Beaux R'eves

Monday, March 9, 2015

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:
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 
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

13 click here to Comment:

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

What a beautiful space...I love her wing back chairs!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

How pretty and comfortable y'all made her new home. I love those pillows.

Jane@Bluebird1959 said...

Just beautiful! What a cozy and cheerful as space for her to call home. Jane

Pura Vida said...

Amazing, great message

Unknown said...

You all did a great job! Can't wait to visit Kansas and see all the hard work in person!

Unknown said...

Wow, you ladies nailed it! It's almost like Nan (Jeanne) brought her own furniture from Vegas, it fits her perfectly! Job well done!

DIYbyDesign said...

Really well done. What a beautiful home you have created for her to call home. I would love for you to link this up to my Winter Blues Wednesday link party going on right now. Hope to see you there. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com

Karen @ karensuponthehill said...

What an amazing job! You must be so proud and she must be so happy with her new place!
I would love for you to stop by my blog and join our Something to Talk About link party each week!
Have a great day!
Karen

Kelly said...

You did such a great job with your BFF to make her MIL's new apartment both stylish and comfortable. I hope she's enjoying living there now. Thanks for linking up to SYS tonight too!

Unknown said...

What a great job....love it and I know how happy the new occupant will be in this cozy place.

Sarah said...

Cindy, The "front porch" entry could have been the one to my mom's retirement apartment. They must all be similar.
You and your friend did a terrific job. The space is lovely. I know your friend's mom is going to feel at home in her new surrounds.

Debra@CommonGround said...

Cindy, this turned out perfectly! love the sofa, chairs, pillows...everything is gorgeous! great job you two!

IndiaShiksha.Com said...

Wow!what a Amazing blog and valuable information. Thanks for putting so much efforts in writing this article.Nice Post
Good Job,Great PostandNice Information

Post a Comment

Leave a Comment and let me know what you think, or just say "Hi".