before & after: DIY white lamp

A few weeks ago I made, yet another, wonderful discovery in my building’s garbage hub: a brassy old table lamp. Stuck to its stained and dated lampshade was a note that read, Still works! :)  

I considered this a good find. Loved the look of the lamp, and was not 100% turned off by the brassy base (the lampshade was a definite no, and was left in the trash). After being left in its original state for a few weeks, I decided that a spritz of white spray paint would give it a more modern and chic look. 

Sporting a new $12 lampshade from Wal-Mart, my garbage lamp is complete! When I get tired of white, I can easily switch out the lampshade for something more dramatic, a la the lovely Rose Landscape Lampshade from Anthropologie (spending a few extra $$ on a shade is easier to justify when you scored the base for free) OR easily repaint the base in a new colour. Another option, would be to try sanding off some of the white, for a brassy-weathered-look (no idea if that would actually work…but worth a try one day) 

And, a friendly reminder to please vote for my bedroom in Apartment Therapy's Room for Color contest. Winner receives a $1000 gift card to Fab.com and some much-needed paint from Sherwin-Williams. Thank you! 

my new neighbourhood: kijiji finds

Today my dad and I posted a few things on Kijiji, which led to me browsing some local goods. Found a few items worth a second look and thought I'd share, just in case your living room is in need of a Tiger Coffee Table...  

Tiger Glass Top Coffee Table $200
Disclaimer from owner: The pictures do not do the table justice. Described as a one-of-a-kind item from a shop down the street, that advertises "Antiques, Cool Stuff and Weird Junk"…will definitely be visiting. 

Retro McDonalds Filet O Fish Collectible Kids' Ride $250

Pretty sure I rode this as a kid. Owners are in Port Severn, and if I’m not mistaken, there was a McDonald’s Play Place somewhere around there before McDonald’s Play Places were even a thing. 

Vintage Telephone Table This is actually kind of adorable, owners claim it is in mint condition, and at $25 it seems like a steal. Unfortunately phones are not included, but saw similar ones at Pottery Barn. 

Toilet complete assembly – FREE 

Solid, working. Need 2 bolts for the tank. 

Pick up from the curb.

,,,Enough said. 

Stadium Chairs for the Mancave $100

Kind of a cool idea, apparently the seats are leather. 

Honourable Mentions (not pictured)

Garbage Bag of Women’s Clothing $40

Mix of summer and winter teen/women’s clothing, sizes x-small to medium. With over 50 items in the bag, this could be an okay deal. 

All Kinds of Bottoms! $80

Requires travel to Orillia. Seller seems to have a lot of jeans, shorts and skirts in all sizes, or you can take them all for $80...is that a deal?

50 Shades of Grey and 50 Shades Darker $15

2 for $15…terrible deal, Amazon is cheaper and they will ship to your door. 

** Formatting this post was a nightmare.  

Before and After: Revamped Rickety Kitchen Chair

As most of my blog posts begin, this kitchen chair was rescued from the garbage can of a neighbouring apartment building. It was salvaged within the first week of adopting Maggie, and lugging that oversized chair up three flights of stairs with her timidly in tow was definitely the most difficult part of this DIY. 

Having extra seating readily available is always tricky in a small space but despite rarely entertaining a crowd and having ample closet space, I was still in the market for a few accent chairs that could do double duty as both a practical piece of furniture and a lovely place to stuff more decorative pillows. 

After a light sanding, a thick slather of black paint (leftover from a previous project), and what felt like an eternity of keeping my white dog away from the paint, the new chair was up and running and ready for extra guests—however, it was a rickety chair and the handful of times it was used, it was used very carefully…hence why it was found in the garbage. 

Garbage Finds: I Love Lamp

Since adopting my dog, Maggie, my walk-around-the-block count has gone from zero to a billion in just a few months. This has been great for my waistline, stress –and apartment; because my garbage finds have gone from picking up random pieces of furniture my fellow neighbours don’t want to now picking up the things my ritzy Forest Hill neighbours don’t want—and my ritzy neighbours have had some good stuff!

Exhibit A: My brass globe lamp that likely spent an evening outdoors on the curb. Bringing it in was risky, since it probably had water damage and I’m convinced I could’ve been electrocuted. Thankfully the garbage gods were on my side, and after dragging it up three flights of stairs and giving it a few days to ‘dry out’ I plugged the bad-boy in and have been enjoying it ever since.

My new find increased in personal value when I spotted him in one of my favourite design sites, Lonny, as a Trend We Love feature.

Also worth mentioning: Those new $19 curtains from Target <3