Garage Sale Gold

I forgot to add one of my favorite inexpensive garage sale decorating techniques for storing kitchen items. And that is baskets and old jars.

I often find all sorts of baskets at garage sales and I find uses for them, whether they are large or small. You can see in this photo the use of the larger white basket to keep bread in. The smaller one holds condiments from Chinese take out food. I know. I know. That is so unhealthy, but sometimes when I am working late, I just don’t have the time to cook.  The old jars found at garage sales contain flower, pasta, etc.  I like to mix and match and not necessarily have all matching items. Find more tips at garagesalegold.com

I was bitten by a bee yesterday on my hand as I did some gardening, and it is swollen up double it’s normal size, but I am bound and determined to write this blog, second in a series, of decorating articles, filled with garage sale, flea market, and consignment shop ideas.

While hardly an experienced decorator, I find myself desiring high style in the middle of a recession. Frugalista that I am, I seem to find a way to create pleasing and high style decor for free or cheap.  And so I pass some of my ideas to you for better or for worse.

One of the rooms I find hard are kitchens, especially small kitchens that don’t contain alot of space for storage or design.  So since kitchens pose a special challenge, I thought I would post some garage sale treasures and scores that  I found to dress up my kitchens with some panache. Hope you enjoy the photos and captions. Happy Saling! Look for more tips at garagesalegold.com

1.Cute little table and chairs, note the inlaid tile, perfect for a small nook. Scored at a garage sale. Kittie not included.

2. Bakers rack scored from a consignment shop. It has some of my rooster collection, which came from garage sales, estate sales, and gifts.

3. Vintage cannisters scored from a barn sale. Got a good deal on them because the original set was not complete, but who cares?

4. Space over a built in microwave. What to do with it? An old Ball jar and some dollar store mini urns and a $1 rooster from a garage sale cheer it up.

5. Washing dishes can be cheery. Old glass bottles found for free or at garage sales contain flowers from the garden, mixed with store bought blooms adorn the windowsill just above the sink. Really dresses up the room. The curtains were also snared from a garage sale.

6. An antique looking print adorns an otherwise barren kitchen wall. Scored very inexpensively at a little consignment shop. Believe me, you can pay more for frames than most of the art I have bought at garage sales.

As a yard sale and garage sale enthusiast, summer is officially in full swing and we are in full decorating season for fabulous flea market, yard sale, consignment shop and garage sale finds.

While  I am the furthest thing from a professional decorator, I do consider myself some who is frugal, with a good eye, and I like nice things. Since the downturn in the economy, I have had to severely curtail any spending on non necessary things, which would include home decor.  This has only fueled my passion for yard sale, consignment shop, flea market and garage sale finds.

Many times guests are shocked and surprised at how I have been able to cobble together pleasing displays both inside and out with items that have been free roadside finds, inexpensive yard sale purchases or worn out things headed for the dumpster that have been repurposed for other things.

I am going to write a series of articles on decorating featuring photos of some of my favorite recycled finds.

Today I am posting some photos of some of my favorite outdoor items. I am hoping that it will bring you some ideas and inspiration. Happy Saling!

A broken watering can, that has been repainted and used as a planter, found in a free pile at a garage sale.

A lovely, small white table (originally green and spray painted white), with a reproduction egg carrying bin on top (both garage sale finds).

A pergola that is now hanging with curtains that were on a friend’s  outdoor gazebo that was damaged in a storm and they were going to throw out the curtains.

An elegant iron chair found free on the road (it was white and was spray painted black, a cushion was added)

One of my very favorites is this old grill stand, which was spray painted black and turned into an elegant planter.

An antique wheel barrow, found rotted and rebuilt, used as garden decor and planter.

3 different groupings of reproduction cast iron cafe chairs. All bought at consignment shops.