Moving Woes

Moving is expensive in the worst possible way. Three months rent upfront, a pet deposit, movers (and tip) and the random costs that just appear (all new cleaning products, paper products, food basics and the like) add up really quickly. That left me with almost no money to decorate. Fortunately, I am resourceful and became obsessed with the challenge of making my living space look like I wanted it to look, for as little as possible. 

First up, the dining room: Craigslist is such a great place to find exactly what you need. My dining room is oddly configured (narrow with brick flooring - seriously, who, other than Ronald McDonald, puts brick on the floor of a kitchen?), so a regular dining room table wasn't going to work. I found a person selling a sofa table for $20 and knew it would work perfectly. It's an Ikea table, and I have a hack in mind for it (sand it down, stain it dark and replace the wood block legs with hairpin legs). I have been on a search for a globe for ages. I've scoured flea markets, yard sales and Craigslist. While looking for chairs to go with the table, I found a guy selling a beautiful vintage black globe for $30 (that's a steal for this 1956 gem).

The replica ant chairs chairs were found thanks to dumb luck (I was looking for a desk, not chairs). A woman in my neighborhood had just listed them on Craigslist. I was the first person to contact her and scored them for $30. Considering they sell for about $80-$100 a piece, I was thrilled to get the set for $30 (and they'll match my Ikea hacked table brilliantly). The curtains were on sale for $19 at Ikea (I was so excited to get rid of the horrible curtains that came with the place) and the framed ad is from a 1991 edition of Benetton Colours (scored during a high school field trip to NYC). The jute rug was a major steal at Ross for only $9! So inexpensive - my little dining room nook!

Next up, the living room: I have had my Ikea Kramfors chaise lounge (discontinued) in storage for ages and finally lugged the beast for this move. The rug ($69 -a major splurge) and lack tables ($30 total) are from Ikea. The white chair (also from Ikea) was pulled from a dumpster two years ago. The pillow and throw are also from Ikea, the flower canvas is an Instagram shot (my own picture, via Living Social deal over a year ago, $19.99). The baskets were on clearance from Marshall's ($9). The vases were free (leftover from a charity event I helped plan), the pussy willow was free (from an old friend who worked for a florist) and the paper roses in the bouquet were handmade and scored at a craft fair(maybe $10). The bored pug was $500 and purchased from a trailer (true story).

I am absolutely in love with my thrifty little space. Not counting the pug (who will soon be eight, so he can't be factored into the costs), the sofa or the art (if you can call it that), I spent less than $250 between two rooms and they look and feel like me. Yes, I could have spent less, but I don't think I would have been as happy if I had chosen different dining room chairs or a plain rug for the living room. Have you used Craigslist to find items for your house/apartment? What are some of your favorite pieces in your home?