It’s been an incredible week around here.
There are hopes and dreams and plans and laughter spilling out of the farmhouse this week.
I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Every. Last. Detail.
But for today lets talk spring and yard sales and the people whose heart beats a little faster when you see a hand-lettered multi-family yard sale sign. I’m sure it’s spring home tour sharing day somewhere and today I wanted to take a walk through mine.
Except.
Except I wanted to do things a little differently (this is the part where you nod your head and tell me you are not surprised).
If you were to stop by for a tour, I tell you how happy I am that we are friends and I would get you some sweet tea (or water if you preferred) and I would take you through the rooms and give you the yard sale tour. You know, the one where I tell you where everything came from and how I made it or got it at a yard sale and what I would buy at a yard sale season if I only had $5.00 and that yard sale season is starting again and we should go some Saturday.
Hold on.
Let me get you a glass of tea.
Now let’s go.
Here’s the dining room decked out for spring:
1. The table was $10 at an auction. I repaired it and painted it white and waited 10 minutes and painted it black.
2. I found that old fabric holder at a local antique mall and filled it with milk glass I bought at every yard sale from here to Texas.
3. The chairs on the end are from my mother’s house. I grew up eating every Sunday dinner with these chairs.
4. The piece on the wall came from the scratch and dent section of a local store.
5. I stained the wood floor with different colors of stain.
6. The bookcase in the background came from a junk store.
7. The books on the book case are from a thrift store. I cover them with craft paper and add labels to make them match a room.
No judging. I really like it when my books match.
8. The flowers are from the grocery store.
9. This toolbox from the dining room came from a junk store.
I took out the insides and use them for display in the laundry room.
10, The pieces on the wall in the hallway (just out of sight in the picture) came from the side of the road.
They don’t like to discuss their roots, now that they’re art.
11. The chair on the right in the front of the picture came from the curb.
I got it for free and re-upholstered it.
12. The table used to be a dining table and we made it into a coffee table.
13. The boxes on the wall used to be a crate from a yard sale and I made them into wall organizers.
14. The F A R M letters on the wall were made by my brother.
15. The chandelier in the living room came from the thrift store.
16. The barn door on the mantel came from the junk store.
17. I got the chair on the right from our church when they were about to throw it away.
18. The chair on the left came from a yard sale for $10.
19. We made the tray with the handles on the ottoman.
20. The light fixture came from a yard sale for $10. It had a weird clock thing in the middle that I removed.
21. The large piece of furniture on the right came from a junk store. It had this weird mirror thing in the front that we took out and added ship lap to.
Now it has a basket on it that holds paper towels and I store all the gift wrap supplies and extra blankets in the bottom.
22. The armoire that’s striped came from a yard sale for $5.00.
23. The dishes all over the room came from yard sales.
24. The table between the chairs was $2.00 at an auction.
25. The sign over the fireplace came from a junk store.
The decorating lesson in all of this?
The take away on this beautiful, sunshiny, full of joy Monday morning?
The side of the road and junk stores and thrift stores and yard sales….
….they’re where it’s at. 🙂
I love yard sale and thrift store shopping! It's the best! I'm showing off my painted secretary desk today and I found it at a second hand shop. I think if you have a discerning eye you can really create a beautiful home with stuff other people wanted to get rid of. You have to be very choosy though or you end up with a house that looks like a thrift store. You, my friend, have the gift of a good eye. Love everything you pictured today. P.S. I'm thinking of using that wood bead chandelier in my dining room. It looks so lovely in your home. Nancy
I'm with you! Still have yard sale treasures from the 1960's!!!
I love yard sales and thrift stores. You have created some of the most beautiful pieces out of your finds. They look so great in your home.
You've taken a lot of discarded pieces and woven them together into a beautiful story of home. Love it all! Then there's just the thrill of finding something and knowing it's going to be fabulous once you're done with it! It's a good thing you distracted me with all the eye candy....your lead in has me very curious! Have a beautiful day! :-) Cecilia
Happy Spring to you too! I love what you've done and the tour was fantastic. What you can do with genius and imagination. I didn't get that gene -- I got the cooking, stubborn, and nosey gene. *sigh* I guess I have to be happy with what I've got. But, KariAnne, tell me where your REAL laundry room is? It can't be that gorgeous room with no dirty clothes or lint bunnies. (I peeked). Clean as a pin!! Thank you for the tour!! I hope we can go garage sailing some day. ?
Beautiful clean fresh house!! Love how you decorate and re-purpose things. Your photography skills are awesome too:)!!
Everything is so unique when the pieces come from yard sales, junk stores and the side of the road! Beautiful home, beautifully you. Love your talent for putting things together and seeing what things "can" be.
I understand the whole heart beating faster when you see a yard sale sign! Thats me!!! Absolutely love yard sales & thrift stores, So much so that my hubby puts me on a time limit some weekends!! You've done amazing things with all of your finds! Thanks for sharing, you inspire me to do more with my finds!! Your neighbor Kentucky Girl, Kristi :)
What an inspiring home tour!! I think the most welcoming & interesting homes are the ones filled with treasures that have a past. I like to decorate our home using salvaged, vintage, thrifted and free finds too!!
Of course you did! As I look around my house this morning some of my favorite things were road side finds!
Beautiful, KariAnne...and I'm with you...it's how we do it, too!
Lots of thrift and garage sale pieces over at our house! I'm so glad Spring is here and I can change them AGAIN with paint and have "something new" in the house.
I couldn't agree more!! Love to do the same thing with all my finds...and I have found some real "doozies"!! A friend once introduced me to someone as:"she finds beauty in almost anything that you and I can't even see"...it was a very sweet compliment! !
You are AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing your gifts and inspiring me!
Thanks for having me over! Now you better give me some hints on auctions. Add a blog on this topic, please. I am afraid of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Details, for a beginner. I might spend 300 when I could spend 30. My favorite is estate sales. The price is marked, I know what the seller expects, and IF I want the item, I know what to pay.
I'm with Nan!! Never even been to an auction because I'm too scared of what I might come home with for way too much money!!!
This why your home is so inviting! You can feel the love and work that went into your finds to make them yours. So much better than a roomful of expensive showroom furniture! Love that you shared your great finds!
KariAnne! Would I love to go shopping with you!!! Just wow! Thank you friend for all the inspiration❤️
Ok, so now "King of the Road" is in my head!! Loving it ALL!!! : )
Everything is absolutely gorgeous. You do yard sales better than most. Love how you redo and then put it all together.
Extremely convincing!! :)
You are so creative and craftsy and I'm glad we're friends too! I especially like the '7 Things I Would Buy At a Yard Sale If I Only Had $5.00.' Now, if I could only get another weekend off!
I have the same rug you have in your entry. I love it. It is in my small apartment living room. My mom gave it to me as a gift. I am a thrift store devotee, and I can't believe some of the things I found that I couldn't afford unless it was a thrift store price. I should try yard sales, too. :) Your home is very pretty! People are reluctant about thrift stores and yard sales because they are afraid of it looking junky or cheap, or used being a synonym for broken. But I am so happy with the things I found! Original value of my coffee table: $600. Thrift store price (incl tax): $33. Original value of my loveseat: $500. My price: free! Original price of my ladder bookcase: $898. Thrift store price (incl tax): $212. Original price of my oversized armchair: At least $500. Thrift store price: $46 plus wrestling it halfway into the back of my Yaris then tying it down and praying. You have done so beautifully with your yard sale finds and other decor! Gorgeous!
Love your test-tube tulips! So simple and springlike! I don't have your gift for yard sales but I am great at finding clearance clothing items! I guess we all have our talents. ;) Happy Tuesday to you.
I love your house and that so many pieces have such a remarkable past. That love, creativity and energy are what make your house HOME. Well done!
Your home is absolutely gorgeous! Please come do the same to mine ?
Way to go! I know you love your home and it really shows...Thank you for sharing your lovely place..very inspiring! Leticia
Just love your home, KariAnne! It's just so beautiful! I love how you have found all these antique items and given them a second chance! You do a wonderful job of everything! Have a blessed day!
Great inspiration! I'm beginning to think I can give life to a $20.00 Duncan Phyfe style table that's been sitting on the back porch for 5+ years. I'll give it a go!!
Enjoyed ur home tour. Loved the history of all. Well done in all aspects! :-)
Kari, I always find myself feeling at home when I look at your rooms so (since I do not have your knack) I have been looking at your pictures and asking myself what it is that makes me feel so cozy (hyggeligt ;)). This has been helping me to decide what I want to do in some of my rooms. I bought my latest home a year ago and I am trying to work toward stamping more of what make me happy on it. THANKS! for being such an inspiration. Question: on the original post about the crate wall organizers it says to nail them directly to the wall. Is this achieved by nailing through the top brace in the back at an angle? I know the hammer won't fir down into the box, so I am figuring it has to be toe-nailed. Thanks.
My favorite post ever! I wish I had your talent for seeing a diamond in the rough and creatively changing to something so beautiful.
Great things can be found at garage,estate sales and thrift stores. Marilyn
Love the tour. You see so many possibilities in cast-offs!
Karianne, only you could make a silk purse from a pig's ear.
Love your finds and how you repurposed them.
Absolutely gorgeous! Your house is lovely and shows just what a bit of effort can do!!! Love the all white look - surprisingly warm and cosy looking!!! Thanks for the tour!!
Clearly I should go with you the next time you venture out to a yard sale..... or just ride in your car so I can find things on the side of the road. Wow. Talk about lemonade out of lemons. You're a rock star.
WOW! Loved seeing the home tour and hearing about all of your great finds and bargains, not to mention seeing how you upcycled them and how you used/decorated with them in your home!! That's half the fun of finding the treasure - being able to "brag" to everyone else! :) Thank you for "bragging" - you made my day!
I LOVE this! There is definitely something about the feeling you get when you give a piece of furniture new life! You really have a talent though to spot these things! Thank you for sharing.
Fun post! But I can beat your table price...$5 at auction. The hardware to put it back together was more. We don't go to auctions or yards sales much any more. Our home is blessed to be filled. In fact, we are the attic storage for free to our "don't live here, just there stuff" kids. But I do buy paint and use it! On the 4th color for our table. Enjoy this early spring day!
Great post. One person's trash is another's treasure! Re-purposing old furniture is a great way to bring a unique flair to a home.
I'm thinkin' that trash-treasures are much easier (and more affordable) to come by in your neck-of-the-woods than in So Cal. But, I'm also thinkin' that the Lord has placed it on my heart to make it work here, and for me to share it... eventually... soon?... on a blog??? Praying about my niche, for there are several. And, waiting to be sure that the prodding I continue to feel really is from Him. >.< SCAAAARYYY! ;-)
My favorite price--FREE!!!
Do you have a tutorial on the Farm letters, or does your brother sell them? I live on a farm and I don't have much wall space...but I would find a space for that!
You have found so many amazing pieces at thrift stores of junk stores! I always hope to find things but just do not have the right mind set to see their potential. I enjoy how you decorated your home for spring, nothing too crazy but still feels light and airy. I always use flora and greenery for my spring home decor!
LOVE! Thank you for the amazing tour and sharing your secrets. Happy Spring!!
The club chairs in front of the window, with the nailhead details (I think they are the same chairs in the bedroom?) Where did you find them/buy them? I'm in love with nailhead details! I have two La-Z-Boy recliners that don't look like recliners. They have low, square backs, are very tailored, and have nailhead trim on the outside sides (if that makes sense), rather than in the front, like yours. The arms are very square, rather than rolled. The legs are like yours. I suppose if you have to pinpoint the style, I would say it's transitional: traditional, with a modern upgrade. I love that no one knows they are recliners by looking at them, but the other thing is their size: they are compact and fit in our space perfectly. When they were worn, we opted to have them professionally reupholstered (because my idea of reupholstering a square pillow back cushion involved a curtain from Target, some fusing fabric tape, if that's what it's called, two safety pins and a hair elastic!) ALL OF THAT IS TO SAY that I love your chairs with the rolled arms and think they would fit perfectly in my space (when I'm ready to move mine into another room. So, source, please? They are gorgeous! Oh! LOVE the dining table, the wood backed chair at the table and the curtains in the windows!
And I love ???? your diamond pattern stained floor. Gorgeous!
Trying to "break the code" of how your rooms appear to be so restful. It's using a neutral color as the base! LOVE all your rooms and you totally pulled all together! Thank you for sharing. BTW: do you use linen blends for your furniture?
Boy do I love what you do with junk, has beens, and tossed asides! You have a vision! And you are clever! If we lived nearby, I'd invite you over for a fix it all up session,and I'd trade you bouquets of fresh flowers and arms full of veggies all summer. Wish I had half of your marvelous inclination! EVERY photo has me sighing at the beauty!
What a beautifully 'collected' home you have!
Wow! Beautiful. Everything, and you are on a different plane from the rest of us with the books matching thing. I'm just happy when people put my books back on the shelf. I never thought about their colors.
It's been a while since I've been here and oh how I've missed you and your beautiful home full of treasures! This is my kind of decorating!!! What was lost - now has found a new purpose in life! Thank you for sharing your creativity and always inspiring! xoxo
This is the definition of my farmhouse!!! I have an old chicken crate hanging on my wall from the barn, shelves made out of wood I found in the corncrib, an old ladder covered in pigeon poo in my living room ( I sealed it;-) I find the things I love the most in my home are the things that have a story!
Everything is gorgeous and I believe that many of ht best things in one's house is vintage or antique! Thanks for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things!!
Love this! Thanks for sharing all your finds with us :) That is exactly how I decorate my home! I can walk around and say I got this from a flea market, from goodwill, an auction or the side of the road! Nice!
Wow, your home looks like it's straight out of a magazine! So bright and tidy! I love that you use yard sale finds to decorate, and the outcome is really nice :) Have a lovely day, Maisy
Kari- Can I go to YOUR junk stores and garage sales, and side of the road??? Here in Ohio we truly HAVE sink- not like that!!! Lol!!! I love all your blog's and designs! I love white milk glass and farmhouse designs and tan and jute accent pieces just like you!
We have gotten a lot of our furniture at yard sales and flee markets. I love your mix & match style. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & shared.