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My name is Gerrie Wydeven doing-business-as Wydeven Designs. I have been conducting this small GREEN business since 2004. Wydeven Designs, based in the Atlanta, Georgia area, sells CHAIRS, LOVESEATS, CHAISES, SETTEES and other fine, well-constructed refurbished upholstered pieces. I love to travel, cook, take photographs and generally follow style and decor topics as well!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Hills and Other Challenges - You have to love it!

I have known for some time that I will travel a long distance and endure physical challenges (within reason) to follow my heart to an estate sale or a "I have to have it" buy when pursuing that next great refurbishing project. At the same time, I will often change a recipe rather than travel by car 1.5 miles to buy a missing ingredient at the nearest store. It's hard to explain, but that's the way it is.

Near bottom of driveway off the road ...
This weekends sales amply demonstrated this truism. I traveled to a sale on Wieuca Drive in Buckhead - not that far - but it has a mixture of great mansions and falling apart older properties sometimes buried in the woods. A sale was being held at one of the latter and despite the fact that you couldn't see the house from the road and the uphill driveway looked unstable and steep, I took off.

Walking up the hill ...

Near the top ...
It is hard to see the steepness but I was out of breath when I reached the top.  The house was clearly marked for demolition and it was packed. It looked like no-one could have lived here for decades but the people handling the sale assured me that the lady who owns the property left that morning.
The house was packed with dolls, doll accessories, "art", books, etc, etc, etc - a hoarder's paradise!
Purchase - one of two - this will be a feature of a before and after project
I wandered around the property and was ready to leave and descent the hill when I spied two old but durable chairs that spoke to me - $15 each!  I told the sales woman that I had a predicament. I liked the chairs and would like to buy them but I didn't want to drive to the property and didn't want to carry them one at a time off to my car which seemed miles away. She found a young man who was willing for a tip to carry them to my car in his rickety truck. We made the deal for $10 and soon the chairs were loaded and I got a ride back to  my car as a package deal. Nice!

I went on to my next sale and guess what, another tree-line old lane and a house off at a distance - neither as far nor as steep.  Off I went!

Next sale - Davis Road in North Buckhead



Reaching my destination!
This was a "moving" sale and the owner had never had a sale before. She had also inherited old pieces from elderly family. She just wanted someone to take them off of her hands.  I ended up buying two sets of club chairs and ottoman (rocker/swivel made by Century Furniture) for $5 (yes) a set and a chaise lounge for another $5. Other than those pieces that I've gotten free over the years, these have to be my best prices for the past 8-9 years.

I am thinking of doing this piece in a small blue print by Waverly.
I am thinking of doing these in a cream on cream damask with linen same color piping - should be wonderful!
Unfortunately, I already had a few things in my van and couldn't load these - we had to return today for a pickup!

So ... I got some great buys and had some nice adventures. You really wouldn't do this if you didn't love it!

2 comments:

  1. I love reading about your estate sale adventures!

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  2. Every Monday, I'm checking to see what you did at the weekend sales. I always find it interesting.

    The first old red chair takes my eye. It had to be pretty once upon a time and I know you'll make it that way again.

    Buckhead is a beautiful area.

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