Why I love Craigslist

I hate paying full price. Whether it's home stuff, clothes or whatever else I spend my hard earned money on, I'm looking to get what seems like a deal to me.

So when I first bought my condo, and was spending all my money on bringing it out of the '80s, I was looking to stretch every penny I had to go from just about zero furniture to a full 600 or so square foot's worth.

Enter Craigslist, the place where secondhand furniture goes to be reborn. As I scanned through those listings for the first time, it was like I had found my mecca. I plunged straight into the world of the second hand deal and have never once looked back.

Like many of the newly converted, I felt the need to spread the Craigslist gospel. It's sad though. I espouse my love of Craigslist to all and sundry, and I'm met with skepticism and derision.

Isn't Craigslist just full of Grandma's crap? (Yes, that plus more!) Don't people ask ridiculous prices for their "beautiful, like new, 15 year old couch"? ( Yes, yes they do!) Am I going to bring BED BUGS into my home from second hand furniture? (Well, possibly, but hopefully not if you're careful! And scary fact - some retail stores have had bed bugs too. Shhh.)

Anyway, I've seen the Craigslist light and feel driven to share it with others. So in my next post, I am going to tell you how to find what you never knew you needed and unearth the furniture jewels from all the coal. As I have also experienced the joy of selling on Craigslist, I will also at some point soon give my tips for a safe and easy transaction.

Bur before I go ahead and give away all my secrets, and to show that I practice what I preach, I give you my living room:

Please excuse my amateur blurring of the view out my windows.

And now a source list:

See there? What's the number one source of furniture in my living room, in fact accounting for 50% of the major items showing? Why, it's the list of Craig. And just to explain why I love that guy so much, well let's just say I paid more for my Ikea items than I did for any item I bought second hand, including my sofa.

Coming soon: my personal tips and tricks for finding what you're looking for on that giant wall of text!

A Sofa Love Story

Back when I was a first time soon to be condo owner, I had many plans for my new space. One of my top priorities was a new couch. As an avid TV watcher and online surfer, my sofa is a critical part of my living space.

I started out doing research online with a "no budget" approach. I browsed blogs, online furniture stores and discussion boards. It was on one particular blog that I found a sofa that peaked my interest: the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams "Claude" sofa.

My inspiration couch {found at A Browner Brown}

I had never heard of the brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, so I hopped on their website to see what I could find. And that's where I stumbled across a sofa that pushed all thoughts of "Claude" from my mind.

The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams "Alex" sofa had everything I was looking for. Clean, modern lines? Check. Small footprint for condo living? Check. Comfy cushions that would allow me to lounge for hours on end? Check. This was the one, and I quickly copied it into my "new home style" folder.

{Source}

With a passion for a sofa I was determined should be mine, I started searching for dealers who might have the "Alex" sofa in stock in Toronto, but I quickly hit a hurdle. The brand of sofas was available in Toronto, but only at high end and super expensive stores like Elte. With a fast growing renovation budget and other moving costs mounting up, it seemed the "Alex" was destined to be merely a pinup inspiration rather than reality in my living room.

So with visions of sofas dancing through my head, what was a big dreaming but small budgeted girl to do? Why turn to Craigslist of course!

I spent days and weeks surfing the 'list. Sofas scrolled before my eyes but none matched my vision like the "Alex" had.

And then one day, as I was browsing through the ugly chintz and dated corduroy once again, a picture of loveliness appeared on my screen. A low profile, modern, low armed sofa in a grey tweed that looked very similar to the "Alex" of my dreams. $200 the ad said. Bought from Caban (the now defunct home furnishings arm of Club Monaco.) If I couldn't bring home THE sofa, then this looked like a very suitable alternative.

The Craigslist image that caught my eye.

I emailed the listing to my mom. "I don't really like grey tweed" she replied. I mulled this over before deciding that while mom knows best on most things, this was one area I would follow my own instincts on.

I emailed the seller. Was the sofa still available? Could I come see it? He replied in the affirmative and with a time and place for viewing.

So that week-end my mom and I stopped by a cute little row house in Little Italy. I walked into a wood floored and high ceilinged Victorian room, and there was the sofa. It looked just like my vision, and after a quick sit test and glance over to confirm that the sofa was in great condition, I announced that I would take it.

I handed over the $200 and after arranging a time for pick up was getting ready to leave when the seller handed over the original booklet that came with the sofa. As I glanced down at the crumpled papers, I almost couldn't believe my eyes.

MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS ALEX SOFA

This sofa was not just a look alike or an alternative to the one I wanted. It was in fact the exact brand and model that was sitting right there in my inspiration file! I skipped out of that house with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

My dream sofa was mine.

Old photo of my living room

And I'm happy to report that 4 years later, the feelings are still there. The "Alex" is the one for me.

Buy Second-Hand

I am an avid browser of Craigslist and other online listings sites. If I had a motto when it came to home design, it would probably be "never pay retail".

Unfortunately, while I am constantly spotting amazing finds that I would love to showcase in my own home, I live in a less than 700 square foot condo and don't want to be appearing in an episode of Hoarders any time soon. So part of the reason I started this blog was to have an outlet to share some of the items I come across in the hope they are perfect for someone else out there!

My first find this week is these amazing mid century chairs from GUFF on Queen East. The chevron/ zig zag pattern is so current, and they seem to be in great condition! If I had space in my living room and a bit of extra cashola, these babies would be coming home with me.

GUFF chairs, $365 each

How about going back to school with these lockers? I can see them as storage in a large, open loft space.

Lockers, $100

This gold toned trunk could look great in the right space, and the cedar lining is great for clothes storage. These types of trunks are in all the design stores along King Street East.

Gold Storage Trunk $250

I really like this wicker shelving unit and could see it left as is or spray painted another colour. The shape is unique and I like how the sides have an open weave.

Wicker Shelf, $60

This desk or table has great lines, and for $40 could easily be custom painted, although I kind of like the coral colour it is now.

Desk, $40

And last but not least, what about these coat hooks? I can picture them hanging in an entry way, right next to the front door. After all, nothing says "welcome to my home" like a bunch of severed baby limbs.

Baby Arms Coat Hanger, $45

Yeah. Ok, so maybe not. I never said everything on Craigslist was a winner.