Hi beautiful friends!  As our first week of the New Year ends, I thought it would be fun to create a 2021 Furniture Story post — Where Are They Now?  So much time and effort is put into finding these pieces, cleaning, prepping, painting, styling, and photographing all while documenting the entire process here on the #siblog, Pinterest, Youtube, FB, IG, etc…. but then what happens?

Every piece of furniture I salvage has a story to tell. From the history of the piece long before I laid eyes on it to the transformation and a journey to its new home.

Here are a few of those stories from 2021…

Vintage Hallway Table Makeover

Long before I started Salvaged Inspirations, there was a boutique shop in downtown Burlington called My Back Shed.  My sister and I loved browsing in this store. It offered gorgeous French Country furniture, antiques, unique smalls, not to mention stunning upholstery transformations. Years ago Lisa (the owner who I had not met then) moved her store from Burlington to Oakville. Life got busy. And rather than pop into the store frequently, Andrea and I visited the Oakville location only a handful of times.

When I posted this table to Facebook Marketplace, Lisa reached out to purchase this piece for My Back Shed! I was beyond thrilled that one of my pieces was going to be displayed and offered for sale in one of my favorite boutiques!

Takeaway ~ you don’t always have to sell to individuals. Selling your furniture to shops, restaurants, and other small businesses is a great idea as well!

You can see the full makeover of this Vintage Hall Table here.

Woodubend Painted Dresser

Here’s a piece from 2021 that has NOT sold. The reason – I haven’t listed it. If you’re a furniture painter or creator you might be able to relate to what I’m about to say next. There are some projects you pour your heart and soul into and become attached to. This is one of them. Every time I look at this dresser, I think it would be perfect in my home – yet I have NO space for it. So there she sits in my inventory awaiting her destiny. And just as write this last sentence, I’m realizing how sad this sounds…lol. I need to list her so she can find a new home where she will be used and appreciated every day.

Takeaway~ Although it can be difficult letting go of our creations if you haven’t found a place for them within a year, you probably won’t. Sell it or gift it to someone who will use it and love it every day.

You can find the full Woodubend Painted Dresser tutorial here.

Ornate Dresser Makeover

This ornate dresser was the very first piece I painted in 2021.  I loved every minute of this transformation.  It’s such an elegant piece and it’s an honor to work on these types of vintage dressers. Once I listed her, she sold in a day. The purchaser wanted it delivered to her home in Cambridge about 45 minutes away. When Andrea and I pulled up to the address, it was an old victorian home with a HUGE wrap-around porch all lit up with Christmas lights – simply gorgeous! There were snowbanks and icy sidewalks and stairs to hurdle before we got this dresser up to the porch but we did it! This elegant piece ended up in such a beautiful home!

Takeaway~ You can’t do this business all on your own. Appreciate all the people who give you a helping hand along the way!

You can see the full tutorial on How To Wet Distress here. 

Tea Cart Makeover

Here’s another piece that sold within a day or two of listing. Andrea and I (and as you’ve probably noticed – my sister is my sidekick for all my deliveries… thanks Andrea!!!) drove this teacart to a lovely home in Toronto. Toronto is about a 40-minute drive east of me. If I’m honest, I always get a little nervous driving into the ‘big’ city… because I’m NOT a big city girl! Although I love visiting and exploring big cities when I vacation, New York, LA, Chicago, Rome, Istanbul, Athens, Warsaw to name a few, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than live in one. That said, the delivery went smoothly and this little tea cart has a lovely new home… in the BIG CITY!

Takeaway~ To provide good customer service, you will sometimes have to step out of your comfort zone!

You can see the full Tea Cart Makeover here.

Entry Hall Table Makeover

This table took over 5 months to sell but was worth the wait! The reason I’m including this in my 2021 ‘stories’ is to share – not all pieces sell quickly. I’m fortunate enough to have a large enough following here on the blog and on my social media platforms that (often) once I finish a piece, I get inquiries. But sometimes if a piece doesn’t sell right away, being patient and realizing the right owner will come along is key. The lady who picked up this piece was SO HAPPY. When she got home and set the table up, she sent me pictures of it in her foyer… it looked amazing!

Takeaway~ If you have the space to store your furniture, be patient. It may not sell right away but when it does, it will sell to the right person!

You can see the full Restore Entry Hall Table Makeover here!

Painted Secretary Desk Makeover

I don’t know if you do this or not, but I sometimes like to imagine the ‘type’ of person who will purchase my makeovers. In the case of this vintage secretary desk – I was totally wrong. I thought this piece would sell to a woman around my age but a young lady in her early 20’s (if that) came to pick up this desk. She was super-trendy-model-looking – possibly an IG influencer 😉 and full of energy with the sweetest smile. She said she absolutely fell in love with this little desk when she saw it online and has the perfect spot for it in her apartment! Such a huge compliment. I’m so happy she was happy.

Takeaway~ Create from your heart and create what you love… then let the universe decide on who it should belong to.

You can see the full tutorial of this Painted Secretary Desk here. 

Floral Romance Dresser Makeover

This gorgeous floral dresser is a take-two (has had 2 paint finishes to date) but has not sold… and here’s why. After I did my photoshoot for the blog post, I was bringing it downstairs to my inventory. It hit one of the stairs in transit and must have misaligned the frame because now one of the drawers won’t close properly. Frustrating, but things like this happen when working with vintage pieces. I’m hoping I can fix the drawer without damaging the finish. If not, there might be a take-three!

Takeaway~ Things happen and some pieces will need fixing or repainting. Don’t give up on it!

See the full Floral Romance Dresser tutorial here. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey of these projects. It was a pleasure looking back on these pieces. Every piece of furniture I work on seems to teach me something new!

Thanks for joining me today. I’ll be back on Tuesday with my Trash To Treasure Crew updating these cherubs…. soooo 90’s right!?  See you then and have a super weekend!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FURNITURE STORIES TO SHARE? I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂

Happy furniture painting friends!

Denise x

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