Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday's customer inspiraiton - Naomi's stunning chair makeover!

Wow - what a makeover I have for you today!  I'm so excited - obviously so much so that I failed to tell you what Tuesday customer inspiration is all about (in case you aren't familiar with it).

Every Tuesday - if my wonderful customers take the time to snap a photo or two of something they've purchased from Jubilee Furniture and email me at sgalbraith@outreachcommin.org - I show you said photo(s) with the hopes of inspiring you to see used furniture in a new and creative way.  Not every post is a complete makeover - many of the things at Jubilee Furniture are fabulous just the way they are - but wait until you see what Naomi did to a very sad chair she found at the store.

Here's her email:

Hi!  I had been looking for a cute chair for my "crafting nook" to no avail (I didn't have much to spend, that always slows me down!) - I found your blog/website and was excited to read about what you do for the community AND some of the cute makeovers your customers had done.

My husband and I have a few goodwill finds we had made over - mostly painting furniture - but I hadn't done a chair before - so stepping into the store on Saturday, we were looking for something CHEAP (so if I ruined it it would be no big loss!) - we found the perfect chair FOR $5.50!  And took it home for a makeover!

I found some clearance fabric at Wal-Mart, so total, the project was less than $45!

So attached is my picture of the makeover (I saw you were asking for inspiration posts), I hope to come visit again soon for more furniture :)


I cannot believe how someone - with what sounds like no re-upholstery skills - was able to create a multi-fabric job with contrasting trim!  Wow. So. Impressed.  The chair looks amazing!

Thanks to Naomi for turning our ugly duckling chair into a swan!

Stay warm, dear reader!  See you back here on Friday!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tuesday's customer inspiration - Judy's transformed night stand!

Gosh, here we are again with another installment of Tuesday customer inspiration where I showcase something someone has purchased from Jubilee Furniture with the hopes of inspiring you to view used furniture differently than you might have before.  Some of my Tuesday posts show furniture looking exactly as it did leaving the store and others how the piece has been transformed into something even better!

Today's post is how something lovely became even lovelier with a simple color of white paint!

Here's Judy's email:

Good morning, I have attached before and after pictures of my most recent purchase at Jubilee.  I saw this little table while shopping for a couch for my son's first apartment.  I fell in love with the shape, and didn't know what I would do with it.  I even told the kids don't let me  buy it, because I have no where to put it.  But bought it anyway and thought is would look better white.  So that's what I did.  It is now in my bedroom as a night stand and just love it!

Thanks - Judy

I, too, was drawn to the shape of this piece and love what Judy did with it!  I wouldn't have thought of using it as a night stand but thinks it works really well in that function.

Hat's off to Judy and many thanks for the inspiration!

Reminder: Jubilee Furniture will be open this Friday (from 1 to 8) and Saturday (from 9 to 4) and I'll have my weekly post up Friday morning as always (my goal is to have it online by 9:00 a.m. CST - and I've made that goal for months with the exception of once when blogspot had an issue and there was nothing I could do about it but groan - and groan I did.  A. Lot.).

Until then, may your turkey be tasty and your potatoes mashed just the way you like 'em, dear reader!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tuesday's customer inspiration - Melissa's back with another fantastic make-over!

Thanks for stopping by for Tuesday customer inspiration where I show you something purchased from Jubilee Furniture and how fabulous it looks in someone's home with the hopes of inspiring you to see pass our concrete floors and bad lighting to the amazing finds available for purchase every Friday from 1 to 8 and Saturday from 9 to 4!  Whew - that was a rather long sentence!  Did you catch it all?  Hope so!

Melissa is a semi-regular customer and one of the most creative people I've ever met.  If you click on the customer inspiration tab at the top, you can scroll down and find two other times I've showcased things Melissa has purchased and transformed from the furniture store.

This time it's a sweet roll-top desk and it actually started off looking pretty good.  Nice oak - not bad at all - but definitely lacking some pizazz!


It certainly has tons of pizazz now! 


To learn more about the transformation and see other creative and cool things Melissa has done, check out her blog here

Here's hoping you have a wonderful week, dear reader and I'll see you back here on Friday for my weekly update post (spoiler alert - unbelievable furniture donations this week!).

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday's customer inspiration - Jessica's fantastic chair make-over and Mandy's great reading corner!

Greetings and welcome to Tuesday customer inspiration where we hope to inspire you to see beyond our less than fabulous warehouse/showroom to the amazing discoveries to be found within (some of those discoveries require some lovin' before they're revealed as the gems they are and some don't!).

This first inspiration comes from designer Jessica Jones (learn more about the very talented Jess here).  She took a very tired looking chair and made it fabulous.  Click here to learn more about Jessica's Jubilee Furniture chair transformation.

before - ho hum

after - amazing!

And then Mandy stopped in a couple of weeks ago and purchased two armless chairs for her classroom's reading corner.  I love how the two gray/blue chairs go so well with Mandy's other chair and the great striped pillows certain fun 'em up!  She wrote that her kids love the space!


A big thank you to both Jess and Mandy! 

Have you purchased something from Jubilee Furniture that you'd be willing to take a photo (or two or more) of and email me at sgalbraith@outreachcommin.org to be used for a future Tuesday customer inspiration?  I'd be ever so grateful if you did!

On Friday I'll be sharing about a special discount, this weekend only, for all veterans in honor of Veterans' Day!

Until then, take care dear reader!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tuesday's customer inspiration - Margaret's lovely entry and living room!

Thanks for stopping in for Tuesday customer inspiration where I showcase something a customer has purchased from Jubilee Furniture and how it looks in their home - either exactly as it looked leaving the store or how it's been transformed into something even better - with the hopes it'll inspire you to give peace used furniture a chance (sometimes I crack myself up!).

So, without further ado, it's my pleasure to introduce one of my favorite customers, Margaret!  This is Margaret's third time submitting photos for customer inspiration (check out her first customer inspiration here and numero duo here)!  Here's her email:

Subject: some more pictures...

...through my embarrassingly dirty camera lens.  Or is it supernational phenomena?  Nope, just dirt.

The first picture is that two piece painted table we found at Jubilee.  Remember, when I came in the store three times and kept stealing your tape measure?  It serves as an entryway table with some knickknacks on top.  Notice the glass panel on our front door, which explains why we bought the second piece (giant curio) in the next photo.  We're pretty sure that this is someone's homemade brainchild, but since it went so well with our front door, we figured it belonged at our house.  We removed the casters that it had on the bottom, but unfortunately, this made it tip forward.  We then stuffed some balsa wood under the front to steady it, and anchored it to a wall stud with a child safety furniture strap.  Hopefully, it's not going anywhere anytime soon.  Crystalware and old books rest on the shelves inside the glass doors, while hand-me-down board games hide in the cabinet below.



The pine bench is also from Jubilee.  I like the rustic hinges and unfinished look.  It holds our mittens and baseball hats and the occasional stuffed bear or human child sits on top.  One day it might go in one of the kid's rooms and hide toys and books.  Who knows?

Just as soon as I took these two pictures, I changed things.  So, the last photo is more of the same, just a rearrangement of the furniture to make the room feel bigger.  It isolated the one armchair in the corner, but makes for more walking/playing room.  I can't decide which way is better and will probably move it back and forth every once in a while.


That's all of our Jubilee stuff, hope to see you soon!

I find Margaret's home to be so warm and inviting!  It's also very cool that she and her husband have Jubilee Furniture furniture in so many rooms of their house (Jubilee Furniture furniture in your home = tons of feel good vibes knowing your purchase helped those most in need in DuPage County through the programs and services offered by Outreach Community Ministries).

Have you bought something from the store and are willing to take a photo (or two) and email me at sgalbraith@outreachcommin.org?  If so, that would be supery-duper!

I'll be back on Friday with my weekly post which will include photos of some of the fantastic stuff the guys are picking up this week!  You won't want to miss it!

Take care and a great big THANK YOU to Margaret!