Mid-Century Scores

The day before we left for vacation (and actually the morning before we attended Tour de Fat), Eric and I decided to walk around the neighborhood to see if there were any good rummage sales in the area. As we made our way around, we didn't find anything that knocked our socks off, but on our way home decided to stop by a sale essentially right across the street from our house. And, boy, am I glad we stopped!

As you probably have figured out by now, I'm a sucker for mixing modern accents with mid-century style (mid-century referring to 1950s-era decor and accessories). As soon as I caught glimpse of a couple two-tiered side tables sitting out on the sidewalk, I knew this rummage sale was going to be fun for me. In fact, I'm kicking myself for not bringing my camera to show you all the fantastic goodies on sale! It was chock full of authentic mid-century treasures, and everything was in good condition. My heart went pitter patter for a couple boomerang-shaped accent tables, some bright-orange bar stools, a handful of lamps and quite a few, slightly chintzy, knick knacks. Unfortunately, I was low on cash so I was limited on what I could take home.

But lucky for me, right there at the sale with a $5 sticker attached to it was my vintage aqua phone. You know, the one I said I'd wanted for the yellow-chevron gossip bench? I grabbed it immediately - this phone was MINE. It isn't 100% exactly what I'd been looking for, but it was close enough; and with that $5 price tag I couldn't walk away. 

It's the perfect little accent for the "French Room's" gossip bench.

And, most importantly, it's Mr. Pancakes approved.

But the phone wasn't the only gem I was able to snag with only $13 in my pocket. I had my eye on two great side chairs at the rummage sale; they were both wide-set, low-sitting and in good condition. However, one was priced at $60 and the other $10. The $10 chair had a slightly warped cushion that could easily be flattened out over a little time - no biggie to me if it meant spending less money. We offered the woman running the sale $13 for both the phone and the chair, and it was a done deal. 

I'm thinking of recovering the seat cushion with some modern-patterned fabric, but it doesn't look too bad as it is now.

And, of course, within seconds of setting it in the French Room, Mr. Pancakes also gave the chair his stamp of approval.

We're so incredibly thrilled with our thrifty little finds - they add so much character to the French Room and it doesn't hurt they were such a steal. I wish I'd had more cash on hand at the rummage sale so I could have brought home more fantastic goodies, but the two pieces we carried across the street were treasures enough.

Both these finds were a lesson in waiting to buy something you love until you can find it for as cheap as possible (while still being in good condition). Sure, I could've purchased a cute aqua telephone on Etsy weeks ago.... for $50 more. And I could've hopped right on over to West Elm for a retro-inspired chair.... for $400 more. Don't get me wrong - I love both Etsy and West Elm, but even though I wanted both pieces as soon as we moved into the house, I knew I'd be able to find similar items for a fraction of the price. Even if your heart is screaming "MUST HAVE NOW!," in the long run it really pays off to be patient and stumble across an incredible bargain. Plus, how fun is it to be able to say a piece of furniture in your home is an original from a long-passed era? There are some amazing stores with gorgeous mod furniture out there, but if your pockets are as shallow as mine at the moment, you'll use these stores, their online shops and catalogs as inspiration, while finding more affordable (not to mention authentic!) options elsewhere.

What vintage (or modern!) pieces have you scored at a rummage sale this summer?