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Young House Love » Shopping & Thrifting » Steals & Deals: Stone Cold Fox

| By Sherry Petersik | July 16, 2009 | 61 Comments

Steals & Deals: Stone Cold Fox

Surprise! John and I actually snuck off to the beach in Rehoboth Delaware (where John’s parents have a lovely beach house) around the 4th of July. And yes, John did take this photo to document our trip with his freakishly long arm:

beach-picture

We didn’t do much except for veg on the beach, publish posts so you guys wouldn’t think we went missing, and whip up this watermelon project. Oh and of course we did a little deal hunting by swinging through our favorite secondhand store while we were there: Beach Plum Antiques.

new-table-from-the-beach

You’ll notice me getting my Vanna White on above (look, second picture in a row where I’m not wearing black!). The reason for the big smile and the gameshow pose? I’m standing next to the cutest little carrera marble topped table that I dug out from under a pile of stuff. It’s as if the universe hid it until I could show up and unearth it. Let me loose in a thrift store and I’m like an archeologist hot on the trail of a T-Rex femur.

We’d been looking for a small table for the sunroom for a while and this baby fit the bill. Plus we’ve never had anything marble in our house so the idea admittedly felt very swanky. But how much would the fancy pants table set us back?

beach-plum-antiques-rehoboth

What? Does that price tag really say $20? You betcha. And do you know how much we actually paid? $19 (because they only accept cash and that’s all we had on us). Again, the universe wanted us to have this table. The owner actually laughed when we approached him to buy it saying he had just marked it down from $45 the day before (and sure enough, when we peeled off the stickers after we got it home we saw that it had originally been $75, then $45, and finally $20 after sitting around for a while without getting much attention).

How this little gem of a table could go unnoticed for so long is beyond me. I mean she’s almost as cheap as an Ikea lack table and SHE’S MADE WITH CARRERA MARBLE. In mint condition no less. Just for comparison’s sake, here’s a marble table from CB2. It’s $149! And here’s a Knoll one on sale for $607! Doesn’t that make $19 sound even better? Plus our sunroom could totally use a little side table. So we brought her home.

marble-table-thrift-store-find-antique

Here’s a close-up for you marble loving fools (present company included- as in, me). Isn’t she a beaut? We love the ornate carved detailing around the perimeter and the legs. And although we originally toyed with the idea of painting them white (or even a soft celery green), we actually fell hard for the existing patina of the wood as soon as we put it down next to the teak chair and saw that it still worked.

marble-table

By now you guys probably know that we’re much more about complementary tones, subtle texture and varied materials than anyting formulaic or overly matchy-matchy. And our new $19 side table introduced so much more interest to the whole room thanks to the marble top (yeah, we’re officially fancy), antiqued carved detailing (for luxe texture to spare), and the coordinating but not matching weathered wood tone (see how the teak chair and the bookcase on the other side of that wall are the same color but somehow this lighter piece still looks right at home between them?).

sunroom-carera-marble

The key to achieving a mixed and layered effect that feels collected over time instead of “garage sale dorm room” is just to keep certain commonalities between the items in the space so it doesn’t look completely chaotic and unrelated. The ceramic dog (who was also quite a steal, check out that story here) and the pillow both boast the same crisp white tone, as does the top of the table (which instantly ties them together in the space). And the cream colored wall behind everything adds warmth and creates an even more layered and soft effect.

So there it is. The tale of an under-twenty-dollar-table that crossed state lines to come home with us and live next to a life-sized ceramic pooch. Have you guys found anything good at secondhand stores lately? What about garage sales? Now that it’s summer they’re popping up everywhere, so we’re wondering what you’re snagging on the cheap.

p.s. Speaking of secondhand shopping, we feel really good about our recently purchased refurbished Flip video camera (snagged on woot.com for $70 off) and our newly refurbished MacBook (from apple.com for $350 off). “Recycling” never felt so good- and they’ll both help us serve up more fun around these parts for years to come- so stay tuned…

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Comments

  1. Avatar for The Urban CowboyThe Urban Cowboy says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:00 am

    Good deal you got there. Haven’t been out shopping for anything lately.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for RebekahRebekah says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:04 am

    What a neat store and a neat find! I think I would have painted the legs white, but it’s not often that you don’t paint something white, so I’m proud of you. ;)

    Reply
  3. Avatar for ElaineElaine says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:06 am

    Sweet Venus! You lucked out! I love it the new table. I thought I was cool because I just bought a storage bench on Craiglist for $35….and then you guys buy a marble table for $19. Way to go, S & J. You two are so fabulous!!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for MollyMolly says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:09 am

    Great table! What a find! I, too, take great pleasure in peeling off stickers to see what the price (or prices) were before the markdown!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for AmyAmy says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:10 am

    We have a house in Bethany and I love that store (I didn’t know about it until last year though…sort of off the beaten path). The only thing I’ve ever bought there is one of the Bethany Beach signs that someone handpaints…the ones kind of shaped like surfboards.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 10:12 am

      Ooh I totally know what you mean. Those signs are the coolest! Awesome score.

      xo,
      s

  6. Avatar for EvaEva says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:15 am

    I love Rehobeth! We have a place in OC,MD and always find ourselves in Rehobeth for one reason or another. I’ve never been to the this antique store… definately have to put it on the list of places to check out next time we go down.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for ChristaChrista says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:21 am

    Going deal hunting this weekend…on the lookout for a small dresser I can repurpose as an end table in my living room. Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 10:22 am

      Luck!

      xo,
      s

  8. Avatar for priscillapriscilla says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:24 am

    I wish my husband’s arms are as long as John’s so we could take self-portraits like that! Usually when we attempt that, one of us is always cut off! Boo! =P

    Reply
  9. Avatar for LauraLaura says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:26 am

    Ooooohh! You bought a Mac! Have you had one before? You will LOVE LOVE LOVE it! (Can you tell I love mine?)

    Reply
  10. Avatar for dianadiana says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:40 am

    We recently snagged a pale blue crate & barrel couch, 2 yrs old, on craigslist for $75! It was my thrill/adventure of the week. Then I stepped back and said, what has happened to me? Really now?
    ps thanks for the fonts info!

    Reply
  11. Avatar for Jenny @ Words On WendhurstJenny @ Words On Wendhurst says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:40 am

    That table is so cute, and you’re right, it was a TOTAL steal! So glad to see you got the highlighted comments back, loved that feature. But why no cute pic of you guys? That felt so much more personal :-)

    Reply
  12. Avatar for JennaJenna says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:51 am

    Just stumbled upon your website accidentally and i gotta say i am completely in awe of your renovations! My boyfriend and I did a similar thing to our first house last year but it’s nothing compared to yours. You guys are super talented and inspired me to get more things done to ours!

    Reply
  13. Avatar for kasey at thriftylittleblogkasey at thriftylittleblog says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:51 am

    I love shopping thrift! It’s actually nice knowing that the things I buy are older… because I know that they were built well enough to last that long! Great tables like that are more difficult to find though, you usually have to drop in a store time and again to find the best things. I think it’s worth the hunt. Plus, it’s fun!

    Reply
  14. Avatar for KatieKatie says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:54 am

    Oooohhhh, Aaahhhhh…you must tell me when you are visiting DE again…surprised I haven’t seen you at the Beach Plum already!!!!

    Reply
  15. Avatar for allieallie says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:56 am

    we frequent the rehoboth area often..can you tell me where this store it so i can go when we are there in 2 weeks? thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 11:20 am

      Hey Allie,

      The store is a bit off the beaten path but you can call the number shown on the price sticker in the post above and ask them for directions (they’re a lot more expert in that area than we are since we sometimes drive right by it and have to back up). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  16. Avatar for ChristineChristine says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:59 am

    Oooooh! I love the table, great find!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for Jennifer S.Jennifer S. says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:05 am

    Hey! My cousin Clare owns and operates the Blue Room Gallery in Bethany Beach. Check it out at http://www.blueroomgallery.com.

    Lots of cool home accessories and gifts.

    Reply
  18. Avatar for AverillAverill says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:19 am

    Great deal on the table!

    Your guys are too cute — all the pictures Dave and I took on our vacation look exactly the same (Dave, too, has freakishly long arms).

    Reply
  19. Avatar for pattipatti says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:23 am

    i’m so green with secondhand store envy right now! that place looks amazing! i would love that white headboard next to you for my little girls’ room! i used to live in seattle and i could literally walk to 4 or 5 amazing places to get the best flea market finds! they even had a saturday flea market that was filled with treasures! but sadly…i live in sacramento, ca now…not so much of that going on here. but we still find ways to seek out great deals from estate sales etc. one of these days i’m going to find that one store that no one knows about! :)

    Reply
  20. Avatar for pattipatti says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:24 am

    oh…and in my selfish rant, i totally forgot to say…awesome find! love that table!!

    Reply
  21. Avatar for tammytammy says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:32 am

    No way! I am headed to Rehoboth for the first time ever TOMORROW!!! I’m definitely writing this store down and going to take a look! Any other Rehoboth advice you’d like to share??!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 11:54 am

      Hey Tammy,

      You have to get a Nic-o-boli at Nicola’s. It’s pure heaven. Here’s their site: http://www.nicolapizza.com/

      xo,
      s

  22. Avatar for TressaTressa says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:55 am

    Love the table; I’m definitely going to look into finding some secondhand stores around my home. And I love your non-black, colorful shirts, too! ;)

    Reply
  23. Avatar for AudreyAudrey says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:59 am

    I was about to comment on the lack of black in your wardrobe, but you beat me to it! Love the new addition – very schmancy. :)

    Reply
  24. Avatar for carriecarrie says

    July 16, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Yeah, yeah… love the table. Now tell me about the shoes. I need to know more about the shoes. ;) hee hee

    xoxo

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 12:28 pm

      Hey Carrie,

      The wedge sandals are from none other than Target. I don’t suppose you’re surprised. They’re actually silver and black xhilaration shoes that had thong straps that were covered in terribly tacky sequins and beads but being the DIY girl that I am, I got them on clearance for $7 and removed all the sequins and beading with a seam ripper for a cleaner and less kid-ish look. You know I love a makeover… even if it involves shoes.

      xo,
      s

  25. Avatar for CarolCarol says

    July 16, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Love the table! And I’m proud of you for not painting it…I probably would have pulled out the black paint – seems I’m doing black or pale, pale blue on everything these days. And I love finding thrift or craigslist. For my comfy pieces like sofa and chairs, I do go retail but I’ve found a wonderful store that has great items (a lot of them are one of a kind) at great prices so that works out for me. My accent pieces are almost all thrift/craigslist though, and I lovingly paint and repurpose them. Doesn’t it feel good to give a little orphan table a good home?

    Reply
  26. Avatar for TYTY says

    July 16, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    that table is fabulous, its amazing that a little trade makes a big difference.

    Reply
  27. Avatar for JessicaJessica says

    July 16, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Isn’t that store awesome? I’m a Delawarean myself, and the beach has some amazing antique/resale stores. Next time you’re in Rehoboth (where I spent many a childhood summer) take a drive up to Lewes – it’s this quaint, adorable historic beahc town with lots of good shopping.

    Oh, and the best part about shopping in Delaware? Your $19 table really was only $19. No sales tax!

    Reply
  28. Avatar for AmyAmy says

    July 16, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    I wish my sun room looked as great as yours…still trying to get up the nerve – and energy – to paint the floor!

    Reply
  29. Avatar for jemisonjemison says

    July 16, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    I think you made the right call not painting the table- the legs actually kind of complement the color of the wall too. And Sherry, I hardly knew ye! Color looks great on you! I have a question about your backyard: what seed did you use, and did you go the wheat-straw route? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 3:33 pm

      Jemison- We used Scott’s tall fescue mix seed and didn’t actually use straw at all, we just overseeded our yard and watered it regularly. Hope it helps!

      Lori H- We actually haven’t checked out Circa yet, but we’ll definitely have to put that on our to-do list. Sounds fun!

      xo,
      s

  30. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    July 16, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    Ha! As soon as I saw the 2nd picture, I thought, “Hey, that’s two pictures in a row where Sherry’s not wearing black!” I’m also a black shirt girl trying to change it up sometimes. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone. :) Good work, Sherry!

    Reply
  31. Avatar for MandiMandi says

    July 16, 2009 at 2:09 pm

    My sister just loves marble topped tables/dressers/whatevers. She would just die knowing you got your cutie table for $19. Good deal!!

    Reply
  32. Avatar for Lori HLori H says

    July 16, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    Love the new table! What a bargain. I love shopping for gently used furniture. Did you guys ever check out Circa in Charlottesville when/if you went to John’s reunion/homecoming? It has three buildings of furniture. I recently found some glass bottles in that sea-glass blue/green color and an old milk bottle there for 50 cents each to add into my summer decorating.

    Reply
  33. Avatar for RobinRobin says

    July 16, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    The table looks great near that big round clock, the clock was crying out for another circle, now he has one.

    Reply
  34. Avatar for East EndEast End says

    July 16, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    I love Rehoboth! Did you get some french fries???

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 2:39 pm

      East End,

      You bet we got french fries… with malt vinegar on them! Mmm.

      xo,
      s

  35. Avatar for MelanieMelanie says

    July 16, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    I love DE. I’m trying to convince my husband to move to Lewes. My parents live further north in Harrington. The antique stores are great but so are the thrift stores. I live in Springfield, VA now and the deals are so much better in DE! I buy a lot more there than I do here.

    Reply
  36. Avatar for BethBeth says

    July 16, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    You look great in blue! Are your eyes blue? Never noticed before.

    Totally off topic, but FedEx just dropped of my paint! :-)

    Reply
  37. Avatar for Amy @ Renovation InnovationAmy @ Renovation Innovation says

    July 16, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Great find! We recently bought a slab of granite on CraigsList for an unbelievable $25! We’re planning on making some kind of side table out of it one of these days!

    Reply
  38. Avatar for AbbyAbby says

    July 16, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    The table is gorgeous! I vacationed in Rehoboth for years growing up, but haven’t been there in about 15 years now. My husband and I are planning a trip there in early October for our one-year anniversary. We can’t wait and are excited to add Beach Plum to our list of places to check out!

    Reply
  39. Avatar for Rhoda @ Southern HospitalityRhoda @ Southern Hospitality says

    July 16, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    That is a STEAL of a deal! I would have totally snagged it too. Great find you 2.

    Reply
  40. Avatar for MarjorieMarjorie says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:04 pm

    Love DE…. that’s why I live here! :-) When I shop in other states the sales tax ALWAYS catches me off guard. Would you mind sharing a few of your favorite stores? I know, I know…I’m a local, I should know, but I honestly don’t escape our “plantation” much. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      July 16, 2009 at 10:55 pm

      Hey Marjorie,

      Oh man, we were hoping to hit you up for some recommendations! We usually get so caught up in family, beach, food and sun that we probably haven’t explored Rehoboth or Bethany’s full decor potential. That and the sun somehow makes us forget lots of store names. But Virginia Ave in Rehoboth has a bunch of great smaller places closer to the boardwalk, and some bigger stores the further you walk down. There’s also Abizaks that I think relocated (maybe to Fenwick Island?) but always has an interesting assortment of furniture eye candy. Next time we’re there we’ll keep better notes!

      -John

  41. Avatar for anna seeanna see says

    July 16, 2009 at 10:04 pm

    Darn. Is it okay to covet they neighbor’s table??

    Reply
  42. Avatar for MarjorieMarjorie says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    Yeah, I don’t know where Abizak’s went… They sneaked off a few years back. I do know one neat place where Mom’s picked up a few things. The Midway shopping area (with the movie theater and waterpark/go-carts on rt 1) has a tiny antique shop tucked into the corner of the main building, oddly enough. I know all about buying lumber and concrete around here…I’ll get to decorating eventually…

    Reply
  43. Avatar for lizliz says

    July 16, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    i just bought the same Flip camera on woot.com last week (or the week before?) love it!

    Reply
  44. Avatar for LisaLisa says

    July 17, 2009 at 8:42 am

    I love that TABLE! What a great find.

    Reply
  45. Avatar for MeganMegan says

    July 17, 2009 at 10:24 am

    I snagged an excellent Danish Mid-century style chair from Goodwill for $10, then stripped and re-finished it. It looks great and was amazingly cheap (just how I like things to be), though it looks like a million bucks. I think eventually I might try reupholstering it, but for now I’m loving the olive green fabric.

    Congrats on the table find- doesn’t the feeling of finding a great steal always leave you so elated? Oh the joys of home goods…

    Reply
  46. Avatar for Ami RaeAmi Rae says

    July 18, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Hey youngins. Great score. I have to let you in on a secret spot. Wilson’s Auction in Lincoln It’s a bit away from Rehoboth (maybe 25 minutes) but I’ve gotten some awesome things there over the years. Plus you get the fun of a live auction. Every Saturday starting around noon for household things. Check it out.

    Reply
  47. Avatar for ChristieChristie says

    July 18, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    That’s great!!!!!! It looks perfect in your sunroom. I love the textures. What an amazing deal!

    Reply
  48. Avatar for Kimba @ A Soft Place to LandKimba @ A Soft Place to Land says

    July 19, 2009 at 8:13 pm

    Sigh. We just returned yesterday from our annual week at Rehoboth Beach. Some combination of my hubby’s family has been staying in the same beach house for the last 16 years. I’m the newest addition to the family, so it’s only been 10 years for me.

    My cousin-in-law and I stumbled on the Beach House Chic tent down near Bethany. They’ll be doing their big sale the last weekend of July but they still had a pretty good selection when we were there. The woman running the place actually took us back to “The Coop” where she does all of her furniture rehab and repair of things that get sold at the tent.

    My cousin-in-law and I joked that we’re really no better than our kids taking candy from a stranger. Some stranger offers to show us the place where she keeps all of her thrifted furniture and we jump into the car to follow her…no questions asked.

    I’ll be adding Beach Plum Antiques to our shopping list for next year. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
  49. Avatar for JessJess says

    July 22, 2009 at 9:59 am

    What a steal! I love antiquing for just that reason…my little retro dinning set is from an antique store that I got for a 100 bucks! The cheapest “new” table you can get is 150 at Wal-mart and trust me it is a POS (we had one in our college apartment, ick!).

    I love refurbished too, my cell phone is and I will for sure be checking the apple site for a refurbished laptop, since that is high on my shopping list!

    Reply
  50. Avatar for Amanda VAmanda V says

    July 22, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    Wow! I probably just missed y’all in Rehoboth! I live in DE and was pa-rusing around Rehoboth during the 4th. There are some great stores for finding great deals! In Lewes there is a great antique store on Route 1, about 10 minutes from Rehoboth. I have found some really great pieces there!

    Reply
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John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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