Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Seeing Spots (The Second Couch of My Dreams!)

Good morning!

I was going to wait and tell you all my good news once I get the den's floorplan settled, but people-- get ready. Something very exciting has happened!

Almost every single working day of my life, at least once, since around 2008, I check the furniture section of Craigslist for the keywords "vintage" and "retro". That category, especially with those search terms, can be cruel, cruel, cruel for the always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride Craigslist window shopper. "Midcentury" might be the worst thing to type in, because by virtue of the owner even knowing what era the piece fits in, it means they have also probably seen some of the Candyland, wacko, way out there prices on ebay or vintage reseller sites or, worst of all, one of the collectors/junkers/pickers shows on cable. "This dresser is over sixty years old! Do not low ball me, I've seen these for $4000 on ebay, $1000 is a steal! Must sacrifice!!!!!!" is pretty much a median price and aggressive description example for something that someone's grandmother bought in a department store in 1965, has had steady use since its purchase, has visible wear and tear on the veneer, and probably smells bad. I ain't payin' more than a hunnert bucks fer NUTHIN, is also the hillbilly, cheap as dirt part of my hard little heart talking back to self same ads... as always, I gently remind our readers that however vintage, retro, or antique something is, it's also used. And until I start making that fat cash, I'm going to pay used prices for things that catch my eye, or do without.


The ad at the top of this post was listed at 4:24 PM yesterday-- around 4:40 PM, trying to kill some time before I was to leave and brave the semi-sleet and frost of yesterday's inexplicable temperature drop (from 65 this weekend to 32 last night! What the heck?!), I did my usual search and my jaw. DROPPED. Now, let's look at what's going on in this picture. Sectional couch? Check. Long, low, super Danish modern lines? Check. FREAKIN' LEOPARD PRINT CUSHIONS? Cheeeeeeeck. My heart started racing and I called Matthew with a probably-startled-the-poor-man:

Me: IneedyoutoemailthesepeoplewithyourphonenumberRIGHT.NOW.
Matthew: Um, ok! Sure!

So he emailed, and he got a call back about five minutes later from a guy who said he would hold the couch this evening if we wanted to come by and see it after we both got off work. We drove out to East Nashville near Shelby Park and to a relatively large sized fifties' ranch house, where a sixteen year old who was brokering the deal for his mother met us out in the driveway. There, sitting in the living room like a page out of one of those seventies' what-you-can-find-in-junk-stores books I've been eating my heart out over this winter, was the second couch of my dreams! Don't get me wrong, I still love the turquoise brocade Broyhill in the living room that makes watching tv feel like you're at the bottom of the ocean, but this now-for-the-den furniture is BLOWING. my. MIND. Did I mention the teen delivered the furniture for no extra charge? It was a truly awesome, awesome experience to buy this couch from him.

Somebody up there likes me!
What really impressed me was the CONDITION of the furniture. While, owing to the single slim arm on the set, I can conjecture that there was probably a third piece to the sectional at one point, I think it works great as just the two together. And OH MY GOD the bones of this. Can you see the slat back and the spring base? Even without my beloved leopard print couch cushions, the frame of the couch alone is bonkers. All slim, sleek lines and light colored wood. I DIE. A THOUSAND DEATHS. This is the kind of stuff I always see at high end consignment vintage retro places and have a sticker shock coronary over before making the long walk, internally weeping, to my car. $100! CRAZY! Patience, and a hawk-like craigslist reaction time, has paid off. Even in my consistently bad-lighting photos, look how neat this is:






So, anyway, I'm way too excited to even speak. You'll have to indulge me later in the week or this weekend when I finally get a chance to put everything to rights and start blathering all over again about how happy I am over this furniture. I think what's going to happen is the yellow arm chair in the far background, and the corner knickknack shelf, and one set of side tables (with the ones that came with the sectional, I now have THREE sets, and can only use two) are going to Goodwill, the large 1920's couch is going back to my grandma's (it was on loan in the first place), and eventually peace should be restored to this room. The kind of peace in which Dean Martin would have a martini. AAAAAH! I'm too excited!

How about you? Any crazy great deals find out in the wild lately? Do you have any strong held opinions about decorating with wild prints like this?

If I live through slinging furniture tonight, I'll be back tomorrow with more vintage goodness. Til then!

34 comments:

  1. I'm Still so excited for you! That is a steal of a deal and that set is GORGEOUS. And hello, he delivered?? Nobody does that! I'm also a nonstop Craigslist searcher and have been looking for a vintage vinyl or leather sofa with nice lines for so long that I can't even figure. So long that the cats have completely annihilated the poor fabric sofa that I'd hope to save in the process....that's how long! I'm so happy for your new score and can't wait to see how you fit it into your design scheme.

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    1. Poor cats! They don't know that couch isn't for annihilating. Craigslist can be so frustrating that I'm still in total shock what happened...uh, even happened. I can't wait to see how this whole re-organization-of-that-room-around-the-sectional goes, it's so exciting!

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  2. This is the deal of the century. Really. I'm so happy that you snagged this! Can't wait to see how you decorate around it.

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    1. Thanks! Even though we haven't moved the original sofa out yet to make room for the new sectional, and the new guy is kind of sitting in a precarious middle-of-the-room spot until that time later this week, that has not stopped me from testing out different throw pillows, measuring for where it's going to go, etc. SO. PUMPED!

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  3. Awesome!! That is fantastic, and what a story! Years and years ago we had a leopard print sheet (ahem) covering a sofa, and it was great. I totally am on board with decorating with wild prints. Have fun with it!

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    1. It was funny that I even hesitated for a second before I got Matthew to contact them...I had that split second of "is it too much"? NEVER. TOO. MUCH. :)

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  4. BEST $100 EVER SPENT!!! WOWEE!!! That's it, I'm coming to Tennessee with a U-Haul and a good attitude! I have always been of the mind that leopard goes with everything! Enjoy!

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    1. Haha, Tennessee welcomes you with open arms! And baked goods!

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  5. Girl, I will take extra furniture off you if you are trying to dump. Seriously, my living room has needs. I got the pick-up truck and everything - I'll even take the excess to Goodwill for ya :)

    Also, I really really need to touch that couch. And possibly throw myself on it and sleep FOREVER haha!

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    1. Again, I'm going to have to arrange some kind of a MAJOR "welcome to the house, couch!" party at some point once I get everything as it should be. Which will be SO. FUN.

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  6. I LOVE IT! I am glad I am not the only one who window shops on craigslist on a daily basis.

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    1. It can be heartbreaking, but man! When it works out, it really works out!

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  7. Wow, that couch is amazing! What a great find. I do love leopard prints, so far we only have pillows with a leopard print. Have fun with redecorating your living room :)

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    1. Thanks, Anthea! I can't wait to start moving things around FOR REAL.

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  8. Congratulations! You'll have to take more photos when you get everything set up.

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    1. Photodocumentation is A MUST, haha. I can't promise they won't be equally poorly lit, but they're coming. And soon!

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  9. Wow...the armrest, the slats! Perfection!

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  10. Seriously?! GURL... Most Craigslist sellers would charge more than that just for the end tables. Congratulations on the find of the year! You're going to have so much decorating around this. In my book, animal prints are a neutral meant to be mixed with more neutrals on the walls and windows, with pops of jewel tone colors on the accessories. And lots of different textures, like metallic knick-knacks and velvet and chenille pillows. Arrgh, so fun!

    If you're looking for someone to take those end tables off your hands, I'm your girl! Keith and I have been looking for a matching pair of mid-century end tables in good shape with a dark finish and no cheap laminate for over a year now. :-p

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    1. Thanks! The print so far fits right in with all the other out-on-a-ledge crazy vintage stuff in the room, so I'm really excited about easing it into its new habitat.

      My sister may have already called the surplus end tables-- they're well made, but they are some kind of laminate. Maybe the ones of your dreams are right around the corner though, you never know!

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    2. *sigh* I'm still so jealous of the fun one has decorating around a new piece! This morning when I was brushing my teeth I randomly thought of ELVIS' JUNGLE ROOM. Because that's what one does when one brushes one's teeth (right?)! And then I thought of you and your new furniture. :)

      Fingers crossed that the right end tables show up in our lives soon! It's our own fault for choosing a darker finish; blonde wood finishes are everywhere. Le sigh.

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  11. That's incredible- lucky you found it when you did, or someone else would've pounced on it for sure!

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    1. The teenager said he'd had twenty or so emails after mine! It really is like winning the lottery.

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  12. That is just too wonderful to be fully expressed in words. What a magnificently awesome and fun couch! I can't wait to see how you transform the living room!

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  13. That is the best Craigslist deal I have ever heard of, OR EVER WILL HEAR OF. Wowie!! What a super-awesome couch and $100?? You win at Craigslist!

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    1. It's heartening to think that things like this can still happen, though, right? I'm still completely over the moon about it (and pinching myself)!

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  14. I DIE!! Girl, this is amazing! Oh man, we have a leopard print chaise (which I love), but this is KILLER and such a steal. Nice job! :)

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    1. Thanks! I bet that chaise is a knockout. It's funny how I love, LOVE leopard print clothes (sometimes against my better judgement, haha), but had never thought of it for a big piece of furniture like this...I am so happy!

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  15. incredible. i can't get over it! And he delivered! Once at a family run estate sale we bought our 70's couch and they delivered it too! And brought it in the house! I couldn't believe my luck!

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    1. It hadn't even occurred to me that he would deliver it. I was in midsentence about how my dad has a truck and I'll pay for it now and come get it tomorrow, blah blah....and then he out of the blue went "Oh, no problem, I can take it to your house tonight if you want!" I actually said "Is this the point where you guys serial kill me? Because I really can't believe how awesome this all is." UNREAL. You'll have to come check it out once I get everything settled!!!

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  16. Excellent timing!!!!!!!! I am so happy for you!!!!!! This is worth celebrating!! Congratz!!!!!

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