How to pick a good flip piece.

Welcome to Thrifty Thursday, where I bring you design ideas, mom-ing ideas, and more!

I don’t have anything fancy to show y’all this week, in fact, what I’m about to show you is pretty ugly! I’ve been on the hunt for a good piece of flip furniture. A piece to help me get my feet wet in the resale business. After days of searching Facebook, Craigslist and local shops, I finally found something in our very own Rust & Roses-a local antique and resale store in Abilene. I actually overlooked this piece at first, but Husband pointed out the fantastic price, so I circled back and investigated. A few minutes later, he purchased it, without my consent! I think he may have more faith in my abilities than I do!

I wasn’t even quite sure what to call it. The label literally read “Hideous project piece, $25”! That’s right just $25, how could I protest? Once we were in the car, I immediately began researching, because, like I said, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was. I had ideas and wanted to call it a wardrobe but knew that wasn’t right. Turns out it’s a type of Chifforobe. Derived from the words chiffonier and wardrobe, a piece of furniture that combines drawers and a closet-like space for hanging. This type of furniture dates back to about 1905 in America! A good antique one could cost upwards of $1000. I couldn’t find anything similar on sites such as Wayfair, but a new wardrobe or armoire with a mirror would run $500+, for a good wooden one. Chifforobes or chifforettes became more prevalent in the Depression Era, because it was multi-functional and affordable.

I was intrigued! How can I make this piece beautiful again? Let me first show you the befores.

Here she was in the store!

I started hitting the good wood exterior with my orbital sander. I first wanted to see how many layers of paint there were and what kind of wood I was dealing with. But the hideous black paint gunned up my sander and I had to change the sandpaper for each drawer to avoid causing damage to the wood. My best guess is that the black layer is some sort of homemade chalk paint. No doubt I’ll have to go back with a higher quality chalk paint to make it look right. For now, the plan is to lightly sand it, smoothing out the ugly brush strokes, then prime and paint. I’m thinking white! With a pretty surprise interior, and of course some lovely knobs.

So how do I find a good flip piece? Well I have three main criteria to follow:

1. Price. This one may seem obvious, the lower the price, the better, right? Do your research! What will the supplies cost? What are similar items in your market going for?

2. Material. Is it solid wood? Is it durable? Or can it be replaced with a durable product?

3. Unique Factor. Is it interesting? Is it homemade? Is it one of a kind? Does it draw attention?

• Portability. I wanted to add this little after thought as well. I always consider the size and my ability to move the piece. Is it too large and intimidating to move? Buyers want to be able to grab & go!

So there you go! Pretty minimal criteria! Find something that speaks to you and just give it a go!

Stay tuned to see this ugly beast transformed into a beauty!