I'm no pro, but I have painted and sold enough refinished furniture to have learned a thing or two about what will sell and what will sit. So here goes...
Be Picky with your Pieces: Pick pieces of furniture to refinish that are versatile. Not everyone has room in an entryway for a table, but if you refinish a piece that could be used as an entryway table or a sofa table you double your chances of selling it. The same thing goes for a buffet which could be also be used as an entryway table in one home or a TV console in another.
Accent Pieces Rule: Certain pieces of furniture are going to be tougher to sell than others. A dresser, for example, is a piece that many people already have because it's an essential piece of furniture. It will be tougher to sell a stand alone dresser - especially one that has been painted and doesn't "go" with their pre-existing bedroom decor. But accent pieces are pieces that add character, charm, color, and storage to a home's decor. They're non-essentials which means someone will have to fall in love with it to buy it - but since it's something they won't already have, they're not actually faced with replacing one piece for another.
My latest furniture flip was a look I've been wanting to try for a few months - a stained top and a painted white base. But before I could get any stain or paint on this piece I had some reconfiguring to do.
I bought the TV console through a local Facebook group where people post things for sale. The woman originally asked $60 for it - but it sat and sat and sat. I took a stab and offered her $30. She took the bait and I took home this heavy solid wood tv stand with the intention of converting it into an accent piece that could be used in an entryway, living room or even a bedroom. She was in near perfect condition with no scratches, dents, or dings.
The first thing I did to start converting this piece was take off the back heavy cardboard piece that had cut outs for easy wire access. I also removed the sliding drawer/shelf and converted it into a stable shelf. The sliding shelf just screamed tv console.
Not gonna lie...I have been dying to share my latest furniture flip with you. I typically like to keep my projects in the works as a big surprise, but this one I couldn't keep to myself. If you following 2IY on Instagram, you know just how long I've been working on turning this thrifted dresser into a tv stand...or is it a buffet or is it an entryway table? The great thing about this piece is it's sooooo versatile it can be used in almost any room in the house. My house.
I am just gonna say up front I love this piece. I love the finish. I love the color. I love the uniqueness. I love that it's functional and stylish at the same time. I love it. I love it so much that even though I bought it to flip and sell I just simply can't let it go. So it's found a new home in my sunroom.
I bought this solid wood dresser at my favorite thrift store nearly a month ago. When I grabbed the tag to claim it I didn't even realize that the $45 price table included a huge solid mirror in nearly perfect condition, too! I mean really? They sell mirrors just like that at PB for $299.
Well, here we are more than half way through October and my ReSTOREd Seed Money Challenge is going strong. I'm currently working on my biggest piece of painted furniture yet. I'm hoping to get it up for sale by the end of this week - that is if I can part with it. It's a beauty, if I do say so.
So far I've sold four pieces - well, technically five you if count the set of matching nightstands as two. These babies really plumped up my Seed Money Challenge Fund.
I found them on a local Facebook page where individuals sell stuff. They came complete with yard sale stickers, because they clearly hadn't sold at $10 a piece. The seller was still asking $20 for the set, but I haggled her down to $15 and she was happy to just get rid of them.
If this table looks familiar, there's a good reason why. She's been on the blog before looking quite a bit different. I originally painted this 1960's vintage table from my local thrift store blue with a white drawer. She came out nice, but honestly I was never thrilled with her.
Well now...I'm in LOVE!
I went at her with Fiesta Red (which I made into DIY chalk paint) and on the re-paint I skipped the two tone going for solid red. I liked her well enough after I was finished with the red, but she just didn't seem totally authentic...this is a vintage piece and I wanted her to look it. She needed some personality. Some depth.
So last week I made a sweep through my favorite furniture thrift store and took home two pieces. One was this little vintage table. It immediately caught my eye as soon as I walked into the vintage room. The tag said 1960's vintage baby blue table. As I sanded her down it was obvious this table has not only been well loved, but also painted a few times.
Well, here's my first piece that's part of my ReSTOREd Series - The Seed Money Challenge. If you're wondering what the frickety frack I'm talking about - click here and you'll get all the deets on my latest challenge. On the second thought - check that out in a second - you don't want to miss the goods on his piece!
I picked up this piece a few days ago from the thrift store and she was looking a little sad to say the least. I knew I wanted to paint her red - mostly because if she didn't sell, then at least she would match the decor in my house.
I started by taking off all the hardware it was kind of dated. I'm being too nice. It was downright ugly and old.
Hey guys - Melissa here. So I have some big news... basically I'm issuing another challenge to myself. Apparently, I like to challenge myself...perhaps you remember my crazy $100 bathroom makeover challenge? Did we get it done or what? You betcha and we came in under $85 for new lighting, paint, beadboard, trim, a window treatment and storage.
So now I'm giving myself another challenge. This one was inspired by the nightstand I recently repainted and rebeautified (is that a word?). I'm thinking this challenge is going to be a little tougher than than first, but I think I'm up for it. I hope you'll follow along since I'll be blogging all about my challenge in a new series launching NOW on Two It Yourself.
I'm going to take the money we made at our recent yard sale and use it as "seed money." Here's the challenge: more than triple the starter money by the end of the year. Okay so here's the deets. We made about $140 at the yard sale. My plan - which is already partially in motion - is to use that money to turn thrifted or unwanted pieces of furniture into a profit by refinishing and/or repainting them and reselling them.
Since I am basically giving myself three months to turn $140 into more than $400 I have to get moving (and sanding, priming, painting and selling.) Lucky for me, I've already purchased my first three pieces. One is a small cabinet piece that's so versatile it could be used in an entryway, as a TV stand, a small dresser, or even a baby changing table. Can you see the potential? I know it's tough when you're this...dated? Okay ugly, we'll go with ugly.
But she's already looking better right? And wait til you see the new hardware! She's gonna be awesome!
The other pieces were a great score - a set of matching nightstands or side tables. Here's a little sneak peek. These babies will be up for sale soon...looking more beautiful than ever! Hopefully they sell fast because the hubs isn't liking that I'm taking over the garage with all this "stuff." (Ahem, perhaps you shouldn't have thrown out the seed money idea, honey!)
The new series will be called ReSTORED...get it I'm restoring them and then basically re-STORE-ing them. Okay, maybe I'm over-thinking the name and trying to be too cutesy, but you feel me, right?! Great. Now I'm off to work....
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