.00! Women were drooling when I bought it. I also found a Longaberger basket last week with tie-on and liner that is no longer sold at the GW for .50! I died. I don’t even like Longaberger but I can sell it for $10.00 at least at a yard sale. I also found a old wooden dest chair that looks like Pottery barn’s for $150-200.00 that I bought for $5.00. It needs to be painted but that’s it. I love finding deals like this plus it is different and unique and you’ll always have this story when someone comes over to covet your table!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!!!
xo,
s
Mel says
Thanks for the tips on how to buy something on Craigslist. How about some tips on how to sell on Craigslist. I have never done either yet. But thinking about it!
I love your blog and your style!!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to cover that the next time we list something!
xo,
s
Heather W says
I agree Mel! Would love a post on that too!
Somer says
This place would blow your minds.
http://fredsuniquefurniture.smugmug.com/galleries
Only if you lived closer to Detroit….
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh fun!
xo,
s
Melissa says
I love it! It looks great in the room and I bet you are thankful that you can just keep it as is original color and not have to paint it! But, I have a question….if you were going to paint it, what color would you choose? And, if you were going to paint it a shade of black, which shade would you do? I am going to paint our entry table (its brown and shiny from Bombay Co) Anyway…any suggestions for a nice black color? Is your table in the hallway black (the one with the white frames above it)? Sorry for all the questions! I do love the craigslist find you got!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I think I’d use black chalkboard paint from Rustoleum. It’s a really fun chalky black color (and you don’t have to add chalk at all, ya know?). Hope it helps. The console in the hallway is dark mocha wood.
xo,
s
SusanG says
Check the CL website for other CL locations. There are Craiglists in places that just might surprise you. I live 2 hrs from Richmond and would never try to buy in that market, but I’ve been successful in Lynchburg, Roanoke, Charlottesville and Danville. Same drive or less than Richmond. I’m always a bit amazed at the cool stuff not picked up in the smaller places that would fly out in the big cities.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Susan!
xo,
s
Ally says
$herdog, I love how your “OBO” was a mere $5 over asking price! HA – last of the big time spender’s! (What a bargoon…that’s the equivalent of a few ice-cream cones from your fave neighborhood haunt :)
GO TEAM GREEN! :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah, I know right? Cheap to the core.
xo,
s
how2home says
That is such a beautiful piece in your home! You scored on a pretty awesome sideboard…and we’re a bit jealous over here! Your front hallway is already looking better! So im guessing you wont be revamping the sideboard if i didn’t mistaken?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, it’s staying as-is. Might wax or seal it, but I love the color/finish/chippiness.
xo,
s
Sarah H says
We’re looking for something to make into a changing table (similar to what you did for Clara’s). For some reason we have a lot of luck using “credenza” as a search word on the Minneapolis Craigslist. Lots of dressers and sideboards come up. Not sure if it’s a regional thing but thought you might want to give it a try! We haven’t found the right one yet, but we’re sure it’s out there.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Totty vB says
Too funny!! Being a local RVA’er myself I eyed the same piece! I was out of town though and knew it would be gone before I got back! Glad it went to a good home.
Jalene says
What would your next step have been if it had tested positive for lead?
YoungHouseLove says
There are products like Safecoat which are certified as safe to seal in lead (you just paint a few thin clear coats over the piece and it’s “sealed in” – you just don’t want lead paint flaking off and being eaten/inhaled, so once it’s painted over or sealed in you’re usually good to go!
xo
s
Colleen says
Is it wrong that I covet your sideboard? :) What a find! It looks perfect in that space. Seriously, we didn’t know what we were looking for to fill some empty space in our dining room (also some needed storage). Now I’m on the lookout for a find like yours. Baltimore Craisglist, here I come.
Lindsay says
I have that same sideboard, but not painted. It was left in our house by my husbands parents who lived there previously and it belongs to another aunts family. I really want to paint mine a fun modern color but haven’t decided which color yet. Great find!!
Laura says
Beautiful!!! Great find! And stellar Craigslist skills! :)
Brandyn says
I’ve been looking for a dresser/buffet/sideboard to convert into a TV stand too. I like the height better than most sold as TV stand items. Now I’m hoping you find one first so I can steal ideas on how to convert from you.
Love that piece. It’s gorgeous and works great in your room!
I’ve gotten some great deals on craigslist, but you definitely have to sift through the crap.
Melanie (melarse) says
Great addition!
After reading your & Katie’s post about your Goodwill trip, I dragged my son to the Salvation Army and found two nearly 4-foot tall, beautiful “old” mirrors to go over our IKEA (hacked) nightstands for $20 each! I happened to hit them on their 50% off day! I also found the same blue/white quatrefoil bowl you guys found – one small, one medium. Long lost cousins in MA.
Beth says
that is one rocking piece of furniture, awesome find you guys!
Sherry from BC says
What a find….works so well with your curtains….can’t wait to see it dressed. Though it has good bones and looks good naked…..(sick humour). Did you do your pintrest challenge art piece to go with it????? Can’t wait for the big reveal.
YoungHouseLove says
I didn’t make a large enough piece for that spot (bummer!) but maybe next time I dabble I’ll have the confidence to make something bigger. Here’s hoping…
xo,
s
sophie says
close scouring of kijiji up here netted me a 100 year old, twillingate washstand in a stunning teal blue (here’s some info on the Twillingate area) for only $60. It’s a gorgeous piece, and it look amazing next to a candy cane red wall. the best part? we discovered as we went to check it out that it was originally owned by a family friend – and made by her great grandfather!
Kate says
Can you share details when you seal the piece up later? I have an old (chippy) shelf I really should seal, but I’m worried it’ll stain (it’s still somewhat white in parts) or end up looking too shiny. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’ll blog all about it!
xo,
s
Ginger says
Absolutely gorgeous! Love the color. I even tried to “Chip It”, but the colors aren’t coming up close. Perhaps, if you find a close color in your…ahem…small stash of paint swatches, you could share. I am constantly painting and would love to use that color. Such a great find!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- will do!
xo,
s
Jan says
Beautiful. One thing though- those hardware store lead tests aren’t reliable. I would definitely get it tested by a lead inspector and/or put a coat of varnish on it. (I tested some windowsills for lead with one of those lead kits and it was negative. Later had them tested by an inspector/lab and the levels were high enough that the landlord had to remediate.)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Jan! We’ve had luck with them being pretty accurate (things that came up positive were retested by pros and were in fact positive) – but it can’t hurt to get it double checked!
xo,
s
mp says
Love it!
And dragging a piece of heavy furniture down three flights of stairs is most definitely “The Fan.”
Allison says
Sherry & John,
I love the blog post! The sideboard looks amazing in your entry way & matches perfectly with those curtains. I’m so glad I could pass this piece on to someone who will enjoy it as much as I did!
XOXO,
Allison
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Allison!!! So glad we got to give it a good home – I promise we’ll be really nice to it!
xo,
s
Jayna @ Yankee Drawl says
Oh, man! I am so jealous! I’ve been searching and stalking Craigslist for months for a piece just like that. Had I not taken some time of the hunt while out of town, I would have been racing you to their door to get it!
Looks beautiful in your house though!
Paige @ Little Nostalgia says
So. Much. Yes! Definitely worth $155, fo’ shizzle.
We scored a table from the Crate and Barrel out let a couple of weeks ago for 70% off. It’s 104″ (huge, I know), and we got it for $299, marked down from a thousand. All it has was one tiny boo boo on a corner and it got banished to the outlet. Holler!
kristin says
gorgeous piece!! you could probably RENT that to people here in texas for weddings, events, etc for that price. i paid for a dresser/buffet to hold our wedding goodies (featured here on SMP texas http://www.stylemepretty.com/texas-weddings/2012/06/21/brenham-wedding-at-the-antique-rose-emporium-by-katie-lamb-photography/) and it looks similar to yours. we paid someone to bring it out, set it up, and take it down. you could also bring it out to the pretty patio for parties! (or even keep it right there for a welcome buffet at a house party).
love it! what a steal! :)
kristin in texas
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool!!
xo,
s
Teri says
LOVE it!!! Can’t wait to see what you put on/above it!!
Megan says
I agree that some rooms need something old. We bought the same buffet (although all solid wood in color) for $75 here. It needs some refinishing but for $75, I’ll take it! I love how perfect if fits in your spot. I can’t wait to see how well it looks once decorated!
Tiff says
Our craigslist here in Iowa is the SAME way! I’ve seen some crazy prices for nasty looking (usually 70s/80s furniture) and I just laugh and think ‘okay I’ll be seeing this same piece on here again in weeks because it wouldn’t sell at that ridiculous price.’ Some people will do anything for a buck or two!
Angela says
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! SO JEALOUS!
Calla says
I’m so glad I’m not the only person who justifies paying more for some items by averaging the prices of those items and cheapo ones! (I do this a lot with clothing. Two tops for an average of $25 sounds a whole lot better than one top for $45, so I’d compulsively average it with a $5 top too.)
Also: such a gorgeous piece!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- ah yes, I love the “averaging” trick!
xo,
s
Emma says
OMG! I love it. I have to share this post with my fiancé. I use the same tactics you do….and coming in second has almost brought me to tears before. He thinks I am crazy but spending weeks looking at over priced partical board and then spotting the perfect wood piece only to have it snagged right from under you is heart breaking.
I always joke about Craigslist Karma and how I want to resell decent items of mine at a fair price so I can get good deals on my new stuff.
PS. I am so drooling over all three of your old pieces.
Erika says
Um, that is GORGEOUS!!! Great find!
I guess I need to start stalking CL a bit more… our almost 100 year old house could use some old furniture love! Haha.
JessiBee says
Love it! Great color, great detail, great price! I’m loving the broken off bits and the chips because the wood underneath matches your floor. It almost looks like your floor grew a sideboard shaped flower. Which is a really weird thing for flooring to do but it looks so good!
Terri says
Wonderful find! As a Craigslist junkie I have this observation for most listings. Antique? Doubtful. Vintage? Pushing it. Retro? OK I’ll give you that. You know when it’s been sitting at your Mom’s since 1970, but otherwise please don’t think adding an adjective makes it worth more. Oh, and another thing it’s WROUGHT iron, people…not rod iron. Just sayin’
S'Mo (aka Sarah) says
Quad City DJs FTW!!!
Oh, yeah, and the dresser is awesome, too! Looks great. :-)
Karen says
Good luck on the craigslist hunt for more pieces. We searched for months typing in “credenza” and “stereo cabinet” to come up with a beautiful mid-century stereo cabinet that we made over into a TV stand. Check it out!
http://www.midwestnutmeg.blogspot.com/2012/04/before-and-after-stereo-cabinet.html
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!!
xo
s
Brandi G says
Love the sideboard. We have an old ranch style house that we are working on and love a more modern look. However, we do have old pieces spread sparingly and they work great to bring a little more character to our house. Our large wooden sideboard is used as our entertainment center. We love it.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool – I’m definitely on board with a cool mix like that!
xo,
s
Katie says
After all your other entertaining posts about how you fit awkward stuff in your car, I am dying to hear how you got this home! I am working on fixing up my own home and often wish I had a pick-up truck. Any good solutions?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually borrowed John’s dad car (just switched with him for the hour) which is a Honda Pilot, so it thankfully just fit in the back. The entertaining part of this would be picturing me and John nervously lugging this guy down three flights of stairs and onto a busy city street to shove it into the car- but we lived to tell the tale!
xo,
s
Cara says
I wasn’t sold on the green (being more of a turquoise girl), until I saw it in your room. Perfect. Just perfect.
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that awesome how the wide room shot seems to make sense of the whole thing? We had the same reaction. Shooting it up close on that wall was fun, but when we panned out it was much more fun to see it with the curtains!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Love it! They actually used something a lot like this in one of the kitchens on last weeks episode of Design Star.
My personal rule is a lot more like: everything should be old, unless you really love something new. I end up doing okay – I think I have only spent about $500 to furnish 2 bedrooms, an office, a living room, a dining nook and a half finished basement den. But I will say you have to be willing to do a lot of cleaning!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Your house sounds like it’s packed with character!
xo,
s
Kyra Poulos says
Congrats on such an amazing find!!! I’m totally jealous!
Christina says
Love it!! Looks great just the way it is…goes well with your dining room table and is so interesting and has a great story!! We are fortunate to have my parents’ stash of antiques they have collected through the years at auctions. Do you all ever go? They are really fun because you never know what you might find and it’s also kinda fun to be in a bidding war :).
YoungHouseLove says
We think it would be so fun to go to an auction! We’ll have to figure out the ones near us and check them out!
xo,
s
KarenH. says
Wow, that’s a gorgeous piece! You did very well :)
I would add one more rule to Craigslisting–Don’t underestimate the powers of “please” and “thank you”. I have “won” an item more than once because the seller said I was the first polite responder. I do like you–ask if the item is still available. And I thank them for their time if it is not.
In one memorable case, the buyer changed her mind about selling Gramma’s absokutely gorgeous 1889 Singer treadle sewing machine (with almost perfect decals) at the last minute. I was set to get it on Saturday and on Thursday she emailed and said she’d changed her mind. I was crushed, but only told her that as disappointed as I was, I understood her reluctance to part with it and assured her there were no hard feelings.
9 months later, she emailed me out of the blue and asked if I were still interested. And that gorgeous machine is now mine. All because I have manners :)