I’m speaking at the Fall Home Show in Toronto this weekend about the many advantages of buying vintage furnishings and my friend Karen has unwittingly handed me with a perfect example for my talk. Karen asked for some help selling a 1940s cabinet that pulls out into a charming and eminently practical dining table. It’s nearly 70 years old but the piece might have been designed expressly for today’s cozy condos.
The cherry wood cabinet with quiet art deco styling is in good shape and would make a handsome bar. But open the doors and pull out the table supports and the cabinet quickly and easily transforms into a table that can seat two, or four, up to seven people. The leaves are scratched and have a slightly redder cherry hue but they fit flat and tight and let’s face it, they’ll have a table cloth over them anyway.
Karen paid $400 for the piece about a decade ago and my advice was to list it on Craigslist for $425 which gave her latitude to knock $25 or even $50 off and still make most of her money back. Vintage furnishings are typically well made and often have a smaller scale reflecting the size of the homes they were built for. They’ll also hold their value and might even be worth more down the road if you take good care of them.
If Karen’s pull-out table interests you, have a look at her Craigslist ad and make her an offer.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 am
Very cool table. Perfect for a small condo.
It won’t be on craigslist for long!
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:45 am
How fantastic is that?!
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 am
This is a very cool table but the reason I’m writing is to let you know I thought your presentation Friday at the Fall Home Show was really well done (of course it would be – you’re a natural at this kind of thing)… lots of practical and helpful info with some great visual examples. The question/answer portion of your talk was valuable as well. I thought it was a nice touch (an added bonus) to provide the handout that listed some of your favourite vintage stores and the way people were clutching that piece of paper – I have a feeling they would have paid for it! :) HGTV here you come … (Seriously I can see it now – styleNorth made for the big(ger) screen.)
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:07 am
LOL! Thanks Kristengrace for the vote of confidence. It was great to meet some styleNorth supporters and I’ve tweaked the presentation based on yesterday’s feedback so I’m hoping this morning’s workshop will be even better. I’m on at 11 am folks if you’ve got nothing better to do this morning.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
That’s such a handsome piece, she’ll have it sold minutes after she lists it.
And man I wish I could come hear your presentation!
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:55 am
What a beautiful piece, Karen! I went over to look at your ad; did you realize there is no contact info?
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
This is one intriguing piece! Any idea of its provenance?
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I love the table. So sensible for small spaces. I also love that you have taken the registration off. I love to comment … it’s the best thing about blogging. Giving and receiving encouragement.
October 4th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
That table is genius!
January 29th, 2010 at 1:30 am
Where can I find one of these? I’ve been looking all over for something exactly like this!