Yes, I really DID put a fork in my road and take photos of it. Be sure to notice that the fork has roses on it.
Since I was in my early 20s, back in the 1980s when antique furniture in need of repair and/or refinishing was plentiful and cheap, I picked up the most wonderful pieces at antique auctions and estate sales. Our whole house is furnished with the fruits of my workshop, and it makes for a very personal decor. After the house filled up, though, I neglected to turn off my 'bargain hunting' gene, and projects have been piling up.
Until we moved to this house, this wasn't too much of a problem because we had a large, modern house with lots of rooms and more-than-adequate storage space. Now that we live in this old house, we have fewer rooms (though they are larger) and a crisis of 'stuff'.
In an effort to begin the process of simplifying our life, to cut the amount of 'stuff' that we have, and to make a few extra $$$ to fund some of the remaining renovations that our house needs, I have decided to take the plunge and restore and repurpose my stuff for resale. This is a scary proposition for me, since I've been my only client up until now.
Here is a sample of what I'm doing. It's a darling twin-size mahogany Chippendale sleigh bed. It wasn't a good candidate for refinishing, and I love the way it turned out in ASCP Duck Egg with amber wax.
I was trying to see if I could duplicate the finish on the armoire in our Family Room, with its genuine old-paint finish and natural wear pattern.
With some light distressing, the amber wax, and a lot of hand-rubbing, I think I got pretty close.
This bed has the headboard, footboard, side rails, and slats ... and it's all ready to be the centerpiece in a lucky little girl's vintage-inspired bedroom.
My dream would be to have this evolve into monthly or bi-monthly sales, where I set up shop in one of our outbuildings. The idea of doing this gets me all giddy! In the meantime, I'm considering offering individual pieces on Craig's List to test the waters.
My biggest obstacle is pricing ... I don't want to sell myself short, but I don't want stuff to be prohibitively expensive either. I have a figure in my head for this bed, one that I think is fair, but I would love to hear your opinions on what you think it should cost.
If you have any feedback, advice, warnings, or anything else to offer as I embark on this new enterprise, I'm all ears.
(Edited to add: after considering various outlets for my 'treasures', in December 2011 I decided to rent space at a local antique mall. This should prove to be the least stressful, easiest way to move items from storage here at home into a retail venue to get maximum exposure ... meaning, I hope to get rid of more stuff faster this way. Wish me luck!)
