LeCultivateur Happy Monday, sweet friends!! I have been so incredibly busy these last few weeks, so if I haven’t replied to your email(s)/comment(s), please know that I’m working on it! Y’all are the best! I appreciate all the love and support that y’all show!!
Anyone who has ever read my blog before, knows that I absolutely LOVE to give new life to old, broken, beaten down, pieces of furniture. It’s such a fun creative outlet! Because I usually end up falling in love with almost every piece that I redo, often times I go back and forth between selling and keeping the items, but unfortunately I just don’t have a place for every piece!
Recently, I scored this super cute piece….
Sorry for the poor “before” pictures! They were taken in my messy garage, so just ignore the mess and look at this fabulous piece!
Just $25, but no one else wanted it! I was one of the only people to message about it…crazy, right!
I guess it’s hard for some people to look beyond the broken/missing glass, broken shelves, poorly patched holes, and super dirty exterior. But me, I saw the cute shape, and knew it could be amazing!
I’m not going to lie and say that this was an easy project, because it wasn’t! It took a lot of work just to get this piece clean enough to start painting. Not to mention, all the little fixes! But in the end, it turned out pretty cute!
I replaced the glass with chicken wire, fixed the shelves, new knobs, added bead-board over the poorly patched hole, added a sweet little detail on the board, just below the top door, and chalk painted it. Doesn’t it look so much better?
And, of course, I took the time to style it, before listing it. Styling each piece is my favorite part!! And, I think it helps in the selling process sooo much!!
How fun is that little pop down book holder!
I’m totally loving it, and everyone on the Marketplace loved it too! It sold really fast, to the sweetest lady! It always makes me happy when I know that my pieces are going to a home where they’ll be well loved!
And, just because I want to be 100% truthful, and not completely sugar coat the whole selling process….I have had a few not so happy encounters on the Marketplace. While selling this piece in particular. I had well over 50 people that really wanted it. I had people ask me to sell it to them, even though I’d already promised it to someone else. I had people tell me that I wasn’t selling it fairly because they wanted to pick it up right then, and the person buying it wasn’t coming until the following day. I had people offer me significantly more money if I would sell it to them instead….all of this behavior is so completely off putting to me! I have been in a position before where I REALLY wanted something on the marketplace, it was promised to me, and then on the way to pick it up, they sold it to someone else. It made me feel really bad! I have promised myself that I would NEVER do that to anyone!
Thank you so much for visiting LeCultivateur!!! I so appreciate YOU taking the time to read my blog, and for leaving such sweet comments!! Y’all are the best, and make blogging so much fun!!
Hope y’all have a wonderful day!!
~Emily
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for September! Just click on the graphic below for entry details…
Check out where I have linked this project…. Blog link list
That is an amazing transformation. You are an inspiration to me and I enjoy very much reading your blog. Also, I believe your attitude on MP selling is spot on.
Thank you so much!!!
This piece turned out great and it has so many wonderful spots. I think you’re doing the right thing on your sales. If a commitment is made to someone it wouldn’t be right to sell out to another even for money.
Cindy
You’re so sweet!!! Thank you, my friend!!!
It turned out to be beautiful!! I really love that piece. 😃
Thank you so much!!!
Emily I just love what you did with the cabinet and how you styled your leaf garland. Looks amazing. Both do.
Thank you so much!!!
Oh my dear, dear friend. What an amazing eye for detail you have and what talent at turning a shabby rejected piece into a masterpiece. I’d have worked pretty hard to find a place in my home for this piece so I could keep it if I had been the one to find it. I don’t know how you manage to sell all you do because they always turn out so beautifully! I’m so jealous of the incredible finds you have on Facebook Marketplace in your area. As for selling – I’m the same way. I would never consider selling something out from under someone who it was promised to because I’ve had that done to me as well.
Thank you so much!! You’re so sweet!!! If only you lived closer, we could scour the marketplace together!!
Emily,
The transformation is incredible! You have so much talent and vision in seeing the bones of a salvageable piece. Plus, you have so much vision in helping to make our world a better place. I applaud your commitment to doing the right thing in your life. It encourages me to know others are not only doing what is pure, kind, and honest, but also encouraging others to do the same.
Bravo! Well done!
Judith
Thank you so much!! You’re so sweet!!!
I just stumbled on to your blog & I’m loving it so much!!! So many elegant projects & amazing ideas you come up with. I can’t believe how you brought this back to life from almost nothing. I do have a few questions for you about this project if you don’t mind 🙂
1) Can you make post about how you added the drop down book shelf/holder please?
I have a hard time pricing things when I try to sell things I’ve worked on…..
2)So If you don’t mind sharing how much you ended up selling this piece for after all your very very hard work & time?
You’re so sweet! Thank you so much!!
The drop down shelf was already built into the cabinet, but I know how they built it, and I’d be happy to do a blog post on it soon!
As for the price, I sold it for $100. So, after all the supplies and labor, there isn’t much profit at all…I’m still working on trying to figure out the whole pricing thing too!
I just love all of these fall-inspired decorating tips!
Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for info! Not sure I’m up to this, but it sounds like fun!