Mabel's House Tour, With a Side of Thrifting Tips

I’ve received several emails lately, all basically saying, “Hey, can you put your house pics into one post? Like a house tour?” So ok. I can do that. And while I’m at it, I’ll also try to answer some other emails about thrifting, spray paint, etc…

It was hard to decide on a title for this post. At first I contemplated How to Find Cheap Stuff That Doesn’t Smell Like Dog Pee Or Cost Too Much. Then I batted around several versions of Fine Fine Fine You Asked for a Complete House Tour and Here It is Even Though I Have Dozens of Unfinished Projects and the Floors Are Dirty.


In the end I opted for simplicity.

* Formal Living/Dining Room

I get asked several times a month how I find all my cheap furniture and decorating projects. Perhaps these questions come from people who are as weird as I am and appreciate flea market/ thrifting/freebie style. Perhaps it’s coming from people who are horrified at the fact that I have a frilly turquoise mirror hanging over a 1960’s record console used as a buffet table. And hey, I couldn’t fault them. My particular brand of schizophrenic isn’t for everybody. But no matter your style, whether it’s cottage chic or modern farmhouse… there is always a method to the madness of thrifting. Here are a few tips I try to stick to.

*Formal Living/Dining Room

Rule #1: If you have it and don’t like it… sell it.

*Formal Living/Dining Room


1. My major style changeover took place one day when I looked at my barn red country'ish entertainment center and thought, “That’s just not my style anymore.” So I sold it and made enough cash to buy what I wanted. It was a great epiphany to realize I could sell furniture. Granted, you won’t make a lot of money. But even if you score $100 in cash from a sofa you hate… its 100 more dollars then you had before. Don’t be afraid of change, especially when change can come in the form of cold hard cash.

*Formal Living/Dining Room

Rule #2: Stalk Craigslist like my sister who isn’t allowed within 500 feet of Dolly Parton.

*Kitchen

Just kidding. Although Rebecca’s fandom of Dolly is no secret. Just look at her hair.

Anyway, my point is that there are treasures to be found on Craigslist. Dreaming of an aqua hued pie safe like the one you saw in a magazine last month? Wishing you had a mint green retro table just like the one your grandmother had when you were little? This is the place to hunt. Log on every morning to the Craigslist in your city. Go to the furniture section and type in what you’re looking for. Or type in key words like retro, vintage, mid century and see what pops up. Be there first thing every morning. It may take weeks, or months. But eventually, you’ll find something you love.

*Breakfast Area

Rule #3: Make flea market/antique mall/estate sale rounds once a month.

*Kitchen/Breakfast Area

If you’re truly serious about redoing your living room with vintage planters, or supplying your kitchen with retro floral tablecloths… get ready to do the legwork. While we’ve all drooled over magazine pictures of giant collections of blue and green McCoy Pottery, the truth is… that collection took a lot of time and lot of money to acquire.

*Kitchen


When I’m collecting something specific, I take one Saturday a month, get a large peach tea from Sonic and head out early in the morning. It’s usually an all day event. I try not to get bogged down in looking for anything other than said collectable (right now it’s a tie between vintage kitchen bowls and 1960’s lamps). It can easily take up the better part of a day, but when you’re obsessed with lavender pottery vases or peach carnival glass, there’s nothing more exciting than the hunt.

*Breakfast Area

Rule #4: When In Doubt, Ask For a Better Price.

*Main Bathroom


1. I’ll never forget my introduction into the grand world of finessing a lower price. My sweet mother-in-law Linda bought us our first couch (yes, the couch that Mabel would later demolish). I picked it out, hands clasped, trying my best not to jump up and down as the salesman walked up.

You have to understand something about my mother-in-law. She’s the sweetest woman alive. Think Paula Dean’s accent and a pair of beautiful blue green eyes that would make the grumpiest person melt.

*Main Bathroom

The salesman smiled at us and said, “Well, is this the couch you want? It’s X amount of dollars.”

Linda smiled right back and dripped syrup as she said, “Hmmmm… how about less?”

You could have knocked the man over with a feather. He never saw it coming. And guess what? We got it for less. So remember, if you don’t ask, the answer is always no. Not brave? Take someone with you and make them ask.

*Master Bedroom

Rule # 5: Not sure what to collect? Not sure how to get the look you’re wanting? Inspiration is decorating 101.

* Master Bedroom

I’d like to claim that all my decorating endeavors are completely original, dreamed up by little ‘ole me. But they’re not. I wouldn’t know what to do with my house without outside inspiration. Almost every room has been inspired by an outside source. The gray in my kitchen (and subsequent rooms)? Alicia Paulson’s kitchen wall color. Both bathrooms? Better Homes and Gardens and Domino magazine clippings. Master bedroom? Linda MacDonald’s blog.

*Master Bedroom Half Bath

Buy cheap used magazines at antique malls (I recently purchased a stack of Martha Stewart magazines for $4). Blog hop and eye other people’s homes. Or, visit the handy dandy place I always peruse for inspiration: Flickr. Type in vintage globes or farmhouse kitchen or mid century sofa and see what comes up. Hours and hours of free inspiration. I can’t say enough good things about it.

*Master Bedroom Half Bath

Rule # 6: Remember to mix with the ‘new.’

*Home Office


There's a fine line to walk between a fun eclectic home and a house that looks like a junky estate sale. Remember to mix the old with the new. A Pottery Barn table on clearance mixed with flea market chairs looks fun. A dining room crammed with glossy heavy antique furniture (while beautiful) might be overwhelming and stuffy. When going for the flea market look, remember to mix it up.

*Home Office

Rule #7: Look beyond the color.

*Home Office


Dreaming of a seaside cottage white entry way buffet? Don’t ignore that well built 1970’s chest of drawers for $20 at a yard sale. With a little sanding and white paint, you’ll have your seaside style. Or with red spray paint you’ll have a funky modern piece. Or with black paint and nickel knobs it could be super contemporary.

*Home Office

Paint, stain, change hardware. There’s nothing more fun than showing it off and saying, “Yeah, I spent about 30 bucks on that.” Well, you’ll probably use a classier word when referring to money than ‘bucks’, but you get my point.

*Hallway

Rule #8: Spray paint how-to.

*Guest Bedroom

First and foremost, remember: No spray painting fabric, fur or feathers. Believe me, I know this from experience. Here are a few basic rules you must know.

a. Never ever spray paint too closely to an object. It makes the paint run. Always hold the can at least six inches away from a project. Use broad, even strokes. Don’t try to finish it in one coat, or even two. Multiple, shallow coats are the key to a smooth surface.

*Guest Bedroom

b. If it’s wood… sand. Even if it’s just a little bit. Then wipe the piece down with a moist cloth, then a dry one. I also love Kilz’s new primer in spray paint form. It’s worth its weight in gold.

c. When spray painting lamps, tape off the top, and the chord. The same rule applies when applying shallow coats. I prefer high gloss spray paint for lamps, it recreates a glass effect I love.

d. Last but not least: use tarps and wear a mask. Spray paint in the lungs is bad. Spray paint permanantly coating your carport floor is also bad. Not that I would know ANYTHING about that.

*The Man Room (AKA the room that I'm not allowed to photograph or decorate)

So there you have it. A house tour. Hope it helps. Or at the very least, hope it didnt make you snooze.

*Home Office

Now go forth and pillage the curbs in your neighborhood. Happy thrifting. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and explain to Matt why I drug all our Halloween decorations out of the attic on September 22nd. Whoopsie.