Found object heaven

Sometimes I forget about Kijiji.  And then someone sends me a link with an incredible find for a laughably small amount of money, and I scold myself thinking "How could I forget about Kijiji!?"

Well, yesterday, thanks to Naomi's onslaught of suggestions from the site, Tony and I went out and picked up our first set of chairs from a wonderful woman in Burlington.  I am not going to let you see them just yet... I know, not very nice of me.  But what I will do, is show you where we are looking for inspiration and the sort of vibe we are trying to create in our house.

I don't really do the 'brand new, spic-and-span' sort of thing... I love furniture and objects that look lived in and loved; pieces that have history, that are well made and that have a story to tell always draw me to them.  I also crave to be different, it might actually be a problem.  I always admired my baby sister for dressing in things she seems to just have made up, and yet always looking so cool - okay sometimes she looks like a homeless person, but most of the time she hits it right on.

Anyway, given mine and Tony's love for recycling and reusing and our perpetual lack of funds, buying used goods is a perfect solution.

| Randome Side-note |

I think avoiding new things is also a self preservation thing.  You know when you get something new, say a car, you dread that first scratch, or dent or imperfection that will no longer make it new.  After that, the second or third imperfection is never as bad, because you've already surpassed that first one.  I hate that feeling.. especially when you know it's going to get scratched and used.. it's a car.  And unless you're driving the new Mercedes SLS AMG you're just using it to get around. Yes, you want to respect it, but let's be serious.. rocks, bugs, birds and the occasional rodent will put a little damper on the 'new look' pretty quickly.  So, the point is, used things already have scratches and imperfections.  You never have to experience the disappointment of that 'first scratch' ever again.  Pretty liberating feeling, isn't it?

| End Random Side-note |

One of my favourite sites is apartmenttherapy.com; it is an great source for inspiration.  It's also just really fun to peruse and enjoy with great photographs and collections of wonderful spaces, made unique by their owners.

Here are some photographs from the site.  They are of dining spaces that reflect the sort of love and comfort that I am hoping we will be able to eminate in our home.  The colours and styles may vary, but the idea we are hoping for is there.

Very fun, no?  I am very excited.  The table we have right now is from the As-Is section at Ikea (I LOVE that section).  How can you go wrong with a solid wood table for half price?  A scratch? I'm pretty sure I can deal with a scratch or two.  (I'm also pretty sure I've put some scratches of my own in there already).

 Anyway, this is the table, the Bjursta table which seats 14 once you put the two leaves in.

Except we have it in this colour:

It must not be available anymore in the antique stain.  It's a really simple design, so we are hoping that the mismatched chairs will work nicely and add a different dimension to the room without overwhelming the space.  We should have all the chairs by the end of the weekend, so I will be sure to post the pictures then.

-a.