Well, I'm back (again)

I seem to go through phases with my writing. Obviously, my last break lasted nearly a year! Yikes! But I love to write and shop and take/peruse photos, so I'm going to try to get back on track.

I found this charming piece (a sideboard? modified Welsh dresser?) at a local antique mall a while back. It was priced at $400, but the booth was closing and it was available for $200. I very seriously considered the purchase because I wanted to bring it home and save it. I was absolutely aghast that someone would ruin such a sweet piece with the fleur de lis paint. The hardware was all original and the barley twists were just lovely.

I'm not a big fan of painting furniture, as you may know from reading my past blogs. (I would say that the caveat to that would be painting furniture a totally over the top color... think a high shine powder coat of bright red paint on Chinese Chippendale chairs that don't have a great pedigree.) Faux painting or decorative painting generally leaves me let down.

So I let this piece go and I regret it every time I click through these photos. Even if I didn't want to use it, I could have brought it back to life and given it away. I really can't emphasize enough the importance of striking when you see something that speaks to you on a deep level... and also speaks to your checkbook. At $200, this was a bargain, even when you factor in the costs of the materials it would have taken to strip off the paint. If you are decorating on a budget, keep your eyes peeled for the hidden treasures like this one. They might need a little love, but the payoff could be huge.