Caveat Emptor

Furniture markers from Dollar Tree. Love them!!!

Here's the after photo. Much tidier!!

When Covid quarantine first began, I spend my days at the kitchen table which became my "office". Everyday, I would do my work and stare at my living room. I became obsessed with one corner of the room.  (Basically, every corner of that room has piles of various stuff, but one corner was particularly troubling.) I've been tackling the corner clutter issue for years and years, with little success.  However, I had a brainstorm.

I thought that if I organized the mess of musical instrument purgatory. (That's the corner where all of the dumped instruments go when the kids no longer want them.) It would do the trick.  While organizing that area was helpful, it didn't do it all. Then, I thought that if I got rid of the broken magazine holder and purchased a (used) storage ottoman, the problem would be fixed.  So, I became OBSESSED looking on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and various other pre-owned furniture platforms, scouring the pages until I found what I wanted. Then, I pounced. I quickly (for me) bought one.  Problem solved?  Not yet.

I got an okay price of $45. While it's is significantly, less than the cost of new, this one had more mileage than I was led to believe by pictures from the owner.  Of course I tried to bargain down a bit, but he wouldn't budge.  This is why it's never a good idea to want something too much.  I should have walked away or at least thoroughly examined it prior. I would have had leverage to bargain, or at least be more aware of what I was purchasing.  Let the buyer beware!

But all was not lost. It was still in fair shape. I went to town and gave it a bath inside and out with a clean damp rag and some dish soap.  Then, I took a matching wood marker I already had from Dollar Tree (see pic) and touched up the wooden feet.  Finally, I took a cheap disposable razor and lightly shaved off the many pills covering the fabric.  Now, it looks great.  Just a little elbow grease and it's in tip top condition!!  

I took this opportunity to clean out the contents of the offending area.  I greatly decreased the sock pile (bag of single socks), put some blankets in the closet, and rearranged some things. While the corner is not ready for Architectural Digest, it's considerably better than it was and at least it's not an embarrassment anymore.  What do you think? (I forgot to take the before pics.)