The Look for Less

How do you get the look for less? Shop at estate sales!

Lately I have been obsessed with Hollywood Regency style home decor. Hollywood Regency is an over the top, eclectic and glamorous design style. This vibe came about in the 1930s when Hollywood set designers started decorating the homes of movie stars with the same drama and theatrics that went into their sets. Think ornate details, laquer surfaces, bold patterns, rich textures, brass and chrome, tassels, faux bamboo, pure whites, and vibrant colors.... all mixed together!

This style is having a resurgence in modern home decor, and it can get expensive. So I opt to find some original vintage pieces... and where better to look than at estate sales. I have found that the Denver Gypsy Boys have a lot of clientele that are clearing out homes filled with bold vintage pieces. In the setting of a neglected and out of date house, these pieces can get lost. But if you have an eye for fabulousness, you can pick out some treasures that will actually look quite modern in your home decor.

My latest find is a iron and glass bar cart. I actually saw one online at 1stdibs.com, and it cost a fortune!

As seen on 1stdipbs.com for 1300.00

From Gypsy Boys Sale - 45.00

Imagine my excitement when I came across one at a Gypsy Boys sale for 45.00! It has been painted white, but my dining room happens to have a white theme... so I was in luck!











Here are some other wonderful Hollywood Regency finds from Gypsy Boys estate sales..

Bamboo Lamp in my dining room
 Gypsy Boys sale - 8.00
(Shade from Target for 14.99)

Bamboo Lamp - High Street Market - 139.00
As seen on ApartmentTherapy.com

Vanity Bench in my guest room - Gypsy Boys sale - 16.00

Vanity Bench
As seen on Ebay for 75.00

Faux bamboo mirror in my guest room
Originally cream color - 20.00
(I spray painted black)

Faux Bamboo mirror
Ballard Designs 199.00

As you can see.... with a discerning eye, you can find some great designer looks for less! 

Start a collection!

I have a TON of collections. I got inspired for this next collection after receiving a few of my grandmother's old kitchen utensils. I hung them on the sophet of my kitchen for display. I soon got obsessed with old kitchen utensils, especially strange looking contraptions, or ones with the red handles.

Did you know you that as a general rule, you can date old kitchen utensils with red painted handles to about the 1950s, and ones with green painted handles to the 1940s?

When I have guests at my home, we always have a fun time trying to guess what some of the strange looking tools were used for... like a french fry cutter, ravioli maker, and pasta cutter.

This particular collection is fun and inexpensive. Being on the hunt for utensils I don't already have is a big part of the adventure. And the Gypsy Boys sales always have a big box of kitchen utensils ranging from 50 cents to a couple of dollars.

Add some charm to your kitchen decor with your own utensil collection. You can also think of themes, like only collecting rolling pins, or ice cream scoops. But if you are after utensils with red handles, you better beat me to the sale!

Upcycled Tool box

Old Wood Tool Carrier for 5$ at Gypsy Sale

Hello! Welcome to my first blog! Today's project involves upcycling... taking something old, and reusing it for a new purpose. I was lucky enough to grab this old wood tool carrier at this weekend's Gypsy Sale. It was a steal at only 5.00. It may look like junk to some, but I love anything with old, pealing paint!

The red handle goes great with my red and blue color scheme in my laundry room, so I thought it would be great for storage. But then I had a brilliant idea (insert my immitation of Dr. Evil with pinky in mouth here). I was going to turn this into a place to hang dry my clothes! ...Something I was seriously lacking in my laundry room.

First... I picked the wall I wanted to mount it on, then I used a stud finder to mark off the stud location with blue tape. This way I would be confident that this piece would be secured to the wall nicely and could hold some weight.

Blue tape marks stud location

I then precariously held the tool carrier above my head and screwed it to the wall into the center stud. My husband sometimes has an anxiety attack if something is hung on the wall unlevel or off center, but since I am pretty sure my husband has no idea we even have a laundry room... I felt safe just eyeballing it.

I put two screws through each stud... this puppy is up there for good.

Next, the decorating step! I lined the back with contact paper (I stupidly did this after I hung it to the wall.... something I do not recommend). Then I hung up my vintage yarn covered hangers.... from a Gypsy Boys Sale of course!!! I also decorated the top with some antique items my grandmother gave me, including a Pepsi Bottle detergent sprinkler my grandfather made when he worked at a bottling plant that made Pepsi bottles. I also added an over sized hook with my vintage clothespin bags. (Yes, you guessed it, another Gypsy Boys Estate Sale purchase!)

This is the finished project! I couldn't be more pleased. It's functional, it's a display piece, and it's upcycled vintage! Next time you are at one of our estate sales... try thinking outside the box for things you can reuse and repurpose!

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to email me with your upcycled projects and I may feature it in an upcoming blog.

Taking over the WORLD!

Come one, come ALL! Welcome to the debut of the Denver Gypsy Boys blog! We are constantly expanding, and this is our next venture.
There will be many things in store for our blog... including blogs about antiques, collectibles, tips and tricks of the trade, decorating advice, how to upcycle, furniture refinishing, customer stories, Ebay tips, Gypsy Boys news and updates, and much much more!