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kippy_the_hippy

"Upcycling"

10 years ago

I realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And style seems to be similar.


But do some of you wonder what on earth some one was thinking when they "Upcycle" furniture and put it on CL? From the next large town south of us, someone is busy with their paint brush and all I can think of is the worst colors HD can make out of their oops cans. Who paints "Quaint old time ice box style, liberty blue w/ light blue trim"

What about in your area? Do you have some people who have some interesting ideas as well?

Comments (28)

  • 10 years ago

    This is happening everywhere and much of it that I've seen in that awful chalk paint that looks as if the piece has been set out in the elements for at least a decade. UGH!

  • 10 years ago

    Ha! My CL had an MCM credenza partially painted with Ann Sloan chalk paint. It was an abomination.

  • 10 years ago

    1929Spanish, it always seems to be the MCM pieces that are assaulted first.

  • 10 years ago

    I want to send them a message that says I would have bought this piece before you ruined it with your paintbrush!

  • 10 years ago

    Huh. I typed MCM in my Craiglist, and sure enough, up popped painted pieces. Why?! I am very that sorry I looked up your quaint old time ice box :( Horrible!!!

  • 10 years ago

    Someone on my CL does this, too. I see the pieces sit and sit...they are so taste-specific as well as overpriced.

  • 10 years ago

    Worse is seeing them in a local vintage shop. They hang a chandelier over it and put some pretty vases on it and suddenly it's supposed to be wonderful. I always wonder if the seller is hiding damage this way. Patch in the flaws and paint then double the price.

  • 10 years ago

    Rob333 I really want to post the link, but kind of hate to out the person who has no taste...lol I can not imagine who might actually want to buy that icebox as is and use it other than at the circus.

    If they had the little drum table in its before condition and the little night stand with out the sponge paint and colors, I would have driven down and bought both. As is, they could give it away free and I don't think I would think about the drive for a minute. I just don't feel like spending that much time stripping their bad paint colors off.


    Some of the "shabby chic" stuff I see is not that bad, not that I would buy it or want to live with it. I did just paint the legs of a Duncan Phyfe style table and refinish the top, but it was only a $20 find and in poor shape.

  • 10 years ago

    Haha, I'm going to post some pics:

    At least they're only asking $10 for this painted Nemo sofa

    $100 shelf

    $45 racing stripe table

    Speaking of colonial style, $50 for all of these -- I considered it!

    Really? $325

    And this is actually a lovely one for only $525 (I can't tell if the hardware is painted too, not sure that was a good idea):

  • 10 years ago

    Ha! It's the HGTV era where everyone is a designer, builder and artist. I am not.

  • 10 years ago

    Oh, my goodness ... that Nemo sofa! No words, except possibly ... WHY??!!!

  • 10 years ago

    Well a little off topic but I have to share- there is a cute, stucco 1920s Tudor home a few blocks for us that was sponge painted (the OUTSIDE) in beige and melon. It reminds me of when my son threw up after eating spaghetti !

    Diane

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    That's a pretty gross visual powermuffin! ;-)

  • 10 years ago

    Ditto what Melle said about the house paint. Yuck!

    What gets me are the ones that share on their blogs or Hometalk where they take the time to remove the old worn finish and then paint it! Always makes me extra made because as I scroll down I get my hopes up only to be kicked in the head when I see the beautiful piece painted! UGH!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    At flea market last weekend saw some really handsome (and massive) pieces made out of old industrial iron, wood, corrugated metal, etc. priced in the $800-900 range. Wish I had a pic because they were truly better than you might think - tables, workbenches, storage pieces, etc. Also enjoyed 1930s metal dressers and such where they removed all the paint and left it bare metal. What I didn't like was all the sad old early 1900s wood furniture that was either painted dreary grays or treated with multicolored layered paint effects to try to make it look "primitive" like it had been stored in a barn for 60 years. Actually Ive seen the multi layered paint thing done very well but you really have to have an artist eye to get color/texture right.

    I would much rather have the choice to buy "as is" for cheap and do my own work on it instead of paying top dollar for someone else's foolish or questionable tastes. These are probably the same people who take an early 1900s house and mess it up with cheesy remuddling under the illusion that it's good for "resale."

  • 10 years ago

    The Nemo sofa is actually not bad, I mean if you were outfitting a kids' playroom and had an old sofa you planned to paint and....I just can't imagine anyone buying it at this point in its life, but as recycling your own sofa for your own use, it's kinda not awful.I bet it was orange to start.


    But yeah, there's a few shops (shoppes) in my area that do the chalk paint. I'm sort of looking for a china cabinet or secretary and those sad things keep popping up and making me depressed. And they always point out CHALK paint, like that's a good thing.

  • 10 years ago

    There are a few virtual yard sale sites on FB in my area and it is amazing to me how many items people have ruined with Chalk paint and good intentions.

  • 10 years ago

    And the ones where you can see the sanding swirls in the "distressed" finish.


    Distressed = can't be arsed to do a good job

  • 10 years ago

    Nearly cried over a magenta waterfall dresser today. I didn't even look at the price. Why, why, why?? I saw a couple of pieces I would have been interested in but not if I have to spend $40 on stripper and a week of my time stripping it. IF I can get the paint off. And I made a similar comment as rob and got a snippy reply. Do I care? No. She'd already ruined the piece. And then there's this piece which is beyond destroyed. Tin? Corrugated tin?? I have some in the barn that I won't even use on an out building.

    http://masoncity.craigslist.org/fuo/5147509597.html

    How about this one? http://masoncity.craigslist.org/atq/5162468158.html

  • 10 years ago

    Kitchen Island Pretty sure I will not be eating off this one. I think I took better loads to the dump

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Why not Kippy? Whats a few lead paint chips in your food LOL.

  • 10 years ago

    Lead and dirty wood all for only $200....what a deal


  • 10 years ago

    I confess to watching flea market flip b/c I hope somebody will have a really cute idea that can inspire me, but it never happens. But what I do find intriguing is those New Yorkers paying $$$ for stuff that cost $. Don't they watch the stupid show? Nowadays, every time I go to one of those flea/antique shops, all I can think of is: I bet he/she only paid $. Nope, I can't pay $$$. Might as well just go to Home Goods...

  • 10 years ago


    TV Show


    Interesting turn of events.....

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Time and Place. It is all about time and place. This genre of furniture seems best suited for college apartments. How fun it is to be barely and adult, find a sturdy piece at a thrift store and make it match the rest of the place!! Unfortunately someone thought these "treasures" were worthy of marketing!! I can totally see a handed down piece being a memory one wants to keep in their home. I can totally imagine assaulting it with paint and making it fit in one specific place. To do this as a living, collect cast offs and paint them dramatically, and think others will have just the right spot for them or even WANT them??? Well good luck with that!!

  • 10 years ago

    Some one must be tired of the Ventura persons ads and they have a sense of humor....or so I hope Hipster Desk

  • 10 years ago

    We were at a large Vintage/Antiques outdoor marketplace yeaterday and I saw the most beautiful buffet painted awful pepto bismol pink. They tried to dress it up with a glass top and sparkly jewelry but all I could think of was Why??