So this year I moved into my new home with my friend Jono. This place has got space! Which is great but then you also need to fill it. Being the shoe-addict that I am (I will never be rich), and finances running low after summer holidays, I had to get creative when it came to decorating our new abode. And then I discovered Albertsville. I've always had a bit of a thing with new-old furniture and can't say I'm not a sucker for a good deal, so I certainly hit the jackpot when I found this little gem of a spot nestled in Jozi.
The main street in Alberstville is littered with antique stores and you can find literally almost anything if you’re willing to do a bit of digging.
It is more of an Aladdin’s cave than anything when compared to the chic antique stores of Parkhurst.
But I’m pretty sure the Parkhurst shop-owners also find their pieces in Albertsville and take their location up the road along with the price!
If you’re willing to sift through people’s throw-outs and hand-me-downs with the chance of unearthing a few little treasures, it is definitely worth a morning outing.
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| Everything but the kitchen sink... and that! |
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| This restored record playing worked perfectly. Want. |
I set to work on giving my purchases a bit of a facelift! The trick is to use ordinary polvin paint as it is water-based and really easy to use. I found a great vesper-blue colour appropriately called "new beginnings".
I had to give everything a good scrub and sanding and then rubbed the items with wax.
This will lift your paint and give the furniture an authentic vintage look.
Just be sure to make it convincing and rub where the furniture would have been worn down – corners, handles etc.
A quick dusting of painting and voila!
Bit of a project but it's definitely the cheaper and more fulfilling option then picking from the cream of the crop on Fourth Avenue.
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| My grandmother's cabinet reworked! |
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| This old kist is now my laundry box |
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| I popped linen bags inside to seperate hand-washing and normal stuff |
Some other little gems I found along the way and what I did with them...
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| An old wooden shutter I used to hang all my necklaces and hairpieces... |
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| An old farm wrought-iron gate is now my headboard! |
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| Discarded industrial shelving holds our books quite nicely :) |
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| An old frame painted with chalk-board coating is perfect for notes to Jono, grocery lists etc! |
