Friday, November 27, 2009

Our little bird is still a baby, but she is sure starting to feel more and more like a big girl. One thing our baby LOVES is books! She will sit and read books for 20 or 30 minutes at a time, and is starting to build quite a collection. The toys are also starting to accumulate, although not an insane amount. Just enough to require some storage, so I have been on the lookout for a book case and toy chest to start transitioning Wren's nursery into a little girl's room.

About a year ago I saw this cabinet at my favorite antique store,
Chickie's. The price tag read $1100, which I thought was quite reasonable for a hand painted, unique, antique cabinet. A few months later the tag read "SALE:$750". Then back in October Rebecca and I hit the antique mall and low and behold there is was again!! This time it was $450. Tempting though it was I just couldn't think of a spot for it. Last week my sister and I made a quick stop at the mall on the hunt for a special christmas gift when I spy it's new tag and the jaw dropping price of $140!!! Even though it is not a bookshelf, nor a toy chest we will make it work.

The bottom drawer currently houses all her toys and the upper cabinet will be fitted with shelves for her books.



Remember my broken mirror? I thought it would tie together the gold details on the armoire with the rest of the room if it hung over her chair. We put one of the dove cutouts I made inside to add a little color.



Does anyone know how to get better colors in their pictures when they have direct natural light? I have been trying everything to solve that one with no luck yet...

The blankie on the chair was actually made by my great grandma for me when I was a baby, isn't it amazing how it looks like it was made for her room?

Happy shopping on this Holiday Friday, we hope you scored some rock bottom deals too!

38 comments:

susan said so said...

What an incredible find, and unbelievable price! It was meant to be!

xox,
Susan

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I love to edit my pics for free at www.picnik.com i love "boost"

Cassie Bustamante said...

i have a canon digital rebel and when i have too much direct natural light i use a huge zoom lens, step back a bit more, and zoom in. a tripod helps as well because the large lens certainly makes my hand a little shakier. and what a steal on the cabinet i might add!!! i love those finds- they leave you with a sense of victory at having waited for the moment. it is true that good things come to those who wait!

Unknown said...

I just love to hear "sweet deal" stories. Quite a find! Fits so nicely.

Claudia said...

That cabinet is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Unbelievable deal - congratulations! I, too, edit my photos at picnik.com - it helps you compensate for light problems.

The Real Estate Talker said...

What a score you got. I think it looks great in her room, I hope she enjoys it for many years to come
Cheryl

Tammy said...

Holly,
What a lucky girl you have there. And her room looks so good. You really scored on that piece and it is amazing. I think it is better than a toy box and bookcase- it has personality and originality.

tammy

Mary said...

OMG!!! That is FABULOUS! What a find that was...I am super jealous! And as far as the pictures, I have such a hard time getting great pics, as you probably have seen. Furniture, especially white piece, are tough. I wish I knew the answer, but if I find out, I will let you know. ~mary~

Anonymous said...

I LOVE it Holly!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Oh my word! There is not a word to describe how lovely that is! And what a steal!

Mr. + Mrs. B said...

What a beautiful piece, and the price tag!! Wow great deal.

Jen said...

NO Way! That is such a score I can't believe it. Your daughter's room is gorgeous. And, I love the use of the broken mirror. brilliant. You have great style!

Petit Design Co. said...

that is an amazing cabinet, I can't believe it was only $140. Lucky you!

E said...

Oh my goodness that is gorgeous! I don't know how you had the willpower to pass it up so many times, but it worked out in the end! It looks adorable in Wren's room!

Anna said...

beautiful room, and beautiful piece of furniture! Your daughter is a lucky little girl :)

Michelle said...

What an AMAZING deal!!! I am so jealous! I love it and it goes perfect in Wren's room!! Love the mirror (frame) over the chair and the blankie your grandma made! Her room just gets cuter and cuter. You are very talented.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I'm blown away by the craftsmanship on that piece and the incredible price you got it for. Stunning!

Regarding the direct natural light, I have two thoughts. First, make sure your white balance is set correctly (although I'm sure you've done that!). Second, underexpose the picture a bit. That should help the colors be more accurate.

amandanbo said...

yep...underexpose a bit! {at least, that's what i would do!} gorgeous cabinet, i'm sure your girl will love growing into it!
~amanda

Little Lovables said...

how in the world did it end up $140! And how lucky for you to have found it. Amazing, and absolutely gorgeous~

Little Lovables said...

oh... I also edit my photos at picnic.com

I pay for an upgraded account, but the free account still lets you do a lot of editing. boost and ortonish would help your photos, as will adjusting the color/exposure if you need

MrsKBJ said...

Wow! Great deal! Wrens room looks so cute! The cabinet and frame look perfect in there!

Anonymous said...

That armoire is gorgeous! What a steal!

Shannon Dew said...

awe Holly that looks AMAZING!!!

Leslie G said...

That armoire is jaw dropping. Seriously- what an amazing find, Holly! I've been looking into re-doing Cam's nursery too, because with a birthday and Christmas in the same month, we're going to need some serious storage! I love how Wren's new room is turning out!

Anonymous said...

Great score!!!! It looks BEAUTIFUL in the room.....love, love, love it!

Jameil said...

very cute! you could also shoot later in the day so the light isn't so bright. the higher the sun is in the sky, the more difficult it is for your camera to compensate especially when there is a lot of white around. or you could use a huge black sheet to draw some of the light to that and away from the scene.

Hello Lover... said...

Absolutely gorgeous!

Living It At Home said...

I love how your daughters room turned out. The cabinet is gorgeous and what a steal! Everything looks fantastic. You probably already did this but make sure you ancor the large cabinet to the wall...will be safer if she decides to climb it one day!

~jamilyn

Pretty Little Things for Home & Life said...

I've never heard of Chickie's... I'm off there tomorrow to check it out!

That armoire is AMAMZING!! What a score!! Good job on waiting it out....you got a great price!

MMW said...

this is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! what a great find.

Unknown said...

Such a pretty room for a sweet little girl. Your cabinet is a lovely piece, and what a deal! It will grow well with Wren and could be used in many places and with many uses in the future.

I'm sure you have anchored that huge piece to the wall, but if you forgot in the excitement please please do so for the safety of your precious little one.

Krystal Wight Armstrong said...

Oh my goodness, that is a magically beautiful peice of art. God must smile on you and the choice finds he sends your way at the perfect prices :) I really do love it and the way the equally whimsicle gold frame works with it and the little bird inside. What little girl (and not so little ones, too) wouldn't love to live with that!

Wren's got to know she has such a cool mommy! I'm not a mom yet, but I'd never thought about how short you realy have to transition between stages with little ones; surely that room didn't get to stay a nursery for very long before phasing into 'little girl room'...the things you bring me to consider, ha :)

Also- yep, I agree with working on your f-stops and white balance (though only one pic actually looked like it might have not been balanced all the way), oh and if the iris isn't doin' it for ya, work on the ISO speeds. Also, I mainly work in digital cinema more than still photography, but our favorite tool for color popping our footage is upping the contrast in post (editing), or sometimes saturation too.
Tuesday my husband and I are getting our new Canon 7D in the mail, so hopefully I'll be learning even more still tips to share soon, too! Let us know if you figure out a great solution. Have fun!

Wendy said...

What an amazing deal!!! Great job!

Antonella said...

wow!
i want to sleep there!!

Jenny @ Words on Wendhurst said...

Love Wren's room. Try raising your aperture to a higher number so that less light enters. Also, make sure your white balance is correct, and create a custom white balance if necessary. I think I remember that you have a DSLR, if so, try bracketing to see if underexposing will help your colors.

Crys said...

Holly! That's so beautiful!!

Erin said...

OH.MY.GOSH!! That cabinet would have been worth every dollar of $1100, and I can't even believe you got it for $140! Well, actually I can, because you are awesome like that. Seriously makes her room, just gorgeous, unique, and perfect!

Cindy said...

Beautiful room. Try underexposing your image by just a tad (shooting in manual mode), and then add a little fill flash to pop those colors. You can set your flash compensation on your camera to about -1stop (give or take, play to get results you like) and it will fill in and help your colors pop.

 
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