I was walking back from the shops one day when I lived in London and I noticed some "rubbish" dumped underneath a sign saying "the dumping of rubbish is strictly prohibited". It actually was a pile of old books and amongst it this little picture. I initially thought it was a print and took it home. On closer inspection I discovered it to be an original watercolour, signed and framed by a famous dealers in Kensington. I marvel at the skill in this painting and it has a hidden past to which I know nothing.
We don't tend to go out of our way to rummage through other peoples junk and skips, sometimes we are just driving somewhere and we see something.
A couple of our much loved pieces have come from skips. Recently we saw this Ercol Sofa frame just lying amongst the rubble of a refurbished office, the frame was in very good condition, a testament to how well made it was in the late seventies. I have blogged about this on the DIY page showing how I made the cushions from foam.
Another great find was this Indian coffee table. It was broken and covered in wax stains. We managed to mend the wonky leg and I painted it with white and pink chalk paints.
For a while we had it out in the garden, hence why the paint peeled off a bit, but as we like the distressed look I left it that way.
Incidentally two items featured in these photos came from the same old lady at a car boot fair. One being the glass lamp in front of the painting, and the white crochet throw on the sofa behind the coffee table. They were both under £5.
Whatever way you come about finding treasures, it doesn't matter. A trained eye can find fabulous things that are all the better for costing nothing. If unsure just take it home and play with it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
