First Estate Sale

My friend Rosanna is an estate/contents sale pro, and recommended that we attend a sale this past Saturday. Although I had difficulty swallowing the 8 am start time, I managed get up shortly after sunrise to get ready for the treasure hunt. Large coffee in hand, I arrived at the door 45 minutes early to obtain tickets which would ensure entry in the order of arrival - can you believe we were 35th and 36th in line?

All of the companies who conduct estate sales operate websites where upcoming sales are listed along with photos of most available items. As we scrolled through the photos online, I found this pair of Finn Juhl chairs of particular interest. I was already imaging these reupholstered in a creamy chenille or perhaps a chevron print:

Photo courtesy of The Next Move

Those dreams were quickly dashed when the first person through the door snapped up the Danish teak chairs before anyone else could blink at the price: $2000.00 for the pair. Wow! Seriously? It's a good thing that there were some other items that had caught my eye, otherwise it may have all been for naught. Spot anything interesting in this photo? I did :-)

Photo courtesy of The Next Move

The pair of brass cranes lurking in the fireplace were just what I'd been looking for - no joke. I have no idea where the idea came from that I needed these birds, but recently every stop at Value Village, Goodwill or The Thrift Store required a scan of the brass section. Rosanna made me grab these two lovelies before someone else snatched them up, and she also helped to negotiate a fair price - $40.00 for the pair. They came home for a quick scrub in the kitchen sink:

I'm not sure where they will end up, but for now they are perched atop stacks of books in the living room. I like the idea of having them in front of the mirror so that they can be appreciated from all sides:


There is such amazing detail in the feathers, they really are fabulous! I'm so happy about my first estate sale experience.


There are several companies that conduct estate sales in the GTA, and each operates a website where you can obtain information about upcoming sales. Just click on the logo to link to each company's website. Happy treasure hunting!!

Sarah's House 4: Brass Easel

I've come across another piece of Sarah's House 4, which will premiere this October on HGTV Canada. The formal living room was one of my favourite spaces in the home; the decor in the room was a very elegant mix of cream and beige with brass accents throughout. One of the more memorable accent pieces was an Italian brass easel which held artwork - an interesting alternative to simply hanging art on the wall. I came across the easel on the 1stdibs website, where it's currently available for purchase from Decorum Decorative Finds, located here in Toronto.


Wouldn't this piece of Sarah's House 4 be a great conversation starter at your next cocktail party?

Bamboo Bedsides or Bust!

Just last month, my friend Shannon of What's Up Whimsy was antiquing in Fenelon Falls when she came across a fabulous pair of vintage faux bamboo bedside tables. Through the magic of Twitter, she tweeted this photo of her find:

Photo courtesy of What's Up Whimsy

When Shannon revealed that she didn't need the tables, I asked if she wouldn't mind picking them up for me (they would be perfect for the guest room in the new condo). Unfortunately, by the time she went back to the antique shop, the tables had already been sold to another customer. Boo :-(

Ever since that day, I have been unable to get these tables out of my head, and I've been looking for a similar pair on Craigslist, Kijiji, and at every vintage, consignment and thrift shop in town. If anyone finds a pair of tables similar to those pictured above please, please, pretty please let me know!!

Roundup: This Week in Thrifting

Besides the awesome flower painting in my previous post, I found some other cool vintage items while thrifting this week! Here is a roundup of my latest thrift store discoveries:

It wasn't until after washing this assortment of mugs and cups, and placing them upside down to dry that I started to notice a theme - they were all made in Japan.

Isn't this mug cool? I like the footed style,
and the retro colour combination used
in the Tiffany pendant lamps.

This fun retro mug also caught my eye.
For some reason I always fall for the 1970's
colour combination of orange, gold and green.

The artwork on these Japanese tea cups is so pretty,
they need to be on display.
I came up with a few ideas for every day use.

These brass candlesticks bucked the trend -
they were made in Canada!!
They're extremely heavy, and the brass
has a lovely warm glow.

This was definitely a good week for thrifting!

Have you been thrifting lately? Share your finds
by posting a link in the comments!!

Art is Affordable

For all those who believe that art is unaffordable, I'm here to prove you wrong. Always remember that art doesn't have to be expensive to be "good". The only thing that matters is that you enjoy it and appreciate it. I found the piece below while out thrifting yesterday - I love the flowers and the colours in this painting. The bonus is that I like the way it's framed, which means I won't have to spend a bundle to have it redone. What do you think?

Oh, and the price? A sweet $4.99.

My Top Picks: Of Things Past

There were a few pieces I spied while browsing at Of Things Past which I would've bought had I (a) needed them and/or (b) been able to afford them. I don't want to make the expensive mistake of purchasing items that won't work when I move into my new condominium at the end of next year. Although it IS rather tempting nonetheless!! Here are a few of those temptations:

This low three legged table with marble top was just so dainty, and at $157.50, it was affordable, but I wasn't sure where I would use it. Come to think of it, this would fit perfectly between the two slipper chairs in my living room, and would be ideal to set down a drink or a bowl of snacks. Hmm...I may have to go back for this one.


This table was Gorgeous with a capital 'G'. I am totally feeling brass right now, but it has to be brushed or burnished brass, and the base on this table was absolutely perfect. The travertine marble top made it even more irresistible! I am planning to use warm brass in my future master bedroom, and unfortunately the size and shape of this table won't work in the new space. I really had to talk myself out of buying this one!


This next piece is absolute perfection. It's a solid mahogany campaign chest of 8 drawers by Gibbard and it's in brand new condition. There is also a set of matching bedside tables in equally good shape. To be honest, I may have considered purchasing the two tables if they weren't so perfect, but I'm looking for more of a DIY project where I can paint them and not feel guilty about "ruining" a perfectly good piece of furniture.


There were so many fabulous pieces at Of Things Past that I walked around the entire floor twice to make sure that I didn't miss a thing! According to sources, the inventory changes rapidly, and I'm already looking forward to what I might find on my next visit!!

Own 8 Pieces of Sarah's House 4

This past February, I drove out to Georgetown to get a first hand look at the house Sarah Richardson decorated for Sarah's House 4. There were no photos allowed, so I took notes and tried my hardest to remember colours, fabrics and wallpapers in order to write this post. So when I saw this set of dining chairs today at Of Things Past, I knew exactly where I'd seen them before. This fall you will see these chairs featured in an episode of Sarah's House 4 on HGTV Canada:

In typical Sarah Richardson style, Sarah incorporated not one, not two, but three fabrics into the host and hostess chairs. She chose mohair for the seat, a striped cotton for the rear back and piping, and then finished the arms and seat back in a coordinating linen. Sarah is the master of mixing fabrics!!

The set of 8 chairs can be yours for around $3000.00. Wouldn't it be cool to have these chairs in your dining room when the series airs?