Curb Sale Finds in the Living Room

Heaven is comprised of three days in which to relax at home and work in the garden. Is that a contradictory statement? I do not care. I am just happy that I do not have to go anywhere this weekend and that I have a lot of time to work on my projects. Hopefully, next week I will have some fun updates for you.

Living room Winter 2014

Today, I am going to share with you some of the pieces that I found in the trash and used to decorate my home. When people come to visit, they are always amazed and maybe a little grossed out to discover that so many things in my home came from the garbage. The truth is that there is nothing to be disgusted about as long as you clean things properly.

Living room Winter 2014

Right now I will focus on the living room, but in the future I will write about the curb sale finds in other rooms as well. You can also search my categories for “Curb Sale Items.” Looking around the room, can you tell what came from the trash?

Living room Winter 2014

One of my favorite finds was this drum. Someone had put an entire set by the side of the road. I took as many pieces as could fit in my back seat. For the longest time, this drum sat in my living room under a table until I decided how I wanted to use it. I cleaned it up and converted it into a side table on casters. It is easy to move around, and I switch out the pictures and fabric periodically to give it a new look. You can read how I turned it into a table here.

drum side table

Above the drum, there are two lamps that Douglas found in the trash this winter. My sister calls them my yoga lamps. We have yet to rewire them, but I love them even if they are not functional.

Yoga lamp

Across the room there is an entire wall of things that came from the curb. The bird cage was a disgusting mess when I picked it up in the Bronx. My roommate at the time was horrified that I would bring it into our apartment on the Upper East Side. It was covered in feathers and bird crap, but it cleaned up nicely. We used it to collect the cards at our wedding. I am sure that most of our guests guessed from whence it came.

Curb sale table and birdcage

The little table it sits under also came from the trash in near perfect condition. I wiped it down with vinegar when I brought it home, but I do not think that it needed it. It looked as though it had never been used. It was originally a computer table with a pull out tray for a keyboard, but I have always used it as a side table. I tuck magazines where the keyboard would go.

Curb sale table and birdcage

The mirrors about that table are also from the trash. They were found about a year apart. Mirrors are the most common item I find in the trash, but I can never resist them. I have an addiction to shiny objects!

Gallery wall with mirrors and pictures

This horseshoe over the door did not come from the trash, but that is where most people would have put it! I picked it up on a hike in Costa Rica, and it is one of my most favorite souvenirs.

Found horseshoe in Costa Rica

This little glass slipper bottle also came from the trash. I find it adorable.

glass slipper bottle

I love all of these pieces, however, the pièce de résistance is my chaise lounge. It did not look this great when we brought it home, but new upholstery gave it a refreshed look.  It always had a great shape, and I could see the potential.

Chaise lounge

Slowly, piece by piece, my living room is coming together.

Happy Homemaking!

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About

I am a teacher, traveler, artist, writer, homemaker and a whole lot more. In January 2009, I bought the Cape of Dreams. It was the second house that I had ever owned, but it was the first that I bought by myself. I now live in the house with my husband Douglas, our dog Kahlua, and Crème de Menthe, the cat. Because, what life is complete without a little Kahlua and Cream? I love arts and crafts of all kinds, and I refinish furniture as well. We are slowly redoing our entire house. You can read about my projects on my blog www.CapeofDreams.com

6 Comments on “Curb Sale Finds in the Living Room

  1. The chaise doesn’t look right without Crème lounging on it! That chaise and the yoga lamps (love the name!) are my favorites. You really have some unique and interesting pieces. Your room has come together beautifully since I first started following you!

    I’ve been trying to figure out your front door layout–you must have a vestibule. What’s on the other side of it, your bedroom?

    • This post shows a picture of the inside of the front door. Basically, the tenants go up the stairs to their apartment and the door on the right enters our living room. There is also a floor plan in the house tour link.

      I guess you can tell that I love change. 🙂

  2. I recognised the chaise lounge right up in the first pic. It is looking very good these days and goes well with the purple lounges. Purple is getting popular here in Australia ATM. I dream of owning more mirrors!

    • Before I upholstered those two pieces, everyone told me how awful red and purple would look together. Now that they are done, so many people have told me that they love the combination. I am glad that I did not listen to the naysayers and went with my gut! Supposedly purple is the color of the year, but it has been my favorite color for most of my life. 🙂 I wish I could send you some of my mirrors because my home is overflowing.

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