HomeHack Tip 101-103: Everything Old Is New Again

There's a time and a place for IKEA furniture so don't get me wrong. I like an IKEA sofa as much as the next person. But there are times when you need a stately, high-quality, kick-a** impressive piece of furniture. 

As the steward/keeper/number 1 fan of an old home, we've been taking our time to purchase select pieces one by one. If you know me you know this is also because we are very, very frugal too.

TIP 1: So in this week's OldHouseDiary home decor hack, my tip for affordable decorating is to find a small local antique dealer who loves what he or she does. There are sleepy little antique stores everywhere once you start to look. 

 

Near us, we found this great place Every Now and Then. 

You are looking for a place has their fingers on the pulse of sales. Dereck seems to know the estate sales and gets new pieces in each month. Keep in mind you don't really want a fancy shop like the ones on King Street in Charleston, where everything is overpriced.

TIP 2: Also look for pieces that can be redone. This little table above was stripped, darkened and amazingly underneath had a beautiful inlay on the top. 

TIP 3: Stop by your antique store every now and then. That way you can see what's new and scoop it up as well as keep your eye on the pieces you are watching. This amazing bedroom furniture set was made locally. It is made of mahogany and has mother of pearl inlays as well as brass and walnut inlays too. 

We know it was made locally because of the letter in it from 1928 where they are matching the beds to the dresser, back when America and particularly Cincinnati and the Midwest were places where people made stuff. Hopefully, with things like local craft beers on the rise, other locally made items will come back too and I'm hopeful for an American Renaissance. Meanwhile, I'll just keep my eye out for special pieces. Hope these tips are helpful.