Truly, I am addicted to Craigslist. I love finding furniture there! It is by far the best way to shop. I am not embarrassed to say most of the furniture in my home comes from Craigslist. When friends visit my home they are surprised at all of my finds and ask how I shop on Craigslist.
I am definitely not a pro, but I would say, if you know what you want… look all of the time. Don’t stop until you find it and get it!
I am a Craigslist shopper, but I KNOW what I am looking for. If I see something I need to have,
I JUMP on it!
Sometimes I will lose a piece, or two, or three, but that is part of the fun too.
Will I be the FIRST to get to the owner?
Will the piece with the fabulous lines, dovetail joints, and amazing craftsmanship go to ME?
I sure hope so!
Here is a piece that I had to have. (This is the “before” picture).
My husband always comes with me when I purchase through Craigslist. Safety is number ONE!
Sometimes he will say,
“You want THAT?”
“Are you sure?”
That’s when I say, “Yep, I am sure!”
I see the finished product in my head and if it has great lines,
I KNOW it is going to be a GEM!
Here is the finished “Dixie” Wardrobe…
As I painted it, I kept thinking of the person who was going to own this piece.
I wanted to make sure it was perfect! I thought of every detail and tried to make it special.
I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) Paris Grey, whitewashed, and waxed the body. Inside the wardrobe on the drawers and outside trim Sherwin Williams, Creamy was used.
I also Mod Podged music on the shelves for an extra added surprise and detail.
Check out this beauty…
The lines on this piece are amazing…
The hardware is beautiful…
I call this a “Frenchie” wardrobe. It already went home with a family. I hope they enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it beautiful again!
I hope you like the transformation. Off to find another Craigslist Beauty!
Enjoy! Angie
If you would like to see how I whitewashed this piece you can see a tutorial here.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post and find it helpful, share it with your friends.
Love this piece! I used ASCP on a couple of items myself. I love it. It seems chalk paint is the rage. I bought the ingredients to make my own. Just found out about CeCe Caldwell Paint, in the USA through Vintage Shabby Chicks’ blog. Less expensive. I’ll still use ASCP for her colors. Thanks for sharing…have a great New Year! New follower…
Thank you! We are going to have to check out CeCe Caldwell Paint. I do love ASCP, but definitely will try it out. Thanks for letting us know about it! Also, thanks for following!
Stunning!!! I do have one question, however, if you have time to answer back:)…..did you use clear and dark wax on it, or clear on the wood and dark on the hardware?? Whatever you did, it was an excellent creative choice!
Thank you Allison! I used a clear wax on the entire piece. I didn’t use dark wax because I thought it would lose the coloring I had, I liked it lighter than darker. The hardware was dark, I wasn’t going to originally paint them, however, the door hardware would not come completely off. I decided to lightly paint the hardware so the original color of the hardware would peek through. Sometimes the furniture directs me and I don’t fight it, just go with it. That’s what I love about paint, you can layer up if it’s not what you originally envisioned. Are you thinking about trying this? Let me know if you do, I would love to see what you did! I hope this helps Allison. 🙂
Hi! I just love the way you did this piece. So elegant! I have just made my first investment in the Annie Sloan paints and have been experimenting on some small pieces and plan on taking a workshop in my area asap. I have the color charts, but I am confused…you say you used French Grey? There is no French Grey on either of my 2 charts, but there is a Paris Grey as well as a French Linen that look like they could be what you used. Did they change the name? I like Paris Grey, but it seems to have a little bit of a blueish cast to it. The French Linen is nice, but may seem dark for the piece I have in mind. I could probably achieve the right look (similar to yours) with French Linen and trim and wash with Old White. Thanks for any info you can give me about this color “French Grey”.
Oh no, Cora, I totally made a mistake on the name. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. It is Paris Grey, I am so sorry for the confusion. I did do a dresser in French Linen as well, but it is a bit of a darker grey as you mentioned. (You can view that piece if you go to my project page). The Paris Grey worked really well with a whitewash/dry brush technique. I decided to not do a white wash with the French Linen, but I bet that will look great too. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would love to help out if I can. 🙂
I have just retired and just started refinishing furniture. Your article on Craigslist is very helpful but I’m not having very much luck with Craigslist. I’m looking for a 1930’s sideboard, hopefully with a lot cf carvings. I’ve found several pieces but I CAN’T GET THE PEOPLE TO REPLY BACK TO ME. I check everyday and reply back to the seller but no one answers. I had better luck with an old wardrobe I bought. SO HOW DO I GET A REPLY SO I CAN BUY.
Hi Rosemary! I know how frustrating it can be when you see “the” piece and you want it badly, but yet, no one responds back to you. It has happened to me more than once as well. Typically, if you are not the first to inquire, you may not get a response. I know that is tough, but some do not give a courtesy email saying they sold the item etc. I would recommend checking Craigslist every hour, if you can. Most likely you will be the first to send an email that way. The good stuff goes fast… less than an hour I have found. If you see something new, email the person right away. Let them know you want the item and make sure to give them your phone number if you are comfortable with that. I always give my phone number to show I am serious. This has worked for me and I hope it works for you. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to email me directly. Most importantly, safety is number one. If you don’t feel something is right… you are probably right. With that said, I have always felt fine with meeting people etc., but I like to speak with them on the phone first and have someone join me when we meet.
Hi, Your piece turned out gorgeous! I, too, am a craigslist shopper. Once I picked up an entire bedroom set (much like one of your other projects)–dovetail joints, solid hardwood, etc. for a song! The guy was asking $650 for the whole set & I’m thinking…something new of this quality would cost thousands so I was more than willing to pay–but when I got there he said,
“what do you want to offer for it?”
Me, “uh, I don’t know…you’re asking $650…what should I offer?”
He, “How about $500”?
Me, “SURE”!
They don’t always go that great, but I was stoked & have been using the set for my daughters room for the last 10 years!
I have a question about this project…
I was wondering how you applied the music pages on the inside? Are those scrapbook papers? And are they modpodged? I wanted to do some shelves like that, but wasn’t sure how they’d hold up–or what I should use.
Thanks Jeni! What a score on your daughter’s bedroom set… I love it when it works out that way.
The music pages were modpodged. They were from a music book and the pages were very thin. I applied several coats of modpodge over the music and then finished with an acrylic sealer for extra durability.
Let me know if you have further questions. I love to help! 🙂
Hi Stephanie! The clear wax was applied last. I didn’t sand before painting with Annie Sloan. I made sure the piece was clean and free of grime, then painted. It was really easy! Let me know if I can answer any more questions you may have. I love to help! 🙂
I know this is an older post but hopefully you don’t mind…
How did you do the lighter color on the trim/accent pieces? We have a dresser that we are trying to put lighter color accents on and they aren’t as neat and clean as we would like them to be.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Hey Laura! I am happy to help anytime. I used an artist brush with a very fine tip and painted lightly and slowly. If I went beyond the line of where I was intending, I used a damp paper towel to wipe the paint in that area off quickly. It took some time, but was definitely worth it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Can you give someone details about the white washing technique you used? Did you use ASCP Antique white or something else? How would you recommend application? Suggested tutorials??
You bet! I really should write a tutorial on this, because it is super easy. I took a dry brush and dabbed it in ASCP old white. If I get too much paint on the brush, I take a paper towel and dab the brush to remove some of the paint. Then it’s time to apply to the surface. This is where the texture comes to life, but you kind of have to work fast. I brush a section and then wipe it off right away, I wipe it off with a scrunched up paper towel. Fancy, I know :-). I try to dry brush evenly as I go to create an even look. If I feel an area doesn’t blend well, fine sand paper will remove the top layer and blend in with the bottom layer of paint. Go with your gut here – let your eye tell you if it looks right. I hope this helps!
I painted a bedroom set in Paris grey and put clear wax on it. I like the whitewash you put on this piece . Can I put the whitewash over the clear wax or what do I need to do ? Could you tell me how you made your whitewash also ! Thanks ! I love your work !!!
Hi Kathy! I typically put the clear wax on after the entire piece is complete as a finishing step to protect the piece. With that said, Annie Sloan should cover right over the wax. This whitewash is actually a dry brush technique. I dab a paint brush (normal 2″ paint brush or whatever you use) in white paint and dab excess off on paper towel then apply to the piece. After applying, I rub a crumpled paper towel over the paint to create the effect. If there is too much paint, I use a fine sand paper to blend the color. I am going to see if I can come up with a tutorial for you. I believe pictures would help the best. 🙂
Hey I have an old woodend dresser that I want to turn into a baby changing table. I want somthing greyish white like this. What do I do first I have never used this kind of paint before. The last project I did involved my kitchen table and lots and lots of sanding and staining. I would love for my dresser to look like this or in this family of colors not any darker though. What in the world do I do first?
Hi Courtney, I want you to go for it and have a great experience. I will post about a project this week that will go through all of the details for you. Feel free to ask any questions along the way.
hi, can u tell me how u did the whit wash on the Paris grey? Did u add water to the paint brush then wipe? Or did u top the brush in water? How’s it work? Love it
So I have a dixie chest and a dresser with mirror that is an off white and gold and I’ve been wanting to repaint it but didn’t want to take away it’s original beauty and I think that the color and way you chose to paint these pieces are absolutely gorgeous! I love it and u have given me the green light to paint my dixie set!
Hi Kay,
Thanks for asking, I added a link at the bottom of the post with a complete tutorial for you. I also have a new post coming soon about how I created whitewashed planks for our bathroom. I hope this helps.
Angie! This is GORGEOUS! I love your attention to detail with the multicolored drawers and the sheet music. GREAT job.
Thanks so much Kelli! You are such a huge inspiration, so this means the world to me!
Never thought grey would be so chic! How gorge!
Thanks so much!
Love this piece! I used ASCP on a couple of items myself. I love it. It seems chalk paint is the rage. I bought the ingredients to make my own. Just found out about CeCe Caldwell Paint, in the USA through Vintage Shabby Chicks’ blog. Less expensive. I’ll still use ASCP for her colors.
Thanks for sharing…have a great New Year!
New follower…
Thank you! We are going to have to check out CeCe Caldwell Paint. I do love ASCP, but definitely will try it out. Thanks for letting us know about it! Also, thanks for following!
OH MY SMURF – I am in love!! This is DIVINE Angie, and the sheet music is the PERFECT finishing touch…
Just stunning, hun – wonderful job! xox
Thank you Haylie!
Love it!
Stunning!
Wow, that is soooo pretty! Great job. 🙂 Found you through MMS.
Stephanie
Thank you, Stephanie! MMS is the best! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Stunning!!! I do have one question, however, if you have time to answer back:)…..did you use clear and dark wax on it, or clear on the wood and dark on the hardware?? Whatever you did, it was an excellent creative choice!
Thank you Allison! I used a clear wax on the entire piece. I didn’t use dark wax because I thought it would lose the coloring I had, I liked it lighter than darker. The hardware was dark, I wasn’t going to originally paint them, however, the door hardware would not come completely off. I decided to lightly paint the hardware so the original color of the hardware would peek through. Sometimes the furniture directs me and I don’t fight it, just go with it. That’s what I love about paint, you can layer up if it’s not what you originally envisioned. Are you thinking about trying this? Let me know if you do, I would love to see what you did! I hope this helps Allison. 🙂
Beautiful , could u tell me how the paint is layered? I bought my first Craigslist piece and going to attempt CP for the first time.
Hi! I just love the way you did this piece. So elegant! I have just made my first investment in the Annie Sloan paints and have been experimenting on some small pieces and plan on taking a workshop in my area asap. I have the color charts, but I am confused…you say you used French Grey? There is no French Grey on either of my 2 charts, but there is a Paris Grey as well as a French Linen that look like they could be what you used. Did they change the name? I like Paris Grey, but it seems to have a little bit of a blueish cast to it. The French Linen is nice, but may seem dark for the piece I have in mind. I could probably achieve the right look (similar to yours) with French Linen and trim and wash with Old White. Thanks for any info you can give me about this color “French Grey”.
Oh no, Cora, I totally made a mistake on the name. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. It is Paris Grey, I am so sorry for the confusion. I did do a dresser in French Linen as well, but it is a bit of a darker grey as you mentioned. (You can view that piece if you go to my project page). The Paris Grey worked really well with a whitewash/dry brush technique. I decided to not do a white wash with the French Linen, but I bet that will look great too. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would love to help out if I can. 🙂
Thanks, Angie – mystery resolved – and I happen to have some Paris Grey…win, win!
I have just retired and just started refinishing furniture. Your article on Craigslist is very helpful but I’m not having very much luck with Craigslist. I’m looking for a 1930’s sideboard, hopefully with a lot cf carvings. I’ve found several pieces but I CAN’T GET THE PEOPLE TO REPLY BACK TO ME. I check everyday and reply back to the seller but no one answers. I had better luck with an old wardrobe I bought. SO HOW DO I GET A REPLY SO I CAN BUY.
Thanks for your time.
Rosemary
Hi Rosemary! I know how frustrating it can be when you see “the” piece and you want it badly, but yet, no one responds back to you. It has happened to me more than once as well. Typically, if you are not the first to inquire, you may not get a response. I know that is tough, but some do not give a courtesy email saying they sold the item etc. I would recommend checking Craigslist every hour, if you can. Most likely you will be the first to send an email that way. The good stuff goes fast… less than an hour I have found. If you see something new, email the person right away. Let them know you want the item and make sure to give them your phone number if you are comfortable with that. I always give my phone number to show I am serious. This has worked for me and I hope it works for you. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to email me directly. Most importantly, safety is number one. If you don’t feel something is right… you are probably right. With that said, I have always felt fine with meeting people etc., but I like to speak with them on the phone first and have someone join me when we meet.
Hi, Your piece turned out gorgeous! I, too, am a craigslist shopper. Once I picked up an entire bedroom set (much like one of your other projects)–dovetail joints, solid hardwood, etc. for a song! The guy was asking $650 for the whole set & I’m thinking…something new of this quality would cost thousands so I was more than willing to pay–but when I got there he said,
“what do you want to offer for it?”
Me, “uh, I don’t know…you’re asking $650…what should I offer?”
He, “How about $500”?
Me, “SURE”!
They don’t always go that great, but I was stoked & have been using the set for my daughters room for the last 10 years!
I have a question about this project…
I was wondering how you applied the music pages on the inside? Are those scrapbook papers? And are they modpodged? I wanted to do some shelves like that, but wasn’t sure how they’d hold up–or what I should use.
Thanks!
Jeni
Thanks Jeni! What a score on your daughter’s bedroom set… I love it when it works out that way.
The music pages were modpodged. They were from a music book and the pages were very thin. I applied several coats of modpodge over the music and then finished with an acrylic sealer for extra durability.
Let me know if you have further questions. I love to help! 🙂
Angie,
Love the piece! Did you apply the clear wax last? And did you sand the piece before applying the Paris Grey paint?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! The clear wax was applied last. I didn’t sand before painting with Annie Sloan. I made sure the piece was clean and free of grime, then painted. It was really easy! Let me know if I can answer any more questions you may have. I love to help! 🙂
I know this is an older post but hopefully you don’t mind…
How did you do the lighter color on the trim/accent pieces? We have a dresser that we are trying to put lighter color accents on and they aren’t as neat and clean as we would like them to be.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!!!
Hey Laura! I am happy to help anytime. I used an artist brush with a very fine tip and painted lightly and slowly. If I went beyond the line of where I was intending, I used a damp paper towel to wipe the paint in that area off quickly. It took some time, but was definitely worth it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Can you give someone details about the white washing technique you used? Did you use ASCP Antique white or something else? How would you recommend application? Suggested tutorials??
Thanks!
You bet! I really should write a tutorial on this, because it is super easy. I took a dry brush and dabbed it in ASCP old white. If I get too much paint on the brush, I take a paper towel and dab the brush to remove some of the paint. Then it’s time to apply to the surface. This is where the texture comes to life, but you kind of have to work fast. I brush a section and then wipe it off right away, I wipe it off with a scrunched up paper towel. Fancy, I know :-). I try to dry brush evenly as I go to create an even look. If I feel an area doesn’t blend well, fine sand paper will remove the top layer and blend in with the bottom layer of paint. Go with your gut here – let your eye tell you if it looks right. I hope this helps!
I painted a bedroom set in Paris grey and put clear wax on it. I like the whitewash you put on this piece . Can I put the whitewash over the clear wax or what do I need to do ? Could you tell me how you made your whitewash also ! Thanks ! I love your work !!!
Hi Kathy! I typically put the clear wax on after the entire piece is complete as a finishing step to protect the piece. With that said, Annie Sloan should cover right over the wax. This whitewash is actually a dry brush technique. I dab a paint brush (normal 2″ paint brush or whatever you use) in white paint and dab excess off on paper towel then apply to the piece. After applying, I rub a crumpled paper towel over the paint to create the effect. If there is too much paint, I use a fine sand paper to blend the color. I am going to see if I can come up with a tutorial for you. I believe pictures would help the best. 🙂
Hey I have an old woodend dresser that I want to turn into a baby changing table. I want somthing greyish white like this. What do I do first I have never used this kind of paint before. The last project I did involved my kitchen table and lots and lots of sanding and staining. I would love for my dresser to look like this or in this family of colors not any darker though. What in the world do I do first?
Hi Courtney, I want you to go for it and have a great experience. I will post about a project this week that will go through all of the details for you. Feel free to ask any questions along the way.
hi, can u tell me how u did the whit wash on the Paris grey? Did u add water to the paint brush then wipe? Or did u top the brush in water? How’s it work? Love it
Hi Linda, you can read all about it here —> https://angandjoey.com/2014/08/dry-brush-whitewash-tutorial.html I hope this helps. 🙂
So I have a dixie chest and a dresser with mirror that is an off white and gold and I’ve been wanting to repaint it but didn’t want to take away it’s original beauty and I think that the color and way you chose to paint these pieces are absolutely gorgeous! I love it and u have given me the green light to paint my dixie set!
That’s great news! I would love to see it when you are finished.
Can you talk a little about the white wash process the paint.
Hi Kay,
Thanks for asking, I added a link at the bottom of the post with a complete tutorial for you. I also have a new post coming soon about how I created whitewashed planks for our bathroom. I hope this helps.