You may have noticed the design mantra that every room should include something old. Lately I’ve been paying attention, and I’m officially on board with the idea. For me it started while I was browsing Craigslist—my routine is to search “dresser,” “sideboard,” and “buffet” every week—because we needed a large piece of furniture to convert into a TV stand in the living room and a substantial buffet for the entryway.
Then, out of nowhere, I found a painted sideboard that stopped me in my tracks:
I was smitten and immediately emailed the seller with a simple message: “I love your sideboard, is it still available?” If you want a fast response on Craigslist, here’s a tip: don’t overwhelm the seller with a long list of questions right away. Tip number one: a short, direct message saying you like the item and asking whether it’s still for sale often gets the best results.
The seller replied about five hours later and was friendly. She mentioned several people were interested and planned to sell to the first person who paid full price and picked it up. That didn’t surprise me—around here many dressers and sideboards are priced higher than they’re worth. You’ll see particleboard pieces from big-box stores listed for outrageous amounts, while solid wood pieces like this are often priced around $400. I knew I’d need to act decisively if I wanted it.
Tip number two: when you want to negotiate, offering to pick the item up immediately and pay cash can be effective—especially if interest in the piece is low. But when multiple people are vying for the same item, sellers tend to favor the highest reliable offer. We wanted this sideboard badly, and my husband John was just as thrilled as I was.
We would have been comfortable paying about $200, especially after finding similar solid wood sideboards listed for $400–$500 online. Painted sideboards in the same antique blue-green finish often fetched even higher prices. Because this piece came pre-painted with its perfect chunky legs and generous size, it felt like the better value, so we decided to go for it.
I replied to the seller and offered $155—five dollars over asking—to stand out from the crowd, and promised we could pick it up that evening and pay in cash. Tip number three: if you think an item is worth more than the asking price and you really want it, offering full asking price or a little over can seal the deal. Low-priced Craigslist finds are often snapped up by resellers, so showing you’re committed gives you an advantage.
Tip number four: whenever possible, offer to collect the item immediately. That prevents the seller from waiting on other higher offers while you organize pickup. Within thirty minutes we had confirmation: it was sold to us, and we needed to grab it that night. We switched cars with John’s dad—his Honda Pilot has the cargo space for pieces like this—packed cash, and went to collect it while Clara stayed with her grandparents. Tip number five: if you’ll be hauling a heavy piece of furniture down multiple flights of stairs, arrange childcare so you can focus on the task at hand.
Half an hour later the sideboard was in our entryway and we were both staring at it like characters in a cheesy romantic comedy who’ve just fallen in love at first sight.
Tip number six: if you buy an older painted piece, test it for lead paint. I used a lead test kit from a hardware store and the result was clean, which was a relief. Many antiques were only painted after lead paint was phased out, but testing is worth the peace of mind. I plan to apply a clear sealer to protect the finish from further chipping—I actually like the distressed look, which could easily pass for a high-end vintage find.
Seeing it in the dining room confirmed it was worth the price and the effort of hauling it down those stairs. It picks up the green tones in the dining room curtains beautifully and will be perfect for lamps, stacks of books, and framed art.
This sideboard quickly became one of my favorite things in the house. It offers tons of storage and I adore the baluster legs. Whenever I second-guess spending $155, I remind myself that we previously paid $20 for Clara’s dresser and refinished it—an item that now sells locally for $200 or more. So getting a six-drawer dresser and this giant sideboard for $175 total averages out to about $87 per piece. That’s comparable to the price of an entry-level Ikea dresser, but these are solid, characterful pieces with history.
We may favor clean, modern lines, but adding a well-loved antique into each room feels right for our home. We already have an older dresser in our bedroom, an old chair and dresser in Clara’s room, and a pair of secondhand chairs in our office. Old furniture adds warmth and character, complementing the charm of an older house—plus it’s a satisfying way to find unique pieces at reasonable prices.