Happy 20,012!

No, I didn't misspell 2012! I've been waiting to do a "Happy 20,000" blog views post for a while. It's pure coincidence that the amount of blog views lines up with the New Year... how apres peau! So in celebration of the New Year and finally hitting that mile marker I've created for myself, I'm giving 15% off anything non-consigned starting today (Saturday: we're open till 3 today) all the way through next Saturday(11-5) for those of you who mention this blog post. How's that for a good start to the new year?
So come on in, and this little girl will greet you with a BIG smile. Have a wonderful New Year.

Holiday Hours

 We'll be open the rest of this week from 1:30-6:30pm. Then closed Saturday for Christmas Eve. Reopening Tuesday-Friday 1:30pm-6:30. Open Saturday (New Years Eve) 11-3.
Sorry for the weird hours. Feel free to call with questions 412.737.6861. Thanks for bearing with me. Have a most joyful holiday season!
Love,
 Redesignation
p.s. we have some great new markdowns be sure to check them out! 

Oh (Moroccan) Poufs!

I can't see a "pouf" and have it not remind me of my time in Morocco. Isn't nostalgia great? You typically only remember the good, rosy memories. Anyways, I came across these two adorable, little poufs today. 

While these aren't exactly like the true Moroccan Poufs you find in the tanneries of Fez, they're enough to stir up those warm feelings. So I'm gonna show you where those little poufs come from (get ready for a few pictures while I make you relive my life in Morocco).

Here's what the tannery looks like from above. If you go to Fez, I highly recommend taking a tour, but don't disregard the mint leaves they might hand you. They do have a purpose. I can't begin to describe how foul it smells. Bet you didn't know they use bird poop to dye and tan the leather?
The thing I like best about buying from this country? Bargaining. Never pay the first price they throw out. Cut it in half and start from there. Trust me. And learn some French or Arabic numbers while you're at it. It'll pay off.
 Here's a wonderful looking picture a friend/old roommate posted highlighting a pink pouf in a Moroccan-inspired room. And here we are celebrating Christmas Eve five years ago while living there. Desperate for some holiday tradition in a Muslim country, it wasn't easy, but we found a French restaurant with a Christmas tree.

If you're an avid world traveler be sure to give yourself ample time to explore this wonderful country. It's got an amazing culture to offer. And definitely take a camel ride into the Sahara. It may not be the most comfortable thing you ever do, but it's an experience to remember.
Speaking of camels... and tying this all back to the shop, here's a wonderful little camel back sofa that just came in and two matching chairs.

Home for the Holidays.

Yeah, I said it. Holidays. Christmas. Hanukkah. Are you ready? I don't know if I am. But ready or not, they're here!
Why not celebrate your loved ones by giving them some of the best gifts to decorate your home? Nothing says Merry Christmas like a couch, right? Ok, you got me, maybe not a couch, but here are a few ideas that might be a fun to open on Christmas day, or just good to have around for the holidays:
First of all, do you have a beautiful crystal punch bowl? We do. Complete with 12 little glasses. Now who's making the egg nog?

How 'bout a Sassafras Rocking Chair for dad? We have two. Why not knock mom and dad's gift out in one swing?

Or maybe your mom would prefer this luscious camel colored wing back. Yeah. That'll do just fine. Might be a little hard to wrap though.

How about a vintage, bubble gum pink vanity for your teenage daughter? No more fighting to get ready in the bathroom with this beauty. She'll gladly go right to her room.

Some smaller items, you say? Well how about some vintage, mid century modern cocktail shakers? Don't forget the Fred Press glasses to go with it. We have lots of beautiful, one of a kind pieces of art, for those art lovers out there. You're bound to find something fun for that hard-to-gift person. So come on in and check out our neat and ever changing inventory. And don't forget to answer our trivia question for an extra 10% off. Happy Shopping! 

This is Africa.

In light of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd take this chance to reflect over the blessing this shop's been. Spurned on by our trip to Ethiopia, we started Redesignation in the first place so we'd have more to give. With your support, we've been able to fully support a little boy named "Hulu" every month. Also, while we were over there, Tony (my husband) discovered this amazing field about a mile trek behind the school we worked at. To reach this field, we hiked down this narrow dirt road which in parts was like a dried up river bed from a previous flood. It took what felt like forever, but once we got there it opened up into the huge field with grass as far as I could see and mountains beyond that.
"This is Africa" was all I could think.
On Tony's first trip to the field he met a young man named Kebede. He was 16 and crippled from Polio. He had a second grade education because he couldn't make the long walk to school. His clothes and shoes were torn up. Tony went to the market bought some new shoes, and we had clothes just his size that would fit him. What's more is that the school we were partnering with was only a mile from his house (an easy donkey ride for him). It's a private school, and there were some worries at first with him being so much older, but he was willing and ready to finally receive his education. We've been paying for him to go to school ever since and the teachers say he's a joy to have.
All this to say, we appreciate your business. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
We'll be closed for the holiday, but opened again on Friday from 1:30-6:30, and then Saturday 11-5 (like normal).
Be sure to join us Friday for special discounts of up to 30% off!!! 

Wrought Iron Paint

Ever since I saw this door in Martha Stewart's Living magazine, I knew I had big plans for this paint color.

Door in "Wrought Iron" paint by Martha Stewart

Although I've yet to paint an actual door this color, I did go out and purchase this paint to liven up my stairway. You see, I can't paint the walls because they're so thickly textured (it took me ages to repaint the dining room). So my solution? Paint the banister, of course. The result? 

Please excuse the abundance of messiness to the side.

I think I will paint the door behind it in the same color to add some more interest to an, otherwise, very bland hallway. But all in all, I think it added just the element of interest I was going for with half the work. My kind of project! 

We've also been busy switching our master bedroom to the room next to us. I used this color and a lighter gray to paint horizontal strips on an accent wall. It turned out very French, nautical. I know that's not a true decorating term, but I'm coining it now because it's the only way I can think to describe such a thing. I'll post pictures soon, friends. 

Completely unrelated: some nice lady came in today and informed me that she saw my commercial. I had no idea I even had a commercial! Supposedly she saw us on t.v. yet could not think of where. Did anyone out there see this? If it's true, I'm really excited! 

p.s. because buying furniture and teeth go hand in hand... I have a sweet friend in her final year at Pitt's dental school. If anyone knows of someone who needs a full or partial set of new dentures, let me know. They're very affordable, and usually covered by insurance. Merci beaucoup. 

Husbandly Blog

I took a "day off" yesterday to refinish some furniture. While I was redoing this baby dresser

my husband was manning the shop, and writing my next blog post.

So for my first guest-celebrity blog, I would like to introduce a man unlike any other.  A man who once claimed to fight crime on the weekends.  No cape, but yes he can achieve flight (he claims capes to lack aerodynamics).  I am speaking of a man with male pattern baldness and a penchant for all things preposterous.  Some may know him as my husband.  Others know him by his birth name.  Either way, he has been recently compelled to grace my blog with nonsense.  Without further adieu, my husband…

Hello People of the Dark Reaches.  I have a child, T, and she is almost 10 months old, and is unable to crawl, walk, or speak English.  Thank you Jesus for another day of freedom!  I frequently think on the day when she will be able to complete any of these tasks and wonder how I will be able to have time to eat and go to the bathroom.  As it stands, my wife and I are already wrapped around this baby human’s  finger. When she goes mobile,  I envision my life to be that of a zombie’s, chasing her around mindlessly and gorging food in the small windows of time allotted by her distraction of shiny objects.  I do not think she needs sleep like most babies.  Three in the morning is when most of the battles are fought.  The baby always wins.  Stop by.  We are usually the ones crying, while our daughter is cackling between us in bed.  In thinking about the future, I hope she learns to speak first.  At least then, I can negotiate about life after crawling/walking.  The negotiation would go as follows:

Mediator:  “Mr. Deane, Miss Little Deane, we are here today to achieve a common goal.   Sanity.  I would like to be first in saying we are all on the same team.  Nothing is unachievable with two hearts set on compromise.”

T:  “Who is this person?  How bout you change my diaper and I will compromise by peeing on your arm up to just your elbow.”

Tony:  “T, focus.  Remember the promise?  At 3 am last night, you promised me you would sit through this if I let you pull Jordan’s hair in her sleep.”

T: “I have the attention span of a goldfish in those moments of compromise.”

Mediator:  “At least there is a willingness to compr….”

T:  “Looking at this mediator’s face makes me want to swallow a nickel.”

Tony:  “Moving on…T, as you know, I would like to discuss the terms of your behavior after you take your first steps.”

T:  “I promise to only light things on fire that have already been designated as garbage, IF you tell me the secret of how to open the child-locked kitchen cabinets.  Then, I demand full access to said cabinets at my discretion.”

Tony:  “Absolutely not!  How bout this?  IF you promise to stand still and not move one step for an hour or two when I am tired or hungry, I will give you the physical address to Santa Claus’s storage unit.”

T:  “I am no idiot.  Santa Claus doesn’t need storage.  Everybody knows he has his elves build carports in the summer for storage.”

Tony:  “Do we have a deal?”

Pause

T:  “Fine!  If I have it right, I promise to light the kitchen cabinets on fire and stand still for 2 hours watching everything burn.  In exchange, you will give up all intel on Saint Nick’s whereabouts.”

Tony:  In a defeated tone, “Yes.  That’s right.”

T: “Now pay this mediator, so I can pee on his arm.  I keep my word!”

While the details may change in time, this is how life as a parent seems to go.  I don’t know.  I am new at this, and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

One Desk Down.

I wasn't in the shop yesterday when it sold (doctors appt. for baby T), but to the girls who bought the little green desk (and for those who liked it, but didn't buy it) I just wanted to share this little tutorial:

There's a whole post on Design Sponge dedicated to refinishing boring old desks and turning them in to something wonderful, like this one, and not unlike the green one we sold yesterday. If you've always wanted to redo a desk, D*Sponge gives complete directions. Or you can just keep your eyes peeled for more desks here at Redesignation.

Also, on the horizon is a new chalkboard wall that I'd like to use for you as a wish list. Feel free to write on it...when it's finished, that is.

p.s. If you're going to use chalk paint, don't wear a nice shirt and skirt :) It's super runny! 

Sweet Sophistication.

Here's that Bauhaus living room set I was talking about. Excuse me while I swoon over it for a little bit. I love plush couches that still keep their shape.

Did I mention this leopard footstool before? 

So fun! 

Here's our little tiger! 

We put trees on her stroller and wrote a sign that said 

"Last Tiger of Zanesville" :(

Artsy Fartsy

Where has this week gone? Wow. I had intentions of writing like 10 new posts, but alas, time has not been on my side this week. So, a little recap:

First.

Before

After

Here's the after shot of the buffet last posted about. I feel slightly shady about posting this a day too late because as luck, or something of the sort would have it, it sold yesterday! But I've decided to keep doing more projects like this since it got such good feedback. Any requests? 

Second. We visited a neighbor of my Aunt's on the North Shore. They were having a huge estate sale as they just sold their home and are majorly downsizing. They probably have one of the most substantial art collections I've ever seen (and I come from a family of artists). We're displaying and consigning about 1/8 of that art collection. Lots of original prints and a great variety. So come on over and check it out. 

I'm sure I'll post some pictures of them at some point. 

Third. We just brought in a gorgeous 3 piece living room set from Bauhaus. It's a neutral beige/creme/mother of pearl (anyone remember that toothpaste commercial I'm referencing here?), and it looks brand new. All you in need of a beautiful, comfy couch better check it out soon. 

Hope to see you all tomorrow (Saturday). And for all you flea market fans, Rossi's Flea Market is having a Halloween costume parade/contest for kids tomorrow morning at 10. My little tiger will be there bright and early parading around.  

 

Freezing Paint.

Hi friends. Just in case you were wondering, paint gets cold in this kind of weather, too. Yesterday was my "day off". Grandpa had the baby, and I was bound to tackle the multitude of furniture in my garage that were begging for a new life. Or was that my husband begging for his garage back? Either way, I set out to paint...and paint I did. Now I'm just waiting for it all to dry. Which probably means I'll be waiting for a while because it's still cold and rainy out today, and our garage sadly isn't heated.
Side note: I skipped over to Anthropologie today. They have some amazing deals on hardware. Here are a few I scored today for just $2.95 each. Can you believe it? That's cheaper than the Depot. And way cuter.

New hardware makes any old piece of furniture look new and fresh. It's a really inexpensive way to get a quick change, if you're not into the repainting thing. 

Here's a peak at one of the pieces I'm refinishing. 

Sanding phase. 

I'm thinking of ordering something like these handles  for the buffet above. I painted it a gray blue and left the top its natural wood color. I'm just not sure what look I want to go for with the hardware. I would have just recycled the old ones, but some are missing. Any thoughts? 

Remember when I said I almost always seem to get paint on the driveway? Here's another glorious example of that. One of my paint cans rolled and splattered. Thankfully this was outside and I could just wash it all away! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and be sure to come check out our new inventory. 

p.s. don't forget about the 15% off deal from the last post. . You have until the end of October. Only one person's come close so far. I gave it to her for partial correctness! Enjoy that desk and those stools! 

Who's This Guy?

Our small group partakes in a white elephant gift exchange for Christmas. The rules are: each couple spends no more than $5 on the tackiest thing you can find, and the couple who "picks" the gift must keep it on display in a visible living area of their house for an entire year! Let me show you what we were so blessed to unwrap last year...

See that circular frame sitting oh-so-strategically on our bookshelf in our living room? That's Sloth from the Goonies. Not so bad, right? Anyways, we came across this little guy (in the top picture) at Rossi's Pop-up Flea Market  and knew we had a winner. The only problem is my husband's unwillingness to keep it a secret (we'll see how many of you in our small group actually read my blog). So here's the deal. If you know his name (yes, this ugly thing has a name, probably the coolest thing about it) then I'll give you 15% any one item in my shop. Offer stands till the end of the month, and only one discount per family. Just come on in and tell me his name. It's that simple! Onto the real reason why you came here. Our store has a new look yet again. It's been a crazy week of getting new items in, but they're here at last, and that's the important thing!
Let's take a sneak peak, shall we?

Server from the 1800's
$850

Look at all that gorgeous detail! 

Tiger-Striped Oak Bar $1200
(free delivery within a 15 mile radius) 

Wouldn't this be awesome in a kitchen?
Stools now $75 each

Glass Table/Wicker Chair Set $200
8 x 10 Wool Rug $170

Yellow Pine Shaker style Server

 I'll post some more pictures later...till then, you start thinking about who that little guy could be up top.

Last Chance at Romance.

I was going to title this "last chance with Mary Jane", until my husband informed me what that song meant. I don't want you to get any wrong ideas. I also don't know why I feel the need to constantly explain my titles. I mean, do y'all really pay attention to titles? Really? And for you native Pittsburghers out there, y'all is the equivalent of yens, a word I still cannot seem to grasp from where it was originally derived.
So back to the title. It does have relevance. This couch, my friends, is on its last call.

When I first saw her, she was cleverly situated in a house that somewhat reminded me of a cabin. I loved the bright colors, the vintage feel, the high back. But it's been a whole two and a half months at last, and no one loves her as much as me, apparently. It's okay. I won't take offense. I just wanted to offer one. last. time.
After this next week, she'll be on her way to a new home.
It's been a good week in the shopping department. We're taking a trip tomorrow morning to pick up a few more goodies from a lovely lady's home. And by few, I mean like ten things. Thus, the reason why this couch needs to find a new home. In the mean time, good luck navigating around the store.

p.s. anyone interested in the most amazing tiger-striped oak bar you've ever seen? It's old, and it's awesome. Oh, and it's also 8 feet long, so you'll need plenty of room. Perhaps a kitchen island?

Bursting. At. The. Seams.

I have too many titles running through my brain to pick just one. I also have many, many new items to blog about. But really, I'm going to highlight just a few and save the rest for a rainy day.
Ever since I saw this drink cart on Cup of Jo, I've been slightly obsessed with brass drink carts. I even saw one at a neighbors house, and immediately gravitated toward it. No, not because it was stocked with drinks. It's just such a fun look.
Let me show you just in case you don't like to click on the links I give you.

My find

Their luscious drink cart

Okay, alright, I know, mine's not quite as lush as theirs, but come on, have some imagination. Or do I need to fully stock it like they've done?
I also found this other extremely unique piece. It's some old, re-purposed mechanical cart. I love how rustic it is, and I think it'll make someone a great, and unique kitchen island, or, you guessed it, drink cart.

Word on the street is some couple came down from Canada, loved it, but couldn't figure out how to fit it in their car. Sad.

Hey Mambo.

Mambo Italiano. 

I used to make up names for my mom when I was younger. Mambo, may or may not have been one of them. For certain, Matza was one of those names. Now, instead of "grandma", we have Matza. Below is a true Italian treasure. It's my newest consignment piece. Bought in Italy about 40 years ago, is this stunning bombé chest. While this picture hardly does it justice, the wood is almost exotic looking and laid in a chunky square sort of pattern. 

Made by "Fiorini" 

Also new is this demi lune (half moon) sofa table from Ethan Allen. You can still find it online here for (get this) $1449! I decided to list it for 70% off its original price,

making it $435.

I found a whole bunch of new stuff to go in the shop yesterday, which is perfect timing since I walked back in this morning to find that Kelly sold everything last night. 

Okay,"everything" is an exaggeration. But she did sell a lot. 

So what did I get? You'll just have to stop in tomorrow and see. Here's to hoping the husband's able to pick it all up tonight! This business is like a marriage.

It really does take two. 

And a half.