Where can I find inexpensive bedclothes & other furniture?
Question:For my bedroom, I would like a nice antique, old-fashioned looking, romantic comforter and crisp white sheets, along with other antique-looking accessories. Any idea where I can find these items for a low cost (under $50) ?
Answers:
You could try thirft stores or flea markets. Or even check E-bay: Almost everything can be found there.
Or you could watch the papers for Estate sales.
Good luck!
Salvation Army. Target. Check out estate sales in the newspaper . You can get nice furniture there sometimes, but you have to be there early... it goes fast!
Under $50? Not much of anything unless you're looking at used or you can make these items yourself.
You can get the LOOK you're looking for, but not the QUALITY, for $50. Or did you mean ~$50 per "item"?
Try eBay and Overstock.com for quality bed linen at a fraction of the cost.
The underlying premise to achieving a romantic, antique look is layering in muted jewel tones, so consider adding antique (or artificially antique'd) lace to your pillow slips, curtains, and comforter... add beads to lampshades, curtains & decorative pillows... add ribbons or velvets to lampshades, curtains, comforters, decorative pillows, add tassels to curtain tie-backs, light/fan/lamp pulls, etc. Cover bedside tables with 2+ tablecloths.
Small antique stores/marts can be a great source for olde tyme accessories.
You can also antique newer stuff; try dying fabrics with tea or coffee... "age" wood or ceramics with an umber glaze or stain... stress wooden items by banging 'em up (beat them with a heavy chain or other metal item, hammer 'em, shoot w/ buckshot to make fake worm holes, etc.), sand the areas that would normally bear the brunt of wear & tear (the middle of dresser tops, the edges of tables, etc.), etc..
If you have, or find, a piece of furniture with "good bones," consider adding (remember, "layering") molding, wooden or metal scrollwork, beadboard or other antique-looking pieces to it to age it. You can replace straight legs with turned legs, add molding to a flat front, add scrollwork to drawer front or cabinet door, back a bookcase with beadboard, etc..
Use dresser scarves, display small crystal bottles & antique silver items (most especially things like silver dresser trays or a silver backed brush/comb/mirror set, see eBay search listing, below). Mirrors are fine, but an antique mirror is better (see below for instructions on how to antique a new mirror).
Florals are inherent to the look you're trying to achieve but if you're not interested in putting cabbage-sized rose bud wallpaper on your walls, use the wallpaper in other ways: back a bookcase with it, wrap picture frames or lampshades with it, decoupage flat glass items such as a vase with it, decoupage it onto a breakfast tray, decoupage it onto the lower window panes (good for privacy, too), make book covers with it, etc.
TX Griff
A good site i have found is Nafees Elements. They carry some unique home decor items (not exactly antique) You might find something there that you like for a reasonable price. Their website is http://www.nafeeselements.com. Good Luck!!
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