My First Before & After

Let's get this party started off on the right foot. I know how much everyone loves a good before & after. Especially in the fabulous world of "design blogs". So I'm thinking that posting one here, from the get-go, is a sure way to get my blog off to a good start, right?

I found this beauty at my local Value Village, which is pretty much exactly like a Goodwill. You see, the prices at "VV" (as I like to call it) are usually even lower than the prices at Goodwill. Impossible you say? No. Very possible indeed. It's like a playground for a treasure hunter like myself. I go (during my lunch break), I conquer, I transform and/or stash in my basement, and now...I blog about. Lucky for you. Or unlucky for you. You be the judge.

So here's the background...we've been in our house for just under two years. We moved from a very small home to a bigger home, so we had a whole lotta space to fill. The thought of spending thousands on a dining room set didn't exactly give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, so I set out to furnish it frugally. I got a table for $100 at Weekends Only, and 6 chairs at JC Penney for a steal, too. That was within a month of moving in. Good start, but I was longing for a beautiful buffet to complement my new dining room set. I looked, I dreamed, I dog-eared my Pottery Barn catalogs. But in the end, I knew I didn't want to spend $1000+ on a buffet. So when I happened upon this sad little beauty one day at my beloved VV, I knew I might have a real treasure on my hands. But it had a loose leg, a detached cabinet door, and a not-so-pretty finish. I realize those downfalls may be shruggable to you savvy "furniture saviors", but for a girl like me (married to a CPA who is the exact opposite of "Mr. Fix-It")...it posed a few challenges. So I decided I'd hold off and give it more consideration if it was still there the last Wednesday of the month...aka: 1/2 off day. Guess what? It was. But I was still scared/uncertain. So I left it again. But when the day came that VV was moving and consequently having a 75% off sale (!!!)...I could no longer ignore the call. The dresser was still there, and it was priced somewhere between $4.50 and $5.00. I bought it, promised to pick it up the next day, and started thinking about how I would transform the little guy into a beautiful buffet for my dining-room-in-progress.

I can't remember exactly how long it took me to start the transformation process, but I think it is safe to say this piece lived in my garage for a solid 7 weeks. Once my dad took care of resecuring the leg and door, I finally got started. I saw the potential, and I finished it with gusto. I don't pretend to be an expert in refinishing furniture, but I think I did a pretty good job. I sanded, primed, painted, and sanded again. That's the gist. Oh, and I accessorized. With more "VV picks" and rummage sale finds. After all, isn't that the best part???







I hope you enjoy the pics. I look forward to sharing more transformations, along with whatever else is currently inspiring me. I can't wait. Because I have a lot to get off my chest...and even more to get out of my garage!