New-Old Furniture

I walk past the above shop window two or three times a week on my way through to the top end of our town. It's fondly called a shop of "Collectables", a very eclectic and ever changing collection of second hand items ranging from large pieces of furniture down to small items of bric-a-brac. I don't often go into this shop because as you can see it is chockablock full of stuff and impossible to enter with a pushchair. But I can never resist pressing my nose up against the window and scrutinising the contents which change almost daily as things get bought and sold.

On this particular day a month or so ago, I was on the opposite side of the road when that flash of gorgeous greeny-blue caught my eye. I was pulled towards it, powerless to resist. I saw it was an old painted chest of drawers and although I wasn't actually in need of a chest of drawers, I just had this  feeling that they were meant to be mine. So I bobbed in to take a closer look although of course I knew in my heart that they already belonged to me. The colour alone had swung it instantly.

Two days later, a white van arrived at number 24, and I became the ecstatic owner of a new-old chest of drawers...yaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!

I absolutely love-love-love this bit of new-old furniture! It's made of old pine, painted in the most gorgeous colour (my Ultimate Favourite Colour of All Time) which I now very poshly call "Tiffany Blue". I love the shape of the feet, don't you?? Darling!!

Because I made this purchase on complete impulse and purely due to the colour-love thing, it was actually a bit of a shock to find quite a substantial piece of furniture arriving in our narrow hallway. For a while we didn't quite know where to put it or what to do with it. At first I thought it might sit at the back of our dining room and provide a home for the rather large gathering of art and craft supplies that belong to the Little People. But then J had the rather ace idea of using it to accommodate our television screen/media centre thingy (which is actually a computer as opposed to a proper television). That way it would elevate the screen, crucially making it out of bounds for Little Hands. The drawers could then be used to house dvd's, remote controls, keyboard/mousey and various other bits and bobbles which relate to the tv/computer set up.

So there it sits now, doing a Very Useful Job and adding a beautiful dash of desirable Tiffany Blue to the alcove there. I do need to re-paint the handles at some stage as the metallic purple doesn't quite do it for me....I'm thinking of making each one a different colour. Of course!

Weekend before last, we also took possession of another piece of furniture, this time in the form of an old writing desk. It's been in J's family for a long while but was no longer wanted, so we did the decent thing and adopted it. I'm not actually a fan of dark wood furniture, or precious furniture that needs to be preserved and treated nicely (I definitely prefer the shabby, worn look that can take some neglect), but this desk is very charming indeed. The fact that it immediately became MY desk has really made me very happy, I hadn't realised how much I missed having a desk-of-my-very-own until this sweet little thing arrived.

So I now have myself a very cosy little corner at the back of the dining room where I can sit and write, and it's also lovely to be able to lay things out and not have to clear them away again before each meal. My wonderful chair is at the back there too and I love sitting here in the evening time...it makes for a wonderful end-of-day hooky spot when I don't want to be in front of the TV.

 

I treated myself to this cute little pink table lamp from Ikea  too, the bright LED spotlight is perfect for illuminating the hooky work at night.

My muscari (grape hyacinths) are growing away beautifully on the windowsill behind My Desk look, the first tight little flower buds are just appearing. And the "green face" propped up behind my paperweights is a picture Little Lady drew me ages ago, it's a picture of Me apparently, with very glamorous looking eyelashes. My eyelashes in real life are disappointingly short and sparse but I try not to dwell on that particular short coming.

Right-oh, time to bob off now and get a few jobs done while Little B sleeps...be back again soon!

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Comments

[Karen]

Every girl needs an impulse buy that makes the heart sing, and a desk of your very own to create and write at. Have a lovely day up there in the north, hope you are having a sunny day like we are here in Gloucestershire.

[Melissa P]

This piece was waiting just for you. It looks perfectly at home. I'm anticipating the knob changes.

[Lisa]

Oh I just love to find a treasure in a second hand store! Great color on the chest of drawers, and I love the idead of each knob a different color!

[Louise]

I like the shiny purple handles but I think a different colour for each would look fab!

Ah, your lovely, lovely, chair. It would be so perfect for my little reading corner! It looks great next to your new old desk though!

[Chantelle]

Hi Lucy
Im Chantelle and I live in Sweden, just wanted to pop in and say that I simply love your blog! (been following it for a few months now) All the bright colours, all the lovely things you have made, your energy and you always being so positive is truely an inspiration. I have just started crocheting and must say its rather fun. Hope you enjoy your own space it looks really cosy

[Kris]

I love it! You always inspire!!!

[Pati from London]

What a lovely chest! It's a great idea to put the TV on top and all your DVD's etc inside...I am also searching for a pine chest of drawers in a local reject shop, so that when baby no. 3 arrives I have somewhere to put his clothes in. I was thinking of Farrow and ball light blue to color it.... I love little projects like this. Enjoy your day, lovely Lucy, x Pati

[Cuckoo]

WARNING! Am coveting your stuff AGAIN!!!! I adore old dark furniture, I feel drawn to it despite not wanting to be. It's almost as though I've been born again but my soul is still hanging on to the victorian era... I get a vague "de ja vue" (spelt?) feeling when I bring a piece of furniture home. BUT, I don't have expensive old dark furniture, I like to rescue the battered old stuff. I should do a blog post about my rescued tat (as my husband calls it!) some I will admit gets a paint job, but usually just cream or white...maybe I should be braver and go for some cheering colours.
xxx
ps, getting desperado to see the secret crochet project you mentioned!!

[Ruth]

OOOh I love the new chest of drawers Lucy - it definitely belongs in your lovely colourful cheerful home! And I love the new desk as well - the dark wood goes well with all the colours I think. I prefer non matchy-matchy homes by miles. Your home always looks so warm and inviting.

[Sandra]

jajaja I have the same lamp from Ikea to hook at night!! Wonderful!!

[Floortje Wartenbergh]

Your house looks so lovely and cosy! Love all the colours everywhere. Great find your chest with drawers and you're absolutely right about the colour: it's fabulous! Enjoy your afternoon. Kind regards, Floortje

[Bernadette]

Your new desk looks lovely, Lucy. I also love the chest of drawers! And there's the pretty striped jug of flowers on the table, too! What a colorful feast for the eyes! Thank you!! :)

[Jani]

I can see it now - stripey crocheted drawer knob covers, coming soon! :-)

[Rachel]

Oh that chest of drawers is SO you Lucy! Such a fabby find!It all looks very cheery and homely!
Just the place for a spot of hooking!
Rachel x

[Jennifer]

That is the first thing that I saw too, it's gorgeous and what a gorgeous colour. It's great that you found the perfect spot for it too, beautiful and functional.

[Susan M.]

Did you make the "face" in the last picture on purpose? Your little lamp makes an hilarious nose. I'm trying to figure out what the eyes are. :)

[Puppet Lady]

I'd never have thought of putting the telly on it but it really works well! What a great find!

[Eliz. K]

that turquoise chest was what caught MY eye in the first photo!

lovely!!

[amy in cambridge (my fair city), ma]

Love your new-old chest of drawers. I'm a sucker for those, too. And, yes, I agree that everyone should have a desk of their own. Beautiful stuff, beautiful post, as always.

[Tickety-boo]

That chest of drawers would have drawn me in too!I love that colour. I am just deciding what colour to paint my welsh dresser ( I have been trying to decide for 3years!!!)

Love Tickety-boo
xxxxx

[Nanita]

Such a scrummy drawer! Ooh, I'm with Jani's comment: what about multicoloured (of course) stripey crocheted knob covers?!?? ♥
xxx

[Steph]

Ooooh Lucy what a gorgeous find! There's nothing like the fizzy excitement of a second hand discovery I think. Treasure hunting at its best!

Such a beautiful colour too. Different handles would make it truly yours.

Glad the ebay tip was helpful. I've bought tons of fabric (still to do things with most of it!) from there in the past. Looking forward to seeing Connievan prettied up. Must get the curtains made for our bav too.

Have a lovely week.
Stephxx

[Carmen]

beautiful,the white one at the right side is also beautiful. don.t you think so?

[Christina]

The "Tiffany Blue" chest is adorable. But I must say I love your sunny nook to sit, write and hook! Happy thoughts to you!

[Gill]

What lovely drawers!(So to speak haha!)Though I must admit I was also eyeing up the dresser in the edge of that photo too. And as for your little space, didn't Virginia Woolf herself say every woman should have a room of one's own. Failing that,of course, a quiet corner should do it. I, however, am still at the clearing away stage as the two men in my life have yet to be convinced!

Love and stuff xx
P.S. Hope you've remembered pancakes today! G