January 9, 2014

I Love (And I Mean LOVE) Free Stuff …

wings

If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember a picture I shared in November. I got the message that someone I know had to free wingback chairs they needed taking off their hands.

I’m always looking for good wingback chairs on Craigslist. Unfortunately, the term wingback is applied most egregiously and the fabrics are usually pink, rust, or 1980’s plaid. The email about the free wingbacks came with a picture. I hesitated before I clicked on it. Boy was I delightfully surprised!

I quickly emailed the owner, begging for the chairs if someone else hadn’t already claimed them. Not only were did she say they were mine, but her husband also offered to deliver them in his truck the next morning. They were on my front porch when I got home from taking Owlie to preschool.

I dragged them inside one by one (sturdy, heavy construction = good sign), tore the plastic off them and set about rearranging. My inner attention deficit decorator was giddy! Sometimes when I get the itch to do things like this I injure myself because I try to move big furniture alone, much to the chagrin of my Hubby.

This time I only had to move my two white Ikea Jennylund chairs down to the basement. I employed the “slide it on its backside down the stairs” approach. Easy peasy!

The new chairs look great with all the blue accents in the family room. I was dead set on recovering them but for now I think they will do fine for a few more years. The fabric has an embossed floral pattern on it which only appears feminine close up. I’m pairing the chairs with some modern, bold ikat pilllows I picked up from Target a while back so it doesn’t seem too granny’s house over here.

chairdetail

Best part about these chairs? Free! I love it when that happens.

The two consecutive weeks following the free chair week, I pounced on two other free pieces of furniture. One is already functioning in our house. The other needs some work. More on them later.

What’s the best free thing you ever got?

6 comments:

AllisonK said...

They are beautiful!!! What a score!
Love the globes. You have a beautiful home!

Aiketa said...

They look so great and comfy! I too love those globes!

The best thing we got for free was a car we won at a department store the day of my 12th birthday! The second best was a trip to Futurescope (Potiers, France) with hotel expenses included!

Apis Melliflora said...

I've picked up vintage suitcases, a printer's tray, a wingback chair and a china Christmas three with kitschy lights on tree lawns soured town. People pitch the best stuff.

Apis Melliflora said...

Soured was supposed to be around.

The Queen Vee said...

I don't get free stuff, I always have to pay. There's no way to top Nona's free stuff….a car wow.

squeezeme said...

I love your new chairs!! As for me and free....when we left NY 15 years ago the "free" stuff stopped. But all of the free items we received in NY are still fully functioning in my house- the best of which is our piano, played every morning by two children. Maybe I should move back to NY. ;)