Petite writing desks on a budget

We have two girls' writing desks for economical young ladies.
Both have 4 drawers and are ~43" wide x ~17" deep x ~30" tall:

French Provincial style labeled "Bonnet by Sears", wood and pressed wood
(oops, top 2 left-hand drawers are reversed in the photo)
and
Shabby Chic, wooden, white writing desk

I've updated this post after sitting at one of the desks and realizing that, although the height is standard, the leg room under the drawer is too short for an adult!

Please check our craigslist ad for current pricing and availability!

Thank you :^)

To chic or not to chic?

Charming, wooden dining table and 4 chairs.
Queen Anne styling with a sweetly curved apron, cabriole legs, and scrolled feet.

The world is divided into 2 camps: those who divide the world into 2 camps and those who abhor such over-simplifications!

Still, there are definitely 2 distinct attitudes about painting furniture, and folks do seem to line up in one camp or the other: those who paint wooden furniture, and those who see that as sacrilege. 

With furniture like this, I think it's ok to go either way for these 3 reasons: the light fruitwood does not have a particularly memorable grain, the current finish is quite worn, and the structure is decent. An excellent candidate for a shabby chic transformation, which could, however, be scrubbed up just a bit and enjoyed as it is.

The chairs were made by Lenoir Chairs, which was a mid-quality furniture mfg.
started in 1926 by one of the Broyhill brothers and later merged into the Broyhill brand. These may be from the 1960s, judging from the flecked finish. They were re-upholstered about 6 months ago.

The table is 43.5" diameter plus two 18" leaves. The table, which has no manufacturer's tag, and the chairs have subtle differences in style, and may have been purchased separately,
although the pieces do go well together.

For current pricing, availability, please see the craigslist ad.

For more views of our eclectic inventory visit our gallery
Click here to see all our CL furniture listings, or search CL's FURNITURE listings for "kenmore consignment".
Click here to see all our non-furniture CL listings, or search ALL CL's listings for "kenmore consignment".

Please mention the CL ad to secure the CL price! Thanks.

Shop TLR online while it is snowy

Kenmore Plaza in the early few inches of snow
17 January 2012

Looks like we'll be closed for the next couple of days due to snow and the general wimpiness of Puget Sound residents (including me) when it comes to the white stuff. We'll be out in force again when the rains come on Thursday, Lord willing.

Please visit our online store or call us at 425-877-1074.

From Sheila's Tea Ministry: new consignments you will enjoy

Our friend Sheila has taken us up on the offer of consigning for charity. Here are some items from her first batch. Nice, huh? Her consignments support a tea-party ministry she does with a friend, offering respite and a spot of beauty to women needing encouragement in life. 

If you want a boost, ask Sheila to tell you some of her "God-stories" about how the Lord Jesus arranges personal blessings above and beyond what she and Jeanette lovingly plan for their guests.

Before Shabby Chic, there was Antiquing

Antiqued antique, small, serpentine dresser. $195.

I'm not referring to "antiquing" as in shopping for antiques, but rather a refinishing method that did homage to the look of age.

This little 2-drawer dresser is an "antiqued antique"!
It's in very good condition. Dovetail drawer construction. Top drawer is serpentine.

Original brass drawer pulls and wheels.

Here's a closer look at the Persian-style area rug the dresser is sitting on (UPDATE: RUG SOLD):

Like new area rug, 4'4" x 6'5". Persian-style, durable manmade fibers. $48 SOLD

Antique side chairs: Queen Anne meets shabby chic

(UPDATE: These chairs sold 12/3/2011)


Lovely new consignment: a pair of antique chairs, refinished in roses of captivating charm:

The springs in the seat cushions are in great condition, and tell us these chairs are not reproductions but vintage.
Shabby chic refinishing and tasteful reupholstery give these sturdy Queen Anne-style side chairs a beautiful extension on life.
$125 each. SOLD
www.thelivingroominkenmore.com

Mirrors to increase the light on rainy days

I didn't realize we had so many mirrors in our inventory. Many beauties to choose from. Here are some...

35.5" x 42.5" in wide, subtly gilded frame. $225

Beveled mirror in ~30" x 65" gilded frame. Slots for hanging portrait or landscape. $195

Large, heavy, vintage mirror in newer frame, 31.5" x 48.75". Excellent quality. Wired for horizontal. $250

Large mirror in simple oak frame, 32.5" x 42" $125

Tall mirror from dresser in heavy frame, 27.5" x 45.5" $38

Tall, dresser mirror in wood/plastic frame, 29" x 50" $28

Utterly charming, shabby chic mirror. Shown upside down, creates apple or heart shape, 28" x 40" $65

Charming mirror in antiqued gilt frame, 25" x 21". $65

Cool "Cat & Books" oversees our Summer Sidewalk Sale

Cat and Books, signed, limited edition print by Carmichael. 32" wide.
$125

Cool cat says everything on the sidewalk is discounted 15% or more.

Cool things in the store include many discounted items, as well. Here are some cute newcomers:
(Update 8/23/11: jewelry armoire, french provincial dresser, child's blue hutch have sold.)

Too chilly to garden? Try adding some sculpture...

Two charming, cast resin garden sculptures, ~14" tall,
ivory paint chipping off in a shabby chic sort of way.

A happily day-dreaming young girl with her cat, $12,
and a hospitably large pineapple oops! it's an acanthus finial $18

A collection of beds, and sale continues through Saturday, April 2.... UPDATE APRIL 3: THIS SALE IS OVER!

Pre-Script: We're continuing our 10%-off-everything-and-then-some-sale through the end of the week, April 2, not just the end of March. Doesn't make sense not to fill out the week. So, come by and see what's here! I am enjoying giving out cups of Davidson's organic tea to our shoppers, and am eating way too many of the Danish butter cookies myself.

I wish I could show you a flower bed out front, but not yet. Although Pamela is in the middle of doing a folk art painting of flowers and birds on a chunky coffee table out on the sidewalk, I can only show you this "before" photo:

It already looks much better than this, and we're eager to see what Pamela has in her creative mind's eye.

In lieu of flower beds, let me show you the beds on sale at 10%-25% off this week:

First, 2 dark queens...

Vintage Broyhill queen sleigh bed. $425 before 15% sale discount this week.

Thornwood Furniture's Mendocino queen panel bed. Like new. Started at $595 before 25% discount this week. Two matching dressers also available.

Then, two light-hearted twinsize pieces...

Cheerful white wicker headboard, $48 before 10% sale discount.

Elegant hardwood 4-poster canopy bed, here shown set up as day bed. Bed is $225 before 15% discount this week. Includes wooden 4-poster frame, metal canopy, metal rails, box springs and mattress (secondhand in very good condition). This little window retreat is one of my favorite places to sit in the shop these days.UPDATE: SOLD.

Overflowing with treasures! Mention this blog for 10% off through February 12, 2011.

In the raw weather, I hesitate to fill up the sidewalk with alluring merchandise, but there's not much choice if I want our customers to be able to get into The Living Room.

Petite wooden buffet made by Gregory Furniture Mfg. Co. in Tacoma pre-1940: SOLD 2/9/2011

Framed print of intriguing 1909 painting, "On the Heights", by American impressionist Charles Courtney Curran:
3 young women watching...what? $58. The little 22"x18" glass and roses table is $78.

We've been doing sort of an Ethiopian wedding dance, side-stepping and turning in order to skirt through the narrowed aisles.

Stylish, black and glass IKEA display cabinet: SOLD 2/12/2011

Vintage, British style, children's armoire SOLD 2/12/2011

But, truly, I am mending my ways and creating walking space. Just come see if I don't!

Beautiful, 1948 corner china cabinet, ~35" across, ~24" along corner sides. $895

A cousin to the Federal-style corner cabinet! A sweet, little entry table with 1 drawer, by Harden. SOLD 2/12/2011

And, to repeat the offer in the title, mention this blog post to get 10% off any one item through February 12, 2011.

Shabby Chic mirror (shown upside down), $49

Tall and handsome, a comfortable, wooden slat rocker, $65

And after the van pulled away, a station wagon drove up...

Just popping online for a moment (famous last words!) to show you a few more of our recent consignments:

Two nearly-new Stowaway Cribs by Foundations, Model 40-20-2F-CW. ($110 each.)

Stowaway cribs are easy to roll out and set up, even one-handed.
White metal frame is 26.5" wide x 40" long, and stands 30.5" tall at the sides.
In excellent condition. Mattress pad included. Why pay $215 for new when these are available?

And when the little one is not in the crib, wouldn't this be a fun place to sit with mom?

Charming and classy, white wicker rocker. A natural in a shabby chic or garden setting.
Woven resin makes this great indoors or out. In excellent condition. ($165)

That's all I have time to show you here. Many more treasures to see in our flickr.com gallery, and of course in person at The Living Room, with a cup of tea.

Shabby Chic still charms us

Perhaps the enduring attraction of shabby chic is its representation of grace for imperfections, inviting us to see past flaws, or even enjoy the stories they hint at.

Here are some of the consignments in The Living Room that qualify for the shabby chic category, and some that could be spiffed up to find a spot there:


Vintage wicker patio conversation chairs. Price include pillows shown.
Starting at $75 each or $140/pair: SOLD 10/2/2010 to a woman who takes classes at Shin's Taekwando in our building. I can understand wanting a nice place to sit and breathe after a workout like that.


A little 3-way mirror with beveled glass, and an owie on the bottom corner:
Starting at $45, now $35:


The gossip bench. I think this should be re-purposed as a toy chest. And add wheels!
Starting at $55, now $45.


Here's the more refined piece, for more refined gossip.
Started at $125, now $110: