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Happy Monday decorating world! Please share pictures or just tell us about any recent and/or favorite finds. We always love to hear prices if you're willing to share.

Please join in the fun

I have been looking forthis picture "forever" -- my grandmother had one and somehow when the estate was settled it slipped away. I've looked at a lot of them but I was picky about quality and price. This week, I found it!!! Good quality and great price and a wonderful frame!

BTW, as with Blue Boy, almost everyone must have had this picture because you see them everywhere!!!!

Martha

Martha, what a great story! Isn't it wonderful when you find just what you've been looking for?

We had a picture hanging in our dining room when I was growing up and I always loved it. When I got married my mom had an artist do an oil painting for me. I smile every time I look at it because it reminds me of home. I bet your picture reminds you of your grandma

Glad you found your treasure.

At one point in time I had a Blue Boy and Pink Girl set of oval metal framed pictures. I sent them to someone who was looking for a set, and she gave them a good 'home'.

I have another FIND this past week!
I can't believe I bought something else!

This is the Craigslist photo. IT is a Broyhill so is not an antique. Good wood doors and hinges and has great potential for what my vision for it will be. I paid $75 for it, DH went with me to load it into the truck and bring it home!

Here it is in my home. It is in the dining area to the right of my table. This is its temporary place until we get to the Chef's pantry in the kitchen part of the remodel.
This is a 21" deep TV armoire. Will get refitted with pull out trays and shelving for spices and all cooking foodstuffs and small tools for baking. DH will reinforce the bottom, inside sides, and full back that will get installed as a kitchen pantry cabinet with permanent installation. Will be secured to the wall.

This type of (Empire type lines and simple design)was my FIRST vision for the chef's pantry cabinet. I wanted to break up the all-white cabinets we are doing in the whole kitchen.
In front of this cabinet will be the large butcher block island (I have planned) being your first view as you walk into the remodeled kitchen.

IN my vision for this cabinet, I have long wrought iron handles on the doors (like refrigerator handles) but shorter, this way the door gets gripped in more of an area than just the keyhole spot when pulling on it to open it.

76" tall, and 40" wide (by 21" depth)
All wood construction except for some of the toe kick assembly and full back, and the drawers, all being replaced with wood. The inside will be painted white, or will use the natural light birch color to make seeing items easier. The wood is not a true mahogany wood, the stain is sprayed on at the factory as most Armoires are done, but the coloring is coming across nicely as Mahogany in my home. It will hold up to traffic better than an antique would. I have looked at so many Armoires that are antique and the wood around hinge areas would have to be repaired and rebuilt to hold up to kitchen wear. I am hoping this Armoire holds up well for us.

I will paint the interior of the doors with blackboard (chalkboard) paint. A HUGE IF would be glass inserts on the doors (tempered glass) IF the interior is attractive enough to show (pull out tray fronts with not much food stuff showing, decorative spice bottles, etc.)

The colors around this Armoire now, will not be surrounding it in the kitchen, will be white (creamy white walls and subway tiles with brown plank woodgrain floor tiles. There may be a charcoal and white patterned section of the center of the floor (like a center rug) in front of this armoire.

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

I wanted to add:
AND with the height of this Armoire, I have DISPLAY space above! The crown molding is finished off with a nice furniture finish top! So, things can be placed up there that would not need blocks to raise. There will be 20" above this cabinet! We could also make a few shelves for the wall to fit up there. My mind is open to waiting until I find the right thing to use above this. I do have a few antique oak corbels too.

Hi Sklyer..
long time no see.. missed ya.

Beautiful piece Mary Ruth~!

I finally found a glass lamp and redid it to suit my coastal theme bedroom..

click the blog link- so I wont overrun this thread with text n pics

http://155dreamlane.blogspot.c...-lamp-ala-sonny.html

Great finds!

Congratulations on your find, Linderhof. I've been seeing so many items from my childhood lately on eBay.

Mary Ruth, That's a great find. I keep reading about all of the supposedly available used armoires, but I never see any of quality on my Craig's List.

Sonny Dayz, Your bargain lamp looks like a million bucks filled with shells. Nice job!

My Mom had a set of Pinky and Blue Boy!!! I didn't like them then, and I laugh when I see them at antique stores now - Still don't care for them, but don't know if that is held over from childhood....LOL!!

I LOVE that armoire MR!!! I have a space in my kitchen that is 36" wide w/ a set of upper and lower cabinets and countertop. Countertop is just a catch-all. My dream is to take them out and put a pantry type cabinet in that space someday.

This is pretty much my last week of summer vacation - next week I'm at a conference for 3 days and then I have to get into my office and teachers go back on the 13th, kids on the 15th.

Last week I emptied my bedroom and stained woodwork - new carpet goes in tomorrow. I really didn't want to deal w/ pulling up staples, tack strip and then cleaning the floor to stain and put varnish on, so new carpet is going in. Besides, the carpet is a remnant and too good of a deal to pass up!!

Here's before and after pictures of the staining...I stained the windows last winter when I painted the bedroom. The baseboard trim is what it was -

The floors are oak in in pretty good shape actually - just some paint on them, but someone else will have to bring them back to life. Sanding the floor will take the paint off.

Here's a picture of the closet door and trim. I am one that likes dark woodwork and floors - I find them richer looking/feeling. I'm happy - I'll be happier tomorrow when the carpet gets put in and I can sleep in my bed. I'm too old to be sleeping on the floor - even w/ a mattress on the floor!!

And I found something else -- these two silver spoons -- one is a sugar sifter spoon (has holes) and the other is a tea spoon to measure tea.

I was at an antique auction on Sat and a spoon so like mine was there with an 1868 date on it! So I think it IS early!

The tea spoon not so much but it is the perfect scoop for my morning tea!

Both cost me less than $20!

Martha

Mary Ruth -- great armoire! Who says that they have to hold a tv? LOL! We have an antique Victorian one in our dining room and love the depth because it isn't too deep and DH added LOTS of shelves and it's a great place to store dishes and glassware -- with a drawer under for napkins. Your plans sound really neat for that space and that piece will fit in perfectly!

Martha

Out on a limb -- great job with the staining!

Martha

Will come back later to read about everyone else's finds. Got these pair of twin bedspreads Sat at swap shop. When I hung them on the line I found a tag. They are Legacy linens (to the trade only) in twin size these spreads are $465 each!

Another trip last week netted these four Victorian oak chairs. One is a rocker, one is kind of high. One is Eastlake. All in mint condition.

Great finds!

The chair farthest back is like the ones my grandparents had. I didn't get any of them. They had darkened and had an old patina. One of aunts took two and had them refinished. Thought that ruined them. Just my opionion. Can't remember whether I said anything to her about them or not.

Thanks Sonny Dayz,

Gracie,
There are a lot of Armoires, but the prices are still high on most. This was a lucky find for me, been keeping an eye out for one for over a year!

out on a limb,
OH, well I hope to get this one in before Christmas so you can see how mine worked out.
I can't wait! Getting excited about my kitchen finally being organized!
I hope you are enjoying your new carpet and being back in your bed! Nothing like your own bed! And I love dark wood too, your stain on your windows and door look great!

Linderhof,
Great spoon, love the perferations! I never heard of a sugar sifter before, but can tell the little one is for tea. Nice twist on the spoon handle!

Linderhof,
Thanks! It was made for TV, the full back is cheap and has a huge cut out for the large sized TV. They offered it to us for free with the armoire, but I didn't want DH to have to lift that and move it around so we declined. We intend to replace the full back with a sturdy one and braces so we can attach the unit to the wall so it will be a permanent installation.

LOS
Oh yes, custom made beauties! VERY good find! Lucky you with the 'right' price too! Will make a very classy bed set. My GF in Virginia had one of those on her 4 poster mahogany bed, was pretty.

Nice chairs.

Mary ruth, nice armoire. I love the tone of the wood. I had to laugh about your comment of display space. I get excited whenever I have another area to play with too.

Hiya Sonny So good to see you! We miss you around here, stick around!
I'll back in a minute to look at your new lamp.

Limb, enjoy your final week of vacation. It sounds like you've been very productive. I love your doors and baseboards. Enjoy your new carpet.

Nice looking spoons Martha.

Wow LOS, those are GORGEOUS! I have a similar one in our MB at the condo and yes, I paid plenty for it. You got a steal! Very nice chairs too.

Wow Sonny, your lamp looks terrific. Much better price than the one you almost paid. Gotta love Goodwill. Perfect piece for a coastal themed bedroom. Thanks for sharing...now don't be a stranger!

HI LADIES, AS usual everyone got terrific finds!
Martha you always get the best stuff. If we were at an estate sale together we'd be in competition for the goodies! We had that set of pictures in my home when I was a child. I find them comforting.

Mary Ruth your armoire was a wonderful price and will be a great addition to your renovated spaces. What a good buy!

Sonny I love seeing you here! Whenever my eye falls on my "to be filled" lamp in my basement I remember that you were looking for one! So glad you finally found one and your blog is great too!

OOL, do you mean your school system starts classes on the 15th of August? Those poor kids if it does! We didn't go back till after Labor Day and even then it was too nice to be in school!

new door mat to go with new paint color of front door

Skyler,
Isn't it amazing! I do not have enough horizontal display space, and knew I would have none in the kitchen, but when this option came up with a shorter Armoire, the first thing I thought of was 'display space'! LOL

LOS, Thanks! I love it when I find an item I had a vision for, when it shows up, it is almost surreal!

homebody,
New door mat! YES it does coordinate with your new paint color! Nice!

Homebody, what a cute mat. I love that color green.

Love the finds this week!

I finally got around to hooking the cattle brands to the wall. It is impossible to get a good pic of the foyer (short of opening the door and stepping outside) as it is just a big rectangle. Some of my crocks are also in the pic - we use the small one for the dog gear - leashes, harnesses, etc. Really handy to have as organizers! Need to shop the house for some pictures/artwork for the other wall.

I would really like to paint the commode, but am torn on what to do with it. A darker color would be so nice.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: junk collector,

junk collector,

I remember those when you got them (cattle brands)! Nice display wall that will grow with more collections over time. I love crocks, and how wonderful to make them useful too!

I think the shelf above and the commode should coordinate somehow, show more of a connection, so I agree that a darker color may be nice on that, you could just do the casing and leave the drawer fronts the way they are. I have a few dressers now with that construction (sides with extra rails) and bottom leg apron. Mine were made around 1900, I am sure yours dates back that far too. Nice handy size for storing things.