As a native New Englander I hate to see something tossed in the landfill that can be brought back to life with a little care and attention. And I love the challenge of refurbishing a piece to give it a brand new relevance. We approach our estate sales with these principles (ingenuity, frugality, creativity) and that helps us to deliver a great result.
After the major pieces and collections have been moved, Yankee “recycling” becomes the key to our clean-up process. Leftover books are donated to area libraries, clothing to a local charity, canned goods to the food cupboard, leftover linens to the animal shelter. Cleaning products are even boxed and sold in lots so they don't end up in the trash. Nothing goes to waste and the sale closures are neat, and “green,” and tidy!
During the winter months, when the sale calendars are light, I love to spend time refurbishing my summer finds. Chalk paint is like magic! I’ve transformed very sad looking, solid wood "hope" chests into lovely blanket chests for my guest rooms with cleaning, light sanding, and a couple of coats of chalk paint. You’d never know they had been covered with scratches, water marks, and that dated brown finish that was so popular in the 60's.
I also keep an eye out for older children’s books. Damaged, vintage, hardcover books will often have wonderful pictorial plates inside that have minimal to no damage themselves. The plates can be carefully removed and framed for unique and beautiful displays. It's fun to swap them out from season to season.
While the snow falls, check out our Facebook page where I post articles about easy re-purposing projects that yield beautiful results. I'd love to hear what you're working on, too!
Photo: Petit & Small: Vintage Kid's Room with Boho Touch