✥ Get What You Want {Thrifting} ✥

A good, well constructed hardwood chair can cost a pretty penny.
Since we've gotten a new couch I really wanted a chair that looked aged. Something with a vintage feel and a softer shape to contrast with the modern lines of the couch.

Here are some of the inspiration pics from my chair file. I kept these in mind while "shopping" the classifieds.
(I am so sorry, but these were not originally intended to be in a post, so I don't have links for them, sorry! Please let me know if you know where they're from so I can add the links. )

I love the curved back, outlined by the dark wood frame.

This is selling for 649$. Love how it was upholstered with two different fabrics and also love the sloped arms. 

Look at the curves on this baby! That high back is total drama.

This chair with the crazy fabric is selling for around $3200!? Sheesh!

Here's a great "after," I like how this chair's a little softer with the curves and its legs are gorg. I think I'm headed in a similar final destination with mine.

This is the one I've found. It took me a few months to find it because all the chairs that resembled my inspiration photos were priced starting at $150. Not a great starting price when you add in the cost of fabric, paint, nailheads, and the lifetime it will take me to finish this project. 

Can you see my "new" 1950's fan on the table behind the chair? Love it!

After several months I saw this guy in a classified and I knew he was "the one." It had only been listed a hour when I saw the ad, but when I called it was already spoken for.

I hemmed, I hawed about how much I wanted it. Then I remembered a post called Criaglist Ettiquette is for Suckers from Mandi at Vintage Revivals. {Do you read her, if no- then you should. She's completely awesome.} She mentioned how she was trying to buy though the classifieds and the item, a chair I think, was already sold, but not picked up. She offered the seller more money and they said, "Yes." Bold move, right? Maybe a little sneaky, but you snooze, you lose.

So I did it. I offered more money. The chair was already priced so ridiculously low that offering more was still a steal of a deal!

Here it is the the space. There's a lot of wood furniture happening in this photo, I know. But don't worry, it's just the before pic. Most every piece of furniture we had has been sold, will be sold, or has an appointment with a can of spray paint.


I think the hardest part of DIY isn't the labor or necessary skill, it's having the patience to search ads for months for just the right shaped chair, then to deal with the before phase -like orange/red paisley fabric- while you get the project done. 
Speaking of a completed project, don't hold your breathe for the results on this one. It's my first real upholstery job, you know, not a ottoman or headboard, so wish me luck! Now get out there and buy what you want!

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page.

I'm also linked up here.