The lure of aged and well-loved furniture

These days, I find myself inexplicably lured to old, well-loved pieces. Sometimes, the more chipped or weathered it is, the more I seem to want it.

This is what's catching my eye on my local Craigslist:



A vintage piece, with drawers so old "they require some patience to open and close," which isn't really a problem in my book. At $40, definitely a steal for a piece with so many potential uses.



Yum! There's all the chipping paint I was talking about on this turquoise-colored dresser, priced at $40. Of course, there is always the leaking lead from old paint to worry about with young kids around, but I hear an opaque coat of varnish can help solve the problem.



OK, I admit I know chipping paint is not everybody's cup of tea and some of our house guests might wonder just how hard we've been hit by the recession if we stock up on too many of these pieces. Part of the appeal for me is wondering just what the story is behind this piece that was so well-used and loved.

Check out this table. What a beauty! This weathered garden table is available for a whopping low cost of $25. I just love Craigslist. The owner, who is selling the table because he's moving, writes in his ad, "many breakfast and many a party (bbq's!) have happened on and around it." This makes me wish we didn't already have a dining table or a patio table, both bought new around the same time we bought our house. We did the unthinkable and didn't even consider Craigslist or thrifting back then.

I can't stop myself from looking longingly at this swivel desk chair. Unfortunately, I really do need an ergonomic chair at my desk or else I would swap out my ugly black leather ergonomic chair with this lovely old red chair, which costs $60.

This old file cabinet took my breath away when I first saw it. I don't really need such a cabinet, but I love to fantasize about what I would store in it. The seller writes that one drawer is "finicky," but that the cabinet includes an old schematic drawing.

Finally, we have a $10 beat up bookcase and, really, you know it doesn't get any better than this for a book-lover like me.

Key words I like to use to find such pieces: vintage, antique, weathered, old cabinet (bookcase, table, etc.) Sometimes, it takes some sifting to find these jewels in the rough, but the search is well worth it.

I'd love to hear about any old(er) or weathered pieces you have in your home.