One of the things I love most about HGTV now is that show The High/Low Project http://www.hgtv.com/the-high-low-project/show/index.html where they feature for example a 20K designer room, and then they recreate it for whatever the homeowners budget is. Sometimes they have to do a lot of searching, but it seems like every time, they manage to come very close to an exact match of the designer room and often they improve on the original.
Part of my sharing the “Adventures of a Retro Re-Deco” with the world is to serve as a reminder to my readers that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get your hands on some really beautiful and unique vintage pieces. I’m on a very tight budget myself. I have to redecorate by selling items I already own. As I mentioned in my first blog, I have found almost every one of my pieces from a flea market, Craigslist, or Goodwill. If you look at this photo of my formal living room, it’s essentially a mix of old and new….
The Brass Cats? They were purchased for $9 dollars at Goodwill. When I researched some comparables on EBay, I found an uglier version of just two cats for $99. Can you say, SCORE!!!?!?
The Teal Couch is vintage and I nearly soiled myself when I found it on Craigslist. Sometimes when I’m by myself, I sit and just caress it’s wooly exterior. Not really, but sort of. I do.
The colorful painting on the wall was only $50 as part of a deal for buying a desk from the same vendor at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.
The Green Chairs? They were a bit of a splurge, but I found them at Long Beach Veterans Stadium Flea Market. I’m told this is one of the best places to get antique and MCM furniture and accessories in SoCal. As my Mom and I carried them out, people were actually stopping us asking where we found them and how much we paid. Okay, okay…..I’ll tell you….gulp…..$500. A splurge for someone on a budget like mine, but a priceless find as far as I’m concerned. The arms are SOOO curvy and comfy and the lime green? Hello! TO DIE FOR. One woman actually pulled on her friends arm, nodded to us and said; “Now THAT’S the PERFECT find.” I nearly floated out of there.
The Big Dipper Arc Floor Lamp from CB2 I bought used on Craigslist for ½ of its retail value.
Morganton Nesting Tables? Under $150 including shipping for a set of 3 on EBay.
The wooden dolphin was a thrift store find, and the glass pieces and sheepskin were Ikea and Target. I actually spied the green piece on my favorite MCM blog, Mid-Century Modern Love. http://midcenturymodernlove.com/ But I waited until it was on clearance at Target and got it for under $10.
So patience is the key. Wait until you find the right thing. If it takes your breath away, by all means go for it. In my experience however, if you just wait it out, something within your budget will reveal itself to you with a little persistence and patience. Case in point, the aforementioned glass grapes. What is the deal with the glass grapes anyway? Even as I learn the ropes of flea marketing and bargaining, I am astonished by how much some of these Mid-Century favorites cost. $50 for a bunch of glass grapes? Have you been drinking??? It’s GLASS, not GOLD!
So I have held onto my glass grapes cash and waited patiently. Low and behold, as I was “treasure hunting” with my son at the Goodwill this week I spied these babies. They’re green….part of my color scheme…in all their hideous glory, they were…..wait for it…… wait for it….$5.99. That’s all crusty old glass grapes from the 50’s should cost in my estimation..but what do I know?
Happy Hunting Friends!
midcenturyobsession 
Good thing those grapes are glass, not plastic. My grandmother had plastic ones that I would squeeze every time I went to her home. Of course I did, I was a kid back then! Could you imagine finding deflated plastic grapes from the 50’s, OI VAY. Happy Huntings
eeeewwww…
Love it! The famous Green Chairs…SCORE SQUARED! Toting those treasures through the envious crowd I felt like like we were leaving the scene of a crime…FAB-U-LOUS!