Secondhand Gems...

Doing your home up needn't be expensive.  You certainly can pay a lot of money for pieces brand new, but a lot of people do this and then they decide for one reason or another that they don't need, don't fit, don't want these lovely pieces.  Their loss is your gain.  I'm not a real fan of Ebay and hopefully some other company will come along and surpass them, but at the present it's the best place to get everything you need to do your home up, and it needn't cost you a fortune. 

Nearly everything I have furniture-wise is secondhand from Ebay or auctions.  Here are some of the pieces I have bought in the past and how much they cost!

This table in my kitchen only cost $50 off Ebay. It's a lovely size for the kitchen and has a drawer to put all my tea towels and table cloths in.  It's one of the most used pieces of furniture in my home.  Just the perfect size for two for dinner. 

This table in my dining room cost about $75 off Ebay and the four oak chairs only cost $80 from the auctions, and the bench was about $45 from Paddington Antique Centre.

This little hutch had some ugly doors on the front and really yucky wire on the side ~ the wire would have been nice to keep except it was in bad condition and would have needed replacing.  It only cost $70 off Ebay.  The hutch in the background was only $90, also off Ebay.

The towel rail in my bathroom was from the auctions.  It's oak and has barley twist sides which is a bit hard to see.  But it only cost $50.

This mirror with beautiful scrolling was actually quite expensive, $290 from the auctions.  I had to fight to get this.  I was told by another dealer who was vying for it also that it would be worth about $700 to $800 in an antique shop.  It's one of the things I love most in my home.  It's a one off and it was a buy it now or never see one again situation!

These cupboards are really handy.  They have hanging in one side and drawers in the other.  It only cost $35 at the auctions. A few appliques and a lick of paint and it's just a lovely size for the corner in my guestroom.  It's perfect to keep our winter woolies in, since it's really only cold here about two months of the year.

At the moment the one room that needs attention in my home is the lounge room.  It's a VERY small room (so sometimes your dream home doesn't always have everything you want) and it's been plaguing me for months.  Every room, whilst not always finished, has a bit of plan, but my lounge, it's been annoying me for ages. 

It never looks or feels right if you don't have the right larger pieces and obviously with money not my strong point (not destitute, not rich), it's difficult to have everything just the way you want it.  I know I always think, well, the lounge suite for example is a large investment money-wise and you have to be very careful how you buy as it's going to cost a lot and it's going to be for the next 10 years at least.  But the other day cruising thru the Ebay furniture, it suddenly dawned on me that I'm making too much of a big deal about the cost of the lounge. 

Having a search around, I've come a conclusion about what I want to do (happy day that was as that's half the battle!) and I've also suddenly realised I've been looking at it all wrong.  I don't need to spend a fortune on my lounge suite as I can find lovely furniture just what I'm looking for or what I'm not looking for but have been inspired by, secondhand, and because of that I don't need to worry about keeping it for years and years which is what you think usually because of the huge monetary investment.

I can buy my pieces secondhand and keep them for a long as I like them, they suit my purposes and as long as they last, and then donate them to Lifeline for someone else to use/love and start again!

Two of the things that have been really worrying me, I've realised, is that I want cream/white upholstery which is obviously not necessarily easy to keep clean, the other, my two babies, Sasha and Chantelle are little loveable destroyers.  Love them to death, hate their claws.  If I change my way of thinking, I can do what I can to counteract these two problems, scotchguard and a lot of yelling, and if I'm not entirely successful (which I haven't been to date) then I can just donate my pieces to Lifeline so it can be recycled and I can go back to Ebay and start again.  What a relief!

Below are some of the most gorgeous things I've been finding lately on Ebay...

The above lounge set had three pieces and went for around $550.

The above suite is a three piece set also which went for around $800.  There sure are some pretty second hand things around to decorate your home without needing to go new and expensive.  Or what you can also do is get a few new or expensive pieces and supplement the balance with cheaper secondhand items.  If I had to furnish a house from scratch, I don't think now I would even buy any new pieces of furniture.  You can have every beautiful thing you want secondhand

Comments

[Maryann Delicata]

Hi Vickie, I just love your blog and the pretty pics of your house! Its so inspiring especially on days when I don't feel like sewing much! I had to smile about your lounge dilema. I was in a position where I could either buy a new lounge or take my mother in law's old one, which was that country blue/cream stripe looking kind, which meant in the first option the kids(3) couldn't do what they wanted on the lounge and I would be forever telling them to get their feet off and sit properly or take my mum inlaws one, make a slipcover for it in the fabric of my choice and not have to worry about it! Ofcourse I went for the second option, which was a real bargain as it was free, only cost me $150 for the fabric and I love it! Both the lounges in your pics are nice, I like your taste. Its exactly like you said, if you buy secondhand and get tired of it you don't lose a fortune to change it and thats what I really love about shabby chic. Look forward to reading more of your blog,,, take care, Maryann

[Sarah]

Hi Vickie,
Thank You for putting together an amazing blog post, I have enjoyed looking at all of your pretties that you have purchased to bargain prices. I love how honest you were about prices & I too am an ebay-a-holic!
I look forward to seeing what you find next...
Love,
Sarah xx

[gail]

Hi Vickie,,, I love the furniture pieces you have come up with. Just gorgeous and what great treasure hunting. You home is so beautiful. I do know what you meant about your kitty children. LOL I have the same problem. Have a great day...gail

[andrea frost]

dear VICKI...absolutely stunningly gorgoeus...your a delight to share your ebay finds with other people..
Just wish I could actually decorate a house in shabby chic style...but with ALL MEN .. have settled for a french/modern type decor..

YOU ARE A TALENTED LADY...and please keep up YOUR GORGEOUS photos..

andrea_louise

[Alison Gibbs]

Hi Vickie you have some lovely pieces of furniture. The tables look great and that mirror is so lovely.
Good Luck with finding the right lounge suite.
Alison

[Kathy Jacobson]

Hi Vickie,

My goodness, your home and your furniture are just gorgeous. But that MIRROR, that is one of the most beautiful mirrors I have ever seen. Really! No wonder it's one of your favorites!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Kathy

[Natasha Burns]

Gorgeous finds Vickie and I love how you were able to transform them and have the vision to see the beauty in them!!! GREAT bargains!!! And your home looks amazing, it doesn't at all look mish-mash or like it has been put together from odds and ends, you have made it all tie in perfectly! I adore your two tables. they are perfection! xo