Mar 23, 2007

The best $310 ever spent


Above you see a beautiful, stately, mid-century modern Knoll-style sofa sitting in my friend Nina's living room. She purchased this couch from a man downtown and restored it for a grand total of $310. How? Well, Nina is both a sylist and an actress which comes in handy for these kinds of operations—you need a good eye when considering used furniture and you need some serious bargaining skills too. Apartment Therapy tipped her off to the great find on Craigslist—and that day she went downtown and bought it. How much was it listed it for? $175. How much did she get it for? $160. Ok, there was a small catch, the legs were rusted and peeling when she bought it—but she promptly had it re-chromed at Astro Chrome in Van Nuys, and they look perfect. Nina talked down Astro Chrome from their initial $300 offer to $150 (how do you do that Nina?). $160 + $150 = $310—I think that beats most Ikea sofas and I think it could sell for five times the amount she paid. Thanks for the inspiration, Nina. Great design, great price.

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