Furnishing Your Home Using Craigslist, Estate Sales and Consignment Shops

I have been working with my best friend 

since last year to move her Mother-In-Law 

from Las Vegas here to the Midwest.  

She has moved into a beautiful brand new 

Retirement Development with all of the amenities 

at her fingertips.  

It is so close to me that I can almost 

see it from my house!  

The problem was 

(as is with all downsizing moves) 

that she was moving from her 

ranch style 3000+ square foot home 

into a two bedroom two bath apartment home.  

What do you keep and what do you leave behind?  

After taking a trip to Vegas 

(I know it's a hardship but one of the demands of the job) 

we decided that most of her furniture 

would not fit the space.  

It was all too large and bulky 

for the new apartment.  

We were basically starting from scratch.

We were also in a time crunch.  

Everything was happening so quickly 

that we didn't have time to custom order 

all of her furniture 

and besides that's not what my BFF and I do 

for ourselves so why would it be different for her MIL?  

So, we scoured Craigslist, haunted our favorite Consignment Shops and of course 

had to go to MANY Estate Sales.  

The finished space that I am going 

to show you was totally put together 

using the aforementioned sources 

with the exception of the sofa and ottoman.  

 C'mon into Jeanne's new Apartment!

The residents all decorate their little "front porch" 
so we made this spring ivy wreath 
for Jeanne's front porch.  
It's fun to walk up and down the halls 
to see what people have created. 

Here is our unfinished space on walk thru day.  

Can you see the other units across the way?  

Her unit is on the fourth floor 

and faces the courtyard.  

Here is the kitchen view.  

It is very much like an apartment 

but the ceilings are high and you can paint 

and add crown molding etc. if you like.

A view into the kitchen from the Living Area.  

And here is her apartment now! 

We still need to order window treatments 

but it has come a long way!  

It has a quiet elegance about it just like Jeanne!  

In the kitchen all we had to do was accessorize.  

We both pulled things from our basements, 

and a little bit of shopping at the discount stores...  

Look at these stunning bar stools 

that my BFF found at the Mission Road Antique Mall!  

They are in perfect condition 

and I believe they are made by Baker Furniture.

I think that our plan all started coming together 

when she found this entertainment unit on Craigslist.  

It was so posh that we couldn't pass it up.  

It had been in a model home 

and the builder wanted to get rid of it.  

We had spied a sofa almost identical 

to this beautiful leather one 

at Nebraska Furniture Mart.  

We were actually there to order it 

when we decided to take a spin through 

the clearance section.  

And low and behold, 

this beauty was on the clearance floor.  

For about a third of the price of the other one 

and with immediate gratification 

we had it delivered in two days!  

She ordered the ottoman 

(or the hassock as Jeanne calls it) 

from the same manufacturer.  

These two wingback chairs came from Craigslist.  

A lady was remodeling and sold them for $80 apiece.  

They had been recently recovered 

and are in perfect condition.  

Jeanne loves the traditional floral pattern 

and the sofa is so neutral 

that it goes with most anything. 

This little gem was also at the antique mall.  

It's a timeless and classic form that matches the entertainment center.  

The side table has two drop leaves 

that make into a good sized table.  

It's perfect for puzzles or a card game.  

When you are living small 

it is always important to think 

of double duty furniture.  

As is the case with this Burlwood buffet.  

The extra storage comes in really handy.  

The ottoman also opens up to store extra blankets.  

We ordered the pillows at Nell Hill's.  

We were so lucky to find such fabulous fabrics that coordinate with the wing chairs.  

I love the document fabric scene 

and the plaid can be changed out with 

a different pillow for Spring and Summer.

When you are saving money everywhere 

else you deserve to splurge a little!  

This little set is a space saver in her entry.  

The space was too small for an entry table 

so we found this piece at a consignment shop 

and it really fits the bill.  

 Of course furnishing your space using Craigslist, Consignment Stores and Estate Sales takes a lot of work and isn't the same as walking into a store where everything is at your fingertips but for me that's half the fun!  

My BFF worked so hard to make this all 

come together so I can't take all of the credit 

on this project.  

I was mostly there for moral support 

and to accompany her on the Craigslist buying trips 

(to make sure it wasn't a rape den as she puts it).  

But I loved every minute of it!  

We are still working on her bedroom 

and den space so there will be 

more installments to come.  

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves,

Sharing at:

Between Naps On The Porch

The Scoop

A Stroll Thru Life

Savvy Southern Style

Share Your Style

What We Accomplished Wednesday @ Green Willow Pond

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch To Yours 

French Country Cottage

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