Hello Friends!

As many of you know, Bryce and I moved into our first apartment together, and we could not be more excited. We love our new town and cannot wait to make so many more memories with each other. Thank you for reaching out to us and welcoming us to our next season of life.

If you have been scrolling through Instagram in the past year, most likely you have stumbled upon a peacock chair or wicker seating.  Yes the name sounds so weird, but that’s seriously what they look like (in an odd way, but I see it). These chairs normally run for $70 to anywhere around $250… too much cha-ching for me.

However—there is a magical place where I can afford beautiful wicker pieces for that Bohemian vibe I love so much (Hint: the thrift store or Facebook Market). I found mine at a local thrift store called Hillcrest for $20. It just happened to be half-price on all chairs the day I went so I scored it for $10. The thrift store  actually has two different locations next to each other. One location has nicer furniture and other  home goods while the second location is more of a warehouse or clearance shop. The hours are limited at the scratch and dent location. Tip: furniture is in the basement, and dishes are located on the main floor where the entire room is 25 cents per item.

When I purchased my wicker chair, it was not in great condition. It smelled and appeared to have been living in an attic for years. The cushion was absolutely destroyed and there were blue marker spots on the wicker as well as dust, mildew, and dirt. It had a lot of potential though because the frame and weaving was perfect. With that being said, I threw away the cushion (round pillow) and ordered a similar one from Urban Outfitters in a peacock blue color.  The velvet pillow/cushion added such a nice texture to the weave of the chair.

To clean the actual chair, I just “googled” how to clean wicker furniture and wa-la…  We filled up a bucket with water from the garden hose, poured in a mixture of Dawn dish soap and vinegar, hosed off the bubble chair on the backyard patio, and let the sun do its drying magic.  I ended up treating the chair with more vinegar on the mildew spots after its bath.  The sun combined with vinegar stopped the growth of mildew and left it looking like new.  The chair was brought back to life to it’s 1970’s original form. Inexpensive, simple, and yet stunning in my new space.

If you are trying to decorate a new place or needing furniture for your humble abode, then get out and thrift shop. You will be surprised at the pieces you will stumble upon. Google is your best source for bringing the original luster to the thrift store find, and styling ideas are at your fingertips on Instagram. Furniture shopping is expensive. Bryce and I wanted to cry when we started looking. If you enjoy posts like this, then stick around because I have more tips and tricks if you want a beautiful place but are starting out like Bryce and I where every penny counts. I can’t wait to visually welcome you into our new home.

Shout out to my grandma’s dog, Liza, for being such a cute model.

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