A few corners of our local Thrift Shop

 Welcome to "Troc de France", a place I love to visit, despite how cold it is at this time of year, you just have to remember to dress accordingly...like you are visiting the North pole.

I always started off by checking out the furniture and finish off here, in the bric à brac section.

There's always a treasure to be found, and most time for less than a couple of euros. Today I found a retro sugar dispenser for 2 euros.

More than half of the furniture come from thrift shops, before I used to buy on Ebay (last big buy was our  1960's butcher's block, our Conran couch and of course our Eames Lounge Chair).  One thing's for sure, I just love thrifting. 

Thrift shop find of the week/month

Every Saturday we drive MK to her pony club, most Saturday's we do the grocery shopping and some Saturday's we go and visit our local thrift shop.  Ok today we did the first and the third, shopping can wait.

Look what we found, an enormous mirror. We bought it of course, especially as it only cost 56 euros.  Boy it was heavy to carry.

For now it's new home is in the entrance hall and for now it will stay.  One thing is sure, we will never try and hang this thing.  

Kitchen update...new things

After the accident with the hanging rack last week and me no wanting to put it back up in our kitchen, we had to come up with some storage system for our pans and utensils and we opted for something simple and functional.  These Ikea shelves are usually destined for garages or a workshop but not in out case.  Thanks to the space with have gained here, I even found place for some plates and bowls too, this left me lots of space in the farmhouse dresser to free up space and organize things better.

This was an un-used corner of our kitchen, that was until we last visited our favourite thrift store on Saturday (yes before going to Ikea). We found this old table that we just love so much (60 euros) and that little red cupboard above, I was drawn to it by its colour, looks close to Farrow & Balls Blazer to me but I know it can't be.

I've not organized it really, not yet, but these things take time.  Oh yes the cupboard has been given a good clean, but I'm keeping the colours (inside and out) but I shall change the handle one day.  Not bad for 6 euros!

   Marie Kate bought herself a first ever thrift plate, hand painted too, with her own money, now that's one euro well spent (the photo show more of the speckled bread than the plate, oh yes that bread was oh so good, I found the recipe here, how I love her blog.

Thursday's Thrift shop find

 Every Thursday Gaby finishes college at two, and guess what opens at two, a stones throw away from her college?  My favourite thrift shop.  I tell Gaby each time, I'll just have a quick look around, she knows I'm looking for several things on my thrift shopping list (garden bench, vintage kitchen chairs, vintage plates....I could go on) 
This time, I didn't find what I hoped I would, a old rustic garden bench, however I found this bird painting (painted on cotton or something alike) and I just couldn't resist (only ten euros too).  I knew Marie-Kate would love it for or room, so that's where she found it when she came home from school.

 It was hard to get a decent photo because of the sunlight (south facing bedroom), but the colours are just amazing.

Marie-Kate  certainly does love it, me too.

Two Danish thrift shop chairs

We saw three chairs that were reserved the Saturday before going on holiday, we liked them straight away, didn't need them though and besides they were reserved till 6pm that evening. It was a cold weekend, inside and out and the temperature in the thrift shop was minus fifteen on Saturday, so they weren't many people.  We hedged our bets and thought it would be worth our while  going  back Sunday morning and see if they were still there, hoping that the freezing cold weather would have put the people off going back to pick them up...and as you can see from the photo that's exactly what happened, all three chairs were there.  

We were told they were Danish. We bought two, sad really to leave one, but I thought if the people who originally wanted all three came back, at least one chair would be a little consolation for them.  

I'm no expert but I'd say they date from the 50's, they are in amazing condition and the wood and how it's shaped is just beautiful.  

One is in the sitting room, and the other in the kitchen and the two chairs were 20 euros each.

Light Book and thrift shop find

I just love our new lamp, designed by Hervé Langlais. It's just perfect for my book tower as it's held in place by just placing a pile of books on top of it.

Last time we went to our favorite second hand shop, Alain saw this chest of drawers.

It had just arrived in the night before and we were lucky enough to be there early and grab a bargain for 80 euros. I did think about just cleaning it and not painting it, but we've got a bedroom that hasn't got much colour (apart from red curtains and orange bedside tables) so I thought once again I'd use some Charlotte's locks to give it a bit of spunk.

I didn't like the handles at first, but they're growing on me

New find at our local thrift shop...before and after

 This is the piece of furniture that we bought for our house in Sanary, it was great there, it held most of our crockery (one side) and art stuff for the children and our English club on the other.
However since we've moved, this piece just hasn't felt right and I've been looking for something a bit more rustic or 60's style ever since.

 I didn't find what I was looking for, but Alain didn't do too bad.  Probably 1950's, in oak and just a perfect fit for between our two windows.

 I did think about painting it, but I think I'll wait, I like seeing the contrast of wood against mizzle, it warms this area better.

Bad photo, but better than nothing.  We moved the picasso (ebay find) above and the Italian oil painting has been put it's place, next to our computer (not on photo).  I like Alain's bronze next to Picasso's flute player, they belong together.

Bye bye Mr H's table and hello thrift one

Mr H's rustic farm table was too big for the room so I've been looking for a smaller round one for ages. I originally wanted a knoll table, but had trouble finding one that didn't have a marble top...then I found a Jean Prouvé table, really nice second hand one, but it was almost the same price as new so that was a no no. In between time I have had my eye on a thrift shop table, small but square and every time I saw it, I just liked it more and more. We bought it yesterday for 50 euros, a big difference from the Knoll that I made a bid on and lost (thankfully) that was obscenely expensive, too much for me to tell you, it's shameful. Same goes for the Prouvé too...

Well here it is after taking the middle legs off, that we didn't need unless we wanted to extend it and that's not an option due us wanting to open up the space for something special (soon to come)

I had some paint left over from skirting boards (railings) and and we painting the legs with it.

we kind of love this table now, so much better that Mr H's, which is soon to become Alain's work bench...that's if we can get it down into the basement.

Front room(sitting room) before and after

Yet another sporadic post, because I won't have time after (landing to do).

We bought the bookcase off Mr H, it's really good quality and cost a fortune when he bought it in the 70's and we really needed space for books. As you can see the walls are extremely dirty, yet again it took two of us a couple of days just to clean behind the bookcase and the wall on the photo.

This is the other side of the room, with the other chair from the thrift shop which probably won't stay here for long cause Gaby wants it for her bedroom. The table was Mr H's, we bought it, however it takes up too much space and I'm looking for a round table to take its place. The children do artwork here.

This cupboard (Ikea) holds all art equipment and sewing machine et cetera. Voila, now you are up to date with the goings on here, now I have to get on with this.

First floor landing really for a final washing down and scrap before priming.

Thrift shop find of the week

Teenager daughter wants it, she says that I don't sit down enough to appreciate/use it, which is kind of true, but still this table is staying put in my bedroom.

A bargain at 20 euros.