I don't know why it is, but lately I keep stumbling across an amazing amount of victorian living room furniture. You know the type - your Grandma probably had (or still has) it. Ornate wood frame, over-the-top floral upholstery that could make even the biggest proponent of floral nauseous. Yeah that stuff.
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In the past when I came across pieces like this I would give them the once over, scrunch up my face and keep walking but for some reason, I'm starting to find these pieces more and more desirable. To the point where they're just popping up in my face saying "take us home." Take this past week for example - I hit up an estate sale and saw a three piece set in excellent shape for a mere $300.00. Long story short, Granny was giving up her place and her family just wanted to get rid of the set - and were basically giving it away, considering Granny had supposedly spent around $3700.00 for the set only a few years before hand.
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Toss in the $50.00 to $100.00 couches and chairs that I've stumbled across at Goodwill & Salvation Army, plus all of the pieces that have recently turned up on Kijiji and I basically have my pick of the litter.
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Okay, so you're reading this and you're thinking, "oh yeah, that sounds like a deal" or "oh yeah, I've seen piles of that stuff in the corner of every thrift store." But chances are that you're also sitting there thinking "what the hell is he going to do with a piece of furniture with upholstery so ugly that it could make small children cry, cats hiss and snarl and the average guy gag a bit in his mouth...?"
Well, I was thinking of something like this -
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I kid! I kid! I was actually thinking of something along the lines of this bad boy -
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Or maybe this guy -
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Or maybe I could shake it up by tossing in a bit of colour -
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Grannies gone wild?
Kind of. But in a good way.
So, am I finally going to get rid of the camel coloured beast couch? Not right away, but after looking at potential 'after' shots of former 'granny' furniture that's been given a new lease on life, I am feeling kind of inspiring to select a vintage piece when the time comes to switch it up. I mean why not?
Sure granny's furniture may be uglier than sin, but chances are that it was amazingly well constructed - that and chances are even greater that it hasn't been used and abused, meaning that the frame is still intact. Some coin for new upholstery (I'd never attempt those tufted buttons) and boom! Or bam (if you prefer)! A piece better than anything you'll ever find at one of the big box guys.
The wheels are turning...
D-
PS. I still secretly want an overstuffed white slip-covered couch...something that I can literally jump into...but would would happily settle for one of the above pieces - it would look amazing in my non-existent 'formal' living space!
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