Ever wonder what Napa Style is? Is it California’s version of Tuscany? Perhaps it’s a rustic layback approach to style, or functional simplicity tied to Mother Earth. MarkdownMom has observed that this style is timeless, marrying age with simplicity.
Napa Style is holding its’ Annual Home Sale with up to 50% off selected items. Peruse their culinary choices, repurposed vintage items, and easy entertaining items. A source of inspiration and decorating ideas!
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Repurposing can be more than taking something you own and reusing it for something other than its’ original purpose. Now this can also mean taking something you can buy at a bargain basement price and rethinking its’s application. For instance, Potterybarn’s Sale items although having a great clearance price, may not include the entire set. For instance,oftentimes you can great buys on king size pillowcases, but can’t buy the matching sheets. However, with our electic styling of mixing and matching, you can buy these at a tremendous savings and match them to something you already own. Have a queen size bed, and not a king? Buy the king anyway, because king will fit your queen size pillows, and king size pillows will fit your queen size bed.
MarkdownMom found this bench and it was advertised by Potterybarn for $4.99. Caught your eye with that price; however,if you are a frequent shopper of Potterybarn sale items you know that it doesn’t apply to the bench. Instead it is the cushion of the bench that was originally $49.00, on sale for $4.99 in cardinal, raffia,and sage. Now this cushion will work if you have a bay window or any bench. MarkdownMom bought it for both in raffia and sage. Plus you can pair them together to make a rectangle cushion and mix and match two colors! Repurposing what you buy. Neat, huh?
Another example of thinking out of the box,or in this case, bench!
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Many of the most knowledgeable people I have met refer to themselves as “junkers.” These are people who avail themselves of every opportunity to make a find which includes street scavenging. What is street scavenging? Usually it is retrieving valuables from debris and garbage to be hauled away to the dump. A different type of curbside recycling.
What items are retrieved? A lot of perfectly decent construction items can be found in front yards. Some may have a “Free” sign posted, others are just strewn among the garbage cans. These include fluroscent light fixtures, doors, toilets, sinks, carpet and rugs, and occasionally furniture.
Where do you look? The best places are where garbage is picked-up. Most often it is curbside in front of a residence. Sometimes garbage is collected off an alley in the rear of the house, in the back loading area of a commercial dwelling, or near the highway or road in rural areas. One time on a trip I found an antique 1930′s bread tin and matching cannister in pretty decent shape in front of a rural home at the driveway entrance. I know of a wooden table that was found roadside by a metropolitan architectural salvage business that was later restored and updated into a beautiful piece that would look perfect in any cosmopolitan dining room.
What are the best scavenging days or times? Obviously, if there is a set citywide timetable for garbage pick-up, for instance east locales MWF and west areas of the city T,Th, Saturday, the best time to look would be in those scheduled areas the night before, or in the early morning hours of that particular pick-up day. Also certain times of the year are better than others. If you live in a college town you may find some treasures when the college kids break-up apartments to return home for summer vacation. I once found a 1950′s red and chrome kitchen table that college kids were putting out at the curb and were happy to unload. Another time, I found a perfectly good full size rug that originally sold for $60 at Target–a power sprayer cleaning made it look wonderful! Many junkers scour the alleys and areas where senior citizens reside especially in the spring when there are more estate sales and spring cleaning.
Reminders. Unless there is a “free” sign posted, be sure to check with the owner to see if you can remove the property, and that it is indeed being tossed and not just placed there for future use by the owner. This will also allay any fears in these times of identity stealing and any unnecessary confrontations. Be courteous!
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