Thrift Store Finds - Refinishing Furniture

So, as some as you know, I've been in love with Thrift Store shopping since my punk rock days in high school. It all started, while living in the Coachella Valley, with thrift stores like Angel View, The Salvation Army, and other church affiliated second hand stores. I had acquired quite a collection of Doc Martins, vintage t-shirts and plaid skirts. I would make $20 go a long way.

The love affair continued with moving to Long Beach, Calif. for college. Retro Row, on 4th Street, has an amazing selection of boutiques, thrift stores and vintage furniture stores. Some of these stores were a little out of my moderate budget, but I still enjoyed looking at everything. Always keeping a mental note, that if I won the lottery, I would know where to get all of my awesome furniture, to fill my multimillion dollar loft.  

Now living in the City of Everett, about 30 minutes outside of Seattle, I have once again dived into my thrifting habits. My husband and I have filled our two-bedroom apartment with thrift store and auction treasures. We recently moved into a 4-bedroom house and now we have the work-space to take on larger projects (raised garden beds, brewing beer, bothering the neighbors).

This week I hit up the local Goodwill in Lynnwood, WA and I was drawn to this amazing little black chair. It's in good shape and has an eye-catching look. The paint is super thick and icky, so I'm in the process of stripping it. My twin sister lent me her book on refinishing furniture, so I'm using it as a basic guide.

Its going to take more than one coat of paint stripper, but I'll hopefully have this beauty ready for sanding by next week. I'm going to be looking at cool fabric to reupholster the seat. This chair was $5, so if it doesn't work out, I'm not that invested in it.

I also bought two shelving-storage-things, which I can't really describe, but I plan on making it a buffet, for my dining room. I plan on having them end-to-end, with the shelves facing out. When I first saw this piece, it was placed as a corner storage unit, but I think it would be cooler as a buffet. I want to refinish it in milk paint, so I'm stripping this as well. 

I love having a garage. I feel so adult now. My Dad loves talking to me about these kind of DIY projects, so I call him often for advice, little tips and status updates. That man could talk about tools all day. My parents currently live in Palm Desert (near Palm Springs) and he doesn't take on these kinds of projects like he used to while living in Minnesota. Its okay, he has me to fill his crafting needs.