Craigslist Deal of The Day

Have you ever ran across a deal that seemed just a little too good to be true?  I'm pretty sure we've all been there at least once.  I had a "there's no way this is actually true" moment yesterday. 

I frequently cruise Craigslist for deals on stuff for the house so when I saw an ad for dining room chairs I eagerly clicked the link to check it out.  The ad read $7/chair or $10 for both. I wasn't expecting much because in all actuality, how good could these chairs really be if they are being sold for $10 for the pair?! 

Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise.  They were actually pretty perfect!  First I was drawn to the detail on the backs of them.  Then I was happy to see they had pretty contemporary lines.  A good sanding and wood filling, some primer, paint, and a cool fabric would make these babies look like a million bucks.  I wanted them: NOW!!  I immediately crossed off details in my mental checklist:

1. Is it affordable
2. Are they constructed of a sturdy material
3. Can they easily be repaired
4. Are they within a decent driving distance

As far as I was concerned they were as good as mine.  The only issue was whether or not they were still available.  I wasn't getting my hopes up for this one.  I immediately called the seller and found out someone else was on their way to look at them, so the told me if they didn't take them she would call me back.  Feeling defeated, I hung up the phone and went back to CL cruising because I just knew they were gonna get swiped up.  To my surprise the seller called me back in about 10 minutes and said they were still available!  Later that day (after crossing my fingers  and hoping no one else would scoop them up because I couldn't get to them until later) I went and picked up my 4 legged friends.  They looked even better in person than they did on the ad.

Here they are in all their $10 glory:

They are definitely not without their fair share of scrapes and dings:

But their solid wood construction and detailing make them worth it:

The only question now is what color to paint them.  Here at casa de Gardner color is the name of the game so black or white is out of the question (at least to me).  I'm thinking of something along the lines of chartreuse or tangerine or brick red or maybe even grey?  Eh, who knows?  All I know is I'm excited to get my first furniture painting experience on! 

Right away I stumbled across some awesome inspiration pics of  a few painted furniture projects other people have tackled.  I especially love when folks step outside the box and choose bright poppy colors like in this gorgeous before and after.  Isn't that first yellow dresser AMAZEBALLS?!  The color changes the feel of the dresser completely!  It went from a traditional french provincial feeling piece to a modern wonder that easily fits into today's contemporary living spaces.  Some other great pieces I found are here and here. 

All I know is I cant wait to get started and I'm excited to see how they turn out. So what about you?  Do you like the look of painted furniture?  Have/Would you ever tackle a furniture painting DIY project?  Do tell!  Until next time.....

XoXo-Shavonda (and Naomi :))