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. 

before & after: dining room feature wall

I blame Bathurst Street for being the reason my kitchen is no longer white. Living on one of the busiest streets in Toronto makes having white walls (white anything, really) nearly impossible. You have no idea how much dust, grime and probably pollution billows in through those little Bathurst-facing windows, and it gets everywhere—except on my food. For obvious reasons, I like to think that my food is always clean. 

The kitchen wall I was set on dressing up is visible throughout the apartment. With the exception of standing in the bedroom or bathroom, you can see this wall upon entering the apartment and when seated in the living room—it feels prominent. I wanted something that would catch the eye and help to make my dusty white walls look like the brightest and cleanest white walls that ever existed.

I found my new wall colour while catching up on one of my favourite blogs, Making It Lovely. Nichole was in the middle of transforming her living room and was sampling some very dark and dramatic hues from Benjamin Moore. She wasn’t quite sure about any of the swatches she had painted—but that little two-inch square of Soot had caught my eye. Also, wouldn’t it be kind of ironic to paint my dusty wall Soot?

I did a quick google search on the colour ‘Soot’ and saw a few other rooms painted the same colour. They were lovely, and I was convinced that I had found my colour. I immediately called my dad and invited him over to paint.

Painting Dark Colours 101 
A few things worth mentioning when going with a dark colour:

Dark Colours are Dark 
Shocking, right? Just be aware that if you don’t have a ton of natural light, this could make your room feel small and gloomy.

Compliment with White Trim, Moldings or Features
My last apartment was a junior one bedroom on the first floor. I didn’t get a lot of natural light, but still opted to paint the place grey. It worked because the space had a dropped ceiling, lovely crown molding, and huge double doors leading into the bedroom—which were all painted a bright white. This helped to lighten the space and complimented the dark walls, making it feel a little more cheerful and brighter than it actually was. 

Tinted Primers 
This is especially handy if you are painting over a bright white wall. Prepping your wall with an inexpensive tinted primer will allow you to get that rich paint chip colour—it will also save a bit of money, since you likely won't need a second or third coat of paint. 

so styled: burgers, beers and sangria

Cheers to the August long weekend! And cheers to my second styled post in less than a week (I have found my new obsession).

Despite being cooped up in the house prepping and purging for my move (less than a month!), I managed to satisfy my burger craving with a few cheddar jalapeno patties—sadly the sangria craving went unsatisfied, since the one featured is a fake. But c’est la vie, I will consume my calories with other tasty treats.

Set of 4 Assorted Napkins - Target $6 | Oh Joy! Round Melamine Plates - Target $12  

Lemon & Lime Salt & Pepper Shakers - Pier1 $10 | Planters Sadie Hedgehog Measuring Cups - Pier1 $14  Assorted Succulents - Home Depot $3-$5 | Snack Bowl - Wind & Willow $49 | Gold Craw-fish - New Orleans Souvenir $1.99 | Pickled Corkscrew - Fred & Friends $ unknown  | Lobster Bottle Opener - $ Unknown