Patient Seeking

 I've been known to have a stubborn sort of patience that some people find annoying. Like how I didn't want a cement sidewalk at the front of our house when we built it, and I insisted we not put one in, but wait until we could either afford pavers or stepping stones to make our front walk out of.  For several years (maybe the first three?) we had dirt, and only dirt, as a walkway between the driveway and the front door.  But then DH found a great deal (something like 70% off) on pavers that I liked, and so we eventually got our non-concrete sidewalk to the front porch.  And once it was in place, he admitted that he liked the way it looked so much better than if we'd gone the 'quick and easy' way of pouring cement when we'd built the house. (Duh, I know these things. My pickiness isn't without good cause.)

When we built the house at this little place here, I had visions of a large hutch/buffet cabinet on the east wall of the dining room.  Did we own such a thing?  No.  Could we afford to run out and buy such a thing at the time? No.  So for many years I made due with other various pieces of furniture (that we all ready owned or inherited) in that spot.  But I still wanted a big hutch there.

I started looking, casually, in 2018 for a used wooden piece that fit the bill.  They were few and far between in my price range, and typically gone before I could even inquire about them.  I looked a little more seriously in 2019, missing out on a few.  In early 2020, I started looking at postings on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace several times a week, as well as hitting up various local thrift and antique shops on a monthly basis.  Still nothing.  It was getting discouraging, as I was seeing more and more painted hutches, but I wanted unpainted wood.  The few non-painted pieces I saw were way beyond my budget.  And then came Covid.  No more thrift or antique store visits.  Fewer listings on Craigslist or Facebook as everything was shut down and people were so worried about in-person anything let alone having a stranger come to their house for something that couldn't be left outside for a non-contact pickup.

Then, in the Fall of 2020, as people began to relax (and, in Michigan, get thoroughly sick of the whole Covid mania), I found a listing only 35 minutes away for a wooden hutch in good condition for what seemed to be an unbelievably affordable price.  It had only been posted for an hour, and I was the lucky first person to inquire about it.  The seller responded right away, and we set up a time that afternoon (a Saturday) for DH and I to go see it.  I have to say, DH wasn't too thrilled to give up time on his Saturday afternoon, especially when he might miss kickoff on the college football game of his favorite team.

We saw it.  I loved it.  I bought it.  For $65.  Can you believe it?!?

It's all real wood, no particle board. Original condition, no painting over scuffs and dings (which I never mind because life gives everything scuffs and dings).  And it is a perfect fit for that east wall.  Almost like it was always meant to be in that space.  DH even said it was worth the time and the drive to go get.  And it holds tons of stuff, neatly, mostly out of sight.  There's a lot of grandkid related puzzles and games hidden behind those doors and in the drawers, not to mention seasonal linens and small decorations.

Back in 2019, which searching for that elusive hutch, I began a search for a tall, narrow cabinet that I could put in the master bathroom.  Again, I wanted real wood, no paint, and it had to fit my budget.  

This search was even harder than the hutch search, as I was working with a really specific width.  Nothing over 24", and preferably closer to 20"-22".  A real unicorn.

Didn't find anything in 2019.  Didn't find anything in 2020.  Didn't find anything in 2021.  Occasionally I'd see something the right size, but it would be painted. Horrors! Not for me!  That is one trend I just cannot get into.  My brain will not accept it.

In 2022, I started entertaining the idea of getting something new, and (gasp) maybe not even solid wood.  After a month or so of checking online to see what all the new options were, and seeing how much they cost ($200+ for press board?!?  I don't think so.) I went back to my antique/thrift/Craigslist/Facebook/garage sale searching.

Guess what I found in early May this year?  A very cute cabinet.  Narrow! Made with real wood!  In great condition for it's age (1960s?), and all original with the exception of the drawer handles.

Again, I was lucky to see the posting shortly after it was put online.  And I was the first to ask about it and say I could pay in cash that day, if the seller was available (she wasn't, we set a time for the following afternoon once I was done at work).  DH and I drove 20 miles in the rain to see it.  I liked it.  The seller even came down $10 on the price.  So I bought it.  For $30.  Just $30, can you believe it?!?

Another good fit.  Patience pays off again.  DH's reaction?  "Where are you going to put the dirty clothes hamper?"  (In the corner of the bedroom, right by the bathroom door.)

Hopefully in the near future, I'll find a good deal on the other item (wooden, of course) that I've been looking for off and on since 2021: good sturdy bunkbeds that the grandkids can sleep on when they come to stay the night at this little place here.  Nothing pipe frame.  No IKEA. Nothing that somebody's teenagers have gotten too big/heavy for.  I want some good old fashioned sturdy wooden bunk beds that you could put average size adults on if you needed to. And they have to cost less than $200 (or else I'll just have to wait for DH to get around to buying lumber and building some once he finishes the bazillion and one building projects we've got going on around here).