Estate Sale Tips (and my latest finds)

February 6, 2019

I haven’t always loved shopping estate sales. In fact I really didn’t get into it until about 8 or 9 years ago. Prior to that, I thought the only thing you found at an estate sale was furniture and tools. Little did I know that estate sales are a treasure trove for all kinds of items including decor, tabletop items and vintage jewelry.

Several years ago I subscribed to EstateSales.net and their website changed the way I shop estate sales forever. EstateSales.net is national listing service were companies list upcoming sales. In addition to providing the when and where details, companies also give you a preview of the items in the sale. As a subscriber you can choose when to be notified about upcoming sales near you. And the sale listings include both in home and online auction sales.

Launching in 2002, EstateSales.net now gets over 30 million page views per month and is the best way to keep informed about sales in your area.

Beside the fact that you can find some amazing pieces at great price, there are several other reasons why I like shopping estate sales.

WHY I SHOP ESTATE SALES

Estate sales are a great source for vintage furniture. Just about every estate sale I attend has a drop-leaf table or two, upholstered ottomans as well as antique chairs and lighting. In most cases the pieces are good quality and just need a face lift with fabric, paint or refinishing.
I love a good bargain. Like I mentioned early, you can find some real treasures at rock bottom prices. If you’re furnishing your home or looking for items to re-sell, these sales are a great place to shop for both vintage and new pieces.
I’m looking for a DIY project. Every now and then I’m looking for a specific item to DIY for my home. Often times I can find the perfect piece that makes an ideal DIY project.
I’m inspired by home design. I love walking through homes and being inspired by different design and architectural details. Estate sales give me an opportunity to look at both old and new homes for design inspiration. In some cases, the homes are being torn down and some architectural elements might even be for sale.

Now that you know why I like to shop estates sales, let me show you what I found on my last outing.

A couple of weekends ago Mr. Confetti and I stopped by an estate sale on the last day. Like most estate sales, the prices had been dropped and on this day everything was 75% off. All clothing and handbags were just $1.00.

The house was jammed packed, mostly decor, tabletop, apparel and jewelry. We arrived early and upon entering the house, I stayed on the main floor and Mr. Confetti headed to the basement. After about 30 minutes of shopping we met up in the living room to sort through out finds and decide what to keep.

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My Latest Estate Sale Finds…

I bought 8 of these gold-rimmed dinner plates for $1.00 each. There are no markings on the plates so I’ve been trying to find the style name and manufacturer. My gut tells me they are made by Noritake but I’m not sure. If you know anything about this plate design, let me know.

I’m always on the hunt for blue and white pottery and found a few pieces I love. The first was this double happiness ginger jar that was in perfect condition. I also found this shaped lidded dish which was just a few bucks.

This set of 7 brass napkin rings were wrapped up in a plastic bag and severely tarnished. A quick polish and their beauty was revealed.

One of the things I was most excited to find were these wood risers. I snagged each of them for just .75 cents each.

I couldn’t pass up these three small blue and white pieces. The blue and white flower frog will be a cute accent on a bathroom vanity or desk. And I imagine using the two small cups to hold jewelry or office supplies.

This brass tray was another amazing find. I immediately fell in love with the floral blossom design and bamboo style edging.

Mr. Confetti found this handled urn in the basement and it wasn’t until I got home that I noticed it was two-toned. I love the combination of silver and gold. The urn is a perfect for an orchid arrangement.

This brass container is a classic design and can be used for so many purposes.

I’m jazzed about the pieces I found at the sale. Some of these items are keepers and others will be going into my Etsy shop soon. If you’ve never been to an estate sale but are intrigued, I’ve listed a few shopping tips below that should help you.

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TIPS FOR SHOPPING ESTATE SALES

First day–to get the best stuff, plan to arrive early. Any trending or under-priced items will be the first pieces to go. The early bird definitely gets the worm at an estate sale.

Second/Third day–by the second day, the sale will be picked over and prices will most likely be slashed. The second or third day of the sale is typically the slowest which will give you a better opportunity to inspect items. You’ll also have a better chance at negotiating prices on these days.

Last day–this is when you’ll find your best bargains. Sellers are motivate to see everything go and will definitely be open to offers. You can even try to offer a bulk price for all the items you are interested in.

Grab and go–do a quick walk-thru of every room when you get to a sale and grab anything of interest. Once you have a pile, go through the items more throughly to determine what you’ll buy. When you find a furniture piece you like, pull the price ticket off and take it to the check out area so it will be held for you.

Look everywhere–check inside any open and accessible areas like closets, the garage and basements. Like items aren’t always grouped together so cover every inch of the house for treasures.

Ask about unmarked items–appliances, draperies and rugs may not be marked but are often available for sale if you ask.

Cash or Check–estate sale companies like when buyers have cash or write a check to avoid the added credit card processing fee. Make sure you have your checkbook and cash on hand when you go to a sale.

Know you measurements–if you’re shopping for furniture, have the key measurements of your home with you. You’ll want to make sure items will fit through doorways and in the spaces you have planned.

You buy it, you load it–most estate sales will not load furniture into your car. Make sure you have additional hands at the ready to help you load your purchases. You might be able to come back at a later time to pick your items up but there’s always the risk that an item getting damaged or mistakenly sold to someone else while you gone.

All sales are final–check the condition of everything before you buy it.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post. I’m headed to Scott Antique Market tomorrow to do some shopping for a client so follow along on Instagram. If you’re not familiar with the market, you can read about my previous shopping trips here.

For more tips on bargain shopping, read my post on 10 Tips For Shopping Flea Markets Like A Pro!

Estate Sale Finds | My New Chinoiserie Pieces

September 25, 2018

I love shopping at antique stores and flea markets and every now and then I’ll hit up an estate sale. Several times a week I’ll get an email from EstateSales.net notifying me of upcoming sales in my area. The email tells me when a sale is happening and in most cases there are pictures of the items that are for sale. A couple weeks ago a particular sale caught my eye and prompted me to scroll through the photos.

The photos showed the driveway filled with cast off furniture pieces and the basement jammed packed with Christmas items. I kept scrolling and landed on a photo of the family room where there were tables and tables of blue and white pieces. It’s not unusual to see a few blue and white pieces at an estate sale but seeing loads of it got my heart racing.

Fast forward to the day of the sale, a Friday. I woke up and was on the fence about going. The sale started at 9:00 am and I had an appointment all the way across town at 10:00 am. As I got dressed, I pondered whether or not to go and decided to stop by the sale for just a few minutes to check it out.

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Thrift Score Thursday–Fab Finds For Just $1.00

August 2, 2018

Most of the time when I go into an antique store or thrift store, I’m not looking for anything specific. I enjoy looking through clutter shelves, under tables and inside overflowing boxes. The thrill of the hunt is one of the main reasons I love to thrift.

Every now and then I’ll pop into one of my favorite stores and come home with a great deal. That’s what happened when I stopped by one of my favorite consignment stores last week. Not only did I find a couple of great items but the best part was everything I found was $1.00. Yes, fold you read that right…four quarters or 10 dimes or 20 nickels.

Everything was just a buck!

The first piece I found was this beautiful ceramic platter. It was the blue and white that initially attracted me but then I noticed the flowers. The tray is a great size for serving appetizers and would also look pretty hung on a wall. And it also has a beautiful flourish design stamped on the back, on each side of the tray.

design tip: decorative ceramic trays make great wall decor, hung in a group or as part of a gallery wall. These are the plate hangers I use when hanging a ceramic piece on the wall.

The next piece I found was this beautiful green floral cachepot. It’s small but large enough to hold a handful of rose stems, a small plant or I may even use it as a serving piece.

Here’s the stamp that is on the bottom of the green pot. I did a little research online and found a cachepot with the same design except it didn’t have the side handles. It’s selling on Ebay for $50! #score

gift giving tip: when paired with a bottle of wine, a small porcelain vase or urn makes a great hostess or housewarming gift.

I love blue and white pottery and will buy a piece even if it’s missing the lid. This small square container will make a great vessel to straws when entertaining or a chic vanity accessory.

design tip: use small ceramic containers without the lid as stylish desk accessory to hold pens/pencils, scissors or eye glasses.

My final $1.00 find was the set of 5 blue and white ceramic napkins rings. These will work with all of my blue and white dinnerware patterns so I’ll be getting lots of use out of them.

I love my new finds and love the fact that all of this only set me by a $4.00.

Do you love thrifting as much as I do and have you come across any great deals lately?

What I Bought–My Thrift With Tyler Purchases

May 25, 2018

Happy Friday friends. As you read this, I’m on the road head to Florida to set sail on your cruise. To say I’m excited is an understatement because I really, really, really need the vacation. I’ll be sharing my adventures over on Instagram and hope you’ll check in from time to time to see what I’m up to. There’s a chance that we might be dodging hurricane weather so things might be more adventurous than I planned.

Anyhow, I wanted to pop and share what I purchased during the Thrift With Tyler event that I attended last Saturday. In case you missed the highlights of the tour, you can read about it here.

In planning for the trip, I made a shopping list with the items I wanted to look for while we were shopping. I was shopping for a bench for our guest bedroom, vintage scarves (because I’m kinda obsessed with them right now) and blue and white pottery. I’m happy to say that I was able to check a couple of items off the list.

WHAT I BOUGHT–MY THRIFT WITH TYLER PURCHASES

This blue and white urn was one of my first purchases. This piece came from the Marietta Antique Mall and was under $10.00. The deep rich blue and flourish design are what caught my attention. II’m planning to use this in my office to hold a plant or orchid.

Another pottery piece that I bought was this octagon dish that also came from the Marietta Antique Mall. I’m slowly starting to add a few colorful pottery pieces to my collection so I’m glad I found this.

I’ve shared my love for milk glass on the blog before. I’m always on the hunt for new pieces to add to my Etsy shopand saw several pieces that were tempting. I bought this beautiful pitcher at Woodstock Antiques & Consignment for under $10.00. I’ve never seen this design before so that made for an easy buying decision.

Another top selling item in my Etsy shop are brass trays. This rectangular tray came from Woodstock Market. The pretty details and petite size make it the perfect size for a vanity tray or desk accessory.

This square brass tray also came from Woodstock Market. The etched pineapple design on the inside and pierced rim of the tray sold me. I’m planning to add this to my shop unless I find the perfect spot somewhere in my house.

One of the most unique stops on the tour was Nancy’s Vintage Shop in Marietta. This small shop had a lot of treasures and the minute I walked through the door I spotted this vintage handbag. I love shape and petite size and will definitely get lots of use from this bag.

The last two items I purchased came from Woodstock Market. As I was walking around the store, I spotted one of the other ladies on the tour sitting on the floor looking through a basket. Her excitement made me stroll over to see what was inside. The basket was filled with vintage scarves, most priced between $3.25 and $6.00. I dove right into the basket, right along side my new friend and came away with these two silk beauties.

I found some pretty great pieces, don’t you think?

The Thrift With Tyler event is typically held during spring and fall and I’m already looking forward to the next outing.

Treasure Hunting At Scott Antique Market

April 16, 2018

I did something last week that I haven’t done in a very long time. On Friday the hubs and I met up with my friend Montina and her husband JP at Scott Antique Market. Guys, I haven’t been to the market is over a year and was so happy to carve some time out of my schedule to finally make it back.

Shopping Scott Antique Market is one of my favorite things to do. The market is open in Atlanta the second weekend of every month and shopping it always leaves me inspired and lighter in the pocket book. I did buy a few small items and spotted a couple of furniture pieces that might work in our house.

Let me show you the goodies I saw…

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Christmas At Queen Of Hearts Antiques & Interiors

November 17, 2017

Last Thursday I attended a special event at Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors in Alpharetta. The store invited interior designers and bloggers to an early morning shopping event before they opened their doors for their holiday open house. We had the full run of the store so I was able to browse (and shop) the wonderful selection of antiques, vintage decor and holiday items.

If you live in the Atlanta area but aren’t familiar with Queen of Hearts, let me tell you a little about the store and business. Queen of Hearts opened it first store in 1998 and today there are three stores in the Atlanta area–Alpharetta, Marietta and Buford. Each store is made up hundreds of dealer-merchants with individual booths to sell their goods. You’ll find a wide range of products ranging from furniture, housewares and decor to fashion and personal accessories.

While each location has the Queen of Hearts signature set up – wide, easy-to-navigate aisles named after streets in Charleston, S.C. – each also has its own personality. Dealers in Alpharetta feature products targeted to designers and decorators. Marietta is more of a traditional antiques store, while Buford has a lot of dealers who are creatively repurposing old items for new uses.

Queen of Hearts has been branded to be a one-stop shop for antiques and home interiors merchandise which you’ll quickly recognize the minute you enter the store.

I arrived at the store around 8:45 am and was immediately taken in by the beautiful holiday displays and merchandising vignettes. I knew I had to whip out my phone and snap a few pictures so I could share it all with you. Enjoy my tour through Queen of Hearts and take note of the creative holiday decorating ideas I’m pointing out along the way. ***Warning, this is photo heavy post, guaranteed to make you want to go shopping!

Queen Of Hearts Antiques & Interiors

If you have a love for antique and vintage china, the store is choke full of ironstone, milk glass and transferware.

Everyday Decor…

Once I stopped drooling over all the beautiful china I focused in on the everyday decor.

These marble bookends were just stunning!

I almost bought this bell for those occasion when I want to summon the butler (not)!

This bamboo bench was a beauty. I really wanted it but there’s just one problem…I don’t have a place to put it.

I loved this arrangement of frames and antique mirrors on a mantel. Talk about a super budget-friendly and dynamic mantel decorating idea.

Collectibles of all kinds filled the shelves.

These pretty decanters were also something I thought about purchasing. I loved everything about them except the price 🙁

And then there was the Christmas decor…

Hold your horses because this is going to be good.

New and vintage ornaments displayed in bowls and containers. This is one of the easiest holiday decorating ideas ever. Look around your house, I’m sure you have a spot or two that could use an ornament arrangement.

I bought a few small vintage ornaments to use in my holiday decor. There were a lot of dealers with vintage ornament collections and most ornaments were priced between $3 and $6 each.

One of the things I enjoyed seeing was all of the unique wreath decorating ideas.

This was a small wreath that had an oversized candy cane ornaments attached to it. The wreath was used as a place setting on a holiday tablescape.

For more rustic themed holiday decor, this grapevine wreath was beautifully decorated with a big linen bow, faux magnolia leaves and pinecones.

One trend I’m seeing everywhere right now are wreaths with just the upper or lower area decorated, similar to a Laurel Wreath.

Christmas Inspiration…

In addition to wreaths, there were beautiful decor pieces using greenery stems and swags.

Greenery stems nestled around holiday decor in a large metal tray.

I love the idea of placing greenery picks under a glass dome.

I’m so stealing this idea of using a ceramic swan vase to hold holiday greens.

There were lots of these wood star decor pieces. I see the stars at flea markets and antique stores all the time and love how they can be transformed using greenery, pinecones and a bow.

Or for a more traditional look, holiday ornaments.

Here’s a quick and easy DIY you can do for your own home. Tie a greenery pick and leaf stem to a vintage silver-plated tray. Then add a big bow to finish it off. An arrangement like this can be hung on a front door or any wall space in your home.

Just about every aisle in the store had Christmas decor of some kind. There were lots of pillows, tabletop items and unique gifts.

This vintage sled was not cheap but boy was it cool. It would look great hung on a wall in a kids room.

And last but not least were the pretty holiday dinner napkins that I loved.

Wasn’t that shopping tour fun?! You can only image how I felt shopping the store in person.

Queen of Hearts is a treasure trove of goodies so plan on spending some time when you decide to go shopping. And for those of you that can’t make it to the store, they also showcase a lot of the items for sale on Craigslist. You can shop from the comforts of home and then contact the store to make your purchase.

Follow Queen of Hearts on Facebook for regular photo updates from all the stores. And sign up for their newsletter here to be notified of store events.

Queen of Hearts store locations:

Alpharetta–670 Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009

Marietta–2745 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA 30066

Buford–4125 GA Hwy 20, Buford, GA 30518 (next to Hobby Lobby)

Happy shopping friends!

Designer Tricks of The Trade | Ideas To Inspire

April 27, 2017

Have you ever wanted to know what tricks designers use to create unique rooms? Well, today is your lucky day. I’m sharing TEN designer tricks that you can easily incorporate into your own home to get a custom look with your decor.

Some of the ideas require a little DIY, the others are quick, easy and affordable decorating ideas.

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DESIGNER TRICKS OF THE TRADE

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No. 1 REVERSING RUGS

Did you know that some rugs are designed with a defined pattern on each side? That’s like getting two rugs for the price of one. Rugs with two usable sides are great because with a quick flip of the rug you can change the look of your decor. The next time you’re rug shopping check the back side and see if it has a usable pattern.

tip: pay attention to the weave and feel of the back side to make sure you like it

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The same ‘reverse’ trick works with some fabrics too. Designer Jamie Meares used the reverse side of this dot fabric as the welt providing the perfect contrast to give the chair a real designer touch.

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No. 2 CHANGING OUT or UpSTYLING LAMPSHADES

Have you ever come across the perfect lamp but it has an awful shade? It happens all the time. It might be that the shade is the wrong shape or color, or maybe the lamp needs a shade with more style. The trick here is to buy the lamp and change or UpStyle the shade!

One of my favorite sources for lampshades online is Lux Lampshades. Lux has a quick ship program with in-stock shades of all shapes, sizes and fabrics. And their custom program allows you to design a custom shade from a range of fabrics and frames they have available.

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No. 3 USING OUTDOOR LIGHTING INDOORS

Did you know that the only major difference between outdoor lighting and indoor lighting is that the finishes on outdoor lighting are created to withstand weather elements? Beyond that outdoor lighting is suitable for indoor use. Some of my favorite outdoor lighting styles to use inside are scones and lanterns. Check out this chic outdoor light used in a bathroom by A Beautiful Mess.

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No. 4 MOUNTING A FRAME WITHIN A FRAME

I’m always taking about how important layering is when decorating and that concept even applies to wall decor. If you have a framed art piece that’ to small, think about hanging it inside of a larger frame. The two pieces combined will provide the impact you’re desiring and also give your wall decor statement a custom look.

tip: don’t overlook ugly artwork at a thrift store because the frame might be of value

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No. 5 CREATING A LARGE RUG FROM TWO

Did you know that designers sometimes create one rug from two? Let’s say you find the perfect rug but it doesn’t come in a large enough size. If the pattern works, you can actually use rug tape to create a larger size from two smaller rugs. And if you want a more permanent fix, some rug companies can actually glue the rugs together.

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No. 6 A TOUCH OF BLACK IN EVERY ROOM

This is one of my tried and true design rules. Black adds a touch of drama to a room and helps to ground the decor. Don’t think that it has to be a piece of black furniture or a wall painted black, all it takes is a touch. A lamp base, a decorative object or a textile with black in it. If you have a room in your home with no black, add the color and see the impact it makes.

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No.7 MIX HIGH END WITH LOW END

Because I’m an avid vintage shopper, I love mixing high with low. A high-quality sofa paired with inexpensive pillows or a budget friendly rug paired with a statement coffee table are just two ways to mix it up. Mixing high and low will give your decor distinct flair, add personality and save you money.

My favorite budget friendly pieces are side tables, pillows and decorative objects.

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N0. 8 MIX OLD & NEW

Just like mixing high and low, mixing old and new is a great way to customize your decor. Pair a vintage coffee table with a new sofa or a new lamp with a thrifted cabinet. The days of shopping at one store for all your decor needs are gone so have fun mixing it up.

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No. 9 PATTERN MIXING

Ask any designer and they will tell you that pattern-work is key to any design statement. You don’t have to go bright and bold because subtle colors and patterns can have just as much impact as bright colors and bold prints. The key to pattern mixing is to pair patterns of different scales and styles. You can read more of my tips on pattern mixing here.

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No. 10 EMBELLISHING OFF THE SHELF FABRICS

I love designer fabrics but they aren’t always in the budget. One of the tricks designers use to UpStyle off-the-shelf textiles is to add trim. There are some many affordable trims that can be applied to curtains, pillows or just about anything. Check out that seat cushion below that has been transformed with some greek key trim. #brilliant

tip: my favorite trim source are this, this and this

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So there you have it friends. A few of the tricks designers use when creating and decorating a space.

A little creativity goes a long way so get crafty, think outside the box and give your decor a unique spin.

My Latest Flea Market Finds–Road Trip Treasures

October 11, 2016

Whenever we drive to see my mom in Oklahoma, we plan a few pit stops at flea markets and antique stores along the way. I typically find an item or two but nothing to brag about. This trip however was different. I lucked upon lots of unique pieces at great prices. Most of what I found will go in my Etsy shop but I am keeping a couple of items for myself.

Staffordshire dogs are really popular right now and I found a couple of different dog pieces. The first was this single dalmatian figurine. I know these were originally sold in a set as bookends but as a single it makes a great decor pieces for a bookshelf.

The other dog pieces I found was this set of dalmatian bookends. I’m tempted to keep these but into the Etsy shop they’ll go.

This blue and white lidded jar is so cute. If it wasn’t for its petite size you’d think it was a garden stool. I snapped this piece up for $5.00 and I’m going to keep it for myself.

I’m also on the look out for brass trays and this one had beautiful details. It’s pretty large in size and would make a great bar tray.

I love milk glass and see these bowls quite often but have never purchased one. The embossed fruit motif on the bottom is so intricate and pretty and the bowl is super heavy.

I don’t know how long the brass pineapple trend is going to last but I keep buying them if I can find them at a good price. I already own two so I’m going to be listing this lidded piece in the shop after I clean it up a bit.

This pretty brass letter holder has me in a quandary…sell or keep? The design is really pretty and you can tell its a great quality piece. Since I have good luck selling letter holders in my shop I’ll probably sell this one.

I also found a silver-plated one that needs some TLC. It was less than $3.00 so if it doesn’t clean up well I’ll just keep it.

My favorite find of the trip was this ceramic elephant stool. It’s in great condition and I practically stool it from the dealer with the price they had on it.