You may have noticed the recent design mantra that “every room should have something old in it.” It seems to be everywhere these days, along with variations like “every room should have something black.” While most of my home isn’t actually black (aside from my wardrobe), I’m officially on board with the “something old” idea.
It started during one of my routine Craigslist searches—“dresser,” “sideboard,” “buffet”—a method I use every week or so while hunting for a large piece to convert into a TV stand and a substantial buffet for our entryway. Then, out of the blue, I spotted one that made me stop scrolling.
I was immediately smitten. I messaged the seller with a simple question: “Is this sideboard still available?” Here’s my first Craigslist tip: don’t overwhelm sellers with a long list of questions right away. A short, friendly message saying you love the piece and asking if it’s still for sale tends to get the best response. Save detailed questions about size, defects, delivery, or price for later—asking too much upfront can make you sound high-maintenance.
The seller replied a few hours later and mentioned she had several interested buyers and intended 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 overpriced—particle board pieces listed for far more than they’re worth—while solid wood pieces typically go for $400 or more.
Tip two: When trying to negotiate price, offering to pick up the item immediately and pay cash can help when interest is low. But when multiple people are interested, sellers usually wait for the highest offer. Once I knew others wanted the sideboard, I realized it would come down to how much I was willing to fight for it—and we wanted it badly. My partner John was fully on board.
We probably would have paid around $200, especially after comparing similar solid wood sideboards online, where prices ranged from $400 to $500. Painted sideboards in that antique blue-green finish tended to be even pricier—sometimes $695 or more. We considered buying a plain wood piece and distressing it ourselves, but the specific proportions, chunky curved legs, and substantial size of this painted piece made it unique—and it was several hundred dollars cheaper than similar solid wood options.
So I went for it. I emailed the seller a heartfelt offer: $155 if she would accept it and allow us to pick it up that night. I made it clear we could bring cash immediately and promised to give it a good home.
Tip three: If you really want something on Craigslist and believe it’s worth more than the asking price, consider offering the full asking price (or slightly above). Items priced too low can attract resellers who will flip them for a profit, so a small premium can help your offer stand out. I offered five dollars over asking as a signal that we were serious.
Tip four: Offer to pick the item up right away when you can. That prevents the seller from waiting for another buyer who might offer more in the days it takes you to arrange pickup. I sent my offer and waited—then, about half an hour later, the seller accepted. We switched cars with John’s dad so we’d have a vehicle with enough room (a Honda Pilot), grabbed our cash, and headed over while Clara stayed with her grandparents.
Tip five: If you know you’ll be hauling a heavy piece down multiple flights of stairs, it’s a good idea to make childcare arrangements ahead of time so you can focus on the task without extra stress. Moving a solid wood buffet is hard work, and leaving the kids with someone else makes the process easier.
About thirty minutes later, the sideboard was in our entryway and we were all kinds of smitten.
Tip six: If a piece is old and painted, test it for lead paint before bringing it into a home with children. I used lead test strips from a home improvement store; the result came back clean. Many antiques were left natural and only painted later, after lead paint was phased out, so this wasn’t unexpected—but it’s always worth checking. I plan to seal the finish to prevent further chipping, though I like the worn, aged look. It feels like something high-end stores might sell after distressing a new piece to achieve the same charm.
Seeing it in the dining room confirmed it was worth the effort (and the stairs). The green tones complement our dining room curtains beautifully and the view from the kitchen peninsula feels instantly more finished. I’m excited to style it with lamps, stacks of books, and art above it.
It quickly became one of my favorite pieces in the house. There’s ample storage and those curved baluster legs are irresistible. When I second-guess the $155 price, I remind myself of other great finds we’ve made—like Clara’s dresser, which we refinished after scoring it for $20 and which now sells locally for $200 or more. Between that dresser and this sideboard, we spent $175 total, averaging about $87 per piece—less than a laminate Ikea dresser. We also have an old wood dresser in our bedroom that was a free hand-me-down, which lowers the average even more.
As much as we appreciate clean, modern design, adding an old piece to each room feels like a smart way to bring personality and history into our home. We already have an old dresser in the bedroom, an antique chair and dresser in Clara’s room, and a pair of secondhand chairs in the office. Old furniture adds character in the same comforting way that favorite snacks and TV marathons do for me—though John insists he finds that comparison a bit of a nightmare.
