Here is one of my free finds. I was walking with my daughter one day and this lovely chair was sitting on the sidewalk in front of an office. There was no sign so I went into the building and asked what the deal was. How much did they want for the chair? They said I could just have it and that they had a matching chair to go with it plus several other pieces of office furniture as they were redecorating.
I ended up with the two wing back chairs, 3 office chairs, and a book shelf. If I hadn't taken it, this was all set to go to the dump. That in itself is a travesty. I can't believe what people throw away!!
The lesson here is to be brave and ask questions. I asked and ended up with a gold mine!
The picture to the right is one of dumpster treasures! It is a lovely faux plant from the dumpster behind my health club. I couldn't reach the basket that it was originally in, so I re-purposed a sparkly green waste basket as it's new pot. It was a little too large and overhang a bit, so I added dry decorative moss from my craft supplies and then a faux fern that I've had for years. It was a great $.75 find at a thrift store.
I ended up with a lovely addition to my front entry without spending any new money!
Lesson here: sort through your storage totes now and then and let your imagination come alive. If you cannot think of anything to use certain items for within a week's time, that's a sign that it belongs in the 'declutter' pile. You'll kill two birds with one stone; declutter your home, and also come up with fresh new decorations to liven up your living spaces!
I'd love to see/hear about any of your great finds!
You should come to my area sometime! I can't believe the things people throw away here that look perfectly good! One time, I found a stroller that was better than the one I had (all it needed was a good wash). There are always couches and chairs. Another neighbor of mine found a really great end table...
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