Monday, April 6, 2015

When a Piece Doesn't Sell...




I couldn't figure out why this secretary desk wasn't selling after three months on the market. I wrote about it back in February here (The Little Red Secretary). As a quick recap, I refinished it in Tuscan Red by General Finishes, with Pitch Black glaze. It's a very unique secretary desk with its curvy fretwork and lovely lines at the base.


Maybe red furniture is difficult to sell because it can be limiting in decor choices in a potential buyer's mindset. But I personally don't think so - I have splashes of red throughout my house! But nevertheless, it wasn't selling, and I really didn't want to repaint it because I thought it was beautiful and destined to be a little red lady. And I wasn't about to reduce the price so much that it would eat into my margin because I paid a lot for it initially, not to mention all of the time, effort, and material I spent into refinishing it.




I decided maybe it needed a new photo shoot to increase its marketability. So I shopped my house for items to style the bookcase. Using sentimental pieces and items I've found during my treasure hunting, it took all of ten minutes to pull together!



The antique stock exchange ticker is special to us because it belonged to my husband's late friend and mentor. The china plates and teacups were a serendipitous find at a garage sale. They were wrapped in a box and marked for $10! I really didn't realize at the time how special they were until I brought them home and unwrapped all of the pieces.  Using a little bit of detective work, I traced the china maker and pattern back to Germany pre-WWII. Needless to say, these are NOT our everyday plates!

The books are some of our old favorites, with a few thrown in good measure because they were the right color! The wreaths are from Decor Steals. And finally, the lion bookmark got a coat of chalk paint as soon as it walked in the door with me from an estate sale.

And guess what? The minute I styled and placed it in our family room...



We fell in love with it, and decided to keep it! Have you ever decided to keep something you've refinished and couldn't bear to part with?

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!


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12 comments:

  1. Hi Beth,
    This is my first time to visit, came over from Dwellings. This is really an adorable pc. of furniture, so don't blame
    you for keeping it. You accessorized it perfectly, It really looks lovely.
    Enjoy it.

    Blessings, Nellie

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  2. That has happened to me many times! Some pieces just have to stay with me. But I figure, I can always sell it later. I don't blame you for keeping the secretary. It's beautiful!

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    1. I guess it was destiny! Thank you so much for stopping by!

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  3. Glad you didn't go really low on the price and kept it for your home. Love how it looks with all your pretties.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  4. Beautifully painted and styled!!
    I have found red to be harder to sell also. However, certain pieces speak red to me; this is definitely one of those pieces.
    Glad you and your family will get to enjoy it! :)
    Jonna @ Lovely Rubbish Interiors

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  5. The red looks so lovely with your special dishes--glad you decided to keep it! (But I bet if you posted the "styled" picture, somebody would snap it right up!) I know I would never get tired of looking at it!

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  6. Love your red secretary. I have a similar piece in that line, a little china hutch and I am looking to paint it too. While red won't work in my house, I do love the color on your piece. I'm your newest follower.

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  7. Beth,
    Gorgeous piece, dear one!!!
    I adore the styling within!!!
    Good call to keep this piece within your own home!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  8. It is pretty darn sweet there! You did a great job....and I hope you enjoy it.
    Nancy

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  9. Such a nice piece and beautifully styled - no wonder you fell in love with it!

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  10. This is just such a lovely piece and looks great in your home! Red is a hard sell. I once did a desk in red and it took months to go. I finally painted the interior in gray and staged it better and bam - sold! Keep this one though (we are allowed a treat every once in awhile) :)

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