Just as we did over Memorial Day, we used the long Labor Day weekend to squeeze in a few days at my parents’ beach house near Bethany Beach, Delaware. It was another trip full of family, food, and fun-slash-weird finds. And you know we love a good vacation/what-we-saw/what-we-bought post. And we actually bought two pretty big items that we’ve been trying to find for a while.
Our weekend adventure actually began in Maryland. Specifically, here:
It’s the Ole Sale Barn in Denton, MD. We’ve passed it countless times on our treks to the beach and have always been fascinated by it. The stars finally aligned on this trip (i.e. weather, holiday schedules, baby nap schedule) to allow us to make the stop… at which point we were immediately greeted by Beyoncé. If you don’t understand the reference, you must read this (warning: there’s profanity, but it might be the funniest thing on the interweb).
The oddities didn’t stop at the over-sized metal chicken (which, we should note, was no longer there on our return trip – meaning someone probably bought the thing). Clara was weirdly fascinated by all of the lawn jockeys. Maybe she was just happy to be taller than them? Find Clara. It’s like Where’s Waldo.
There were actually some cool finds amongst the smorgasbord as well. We think these were patio table tops or some sort of grate cover, but we thought they could make really cool (albeit heavy) wall art.
I was obsessed – wait, correction – OBSESSED with these white and gold sign letters. The guy was selling them for $20 each and they were even wired to light up. Had any of the letters meant anything to us I would’ve taken them home without hesitation (I later realized an upside down L could’ve looked like a 7 – which is our favorite number – major bummer). Oh, and the owner told me that they were meant for a Dollar Tree store but “never made it to their destination.” Not sure what that meant (did they “fall off a truck?”) but I figured it was best not to pry.
Inside the barn was a bit more chaotic, but there was still plenty to dig through. The only thing that really caught our eyes (besides a giant metal Shrek and a carnival water pistol game) was this trio of overlapping mirrors. It looked less odd in person (we could picture it painted charcoal or soft gray) so the photo doesn’t really do it justice. Now we’re just mesmerized by the creepy plastic mermaid bust in the reflection. Totally didn’t see that when we snapped the pic. Maybe she’s a Mer-ghost.
In the end, we left the Ole Sale Barn without anything but an X next to “stop at that fun looking barn place” on our mental travel checklist. And of course now I live with deep regret that I didn’t buy one of those big letter L’s and flip it upside down to make it a 7. Sad clown.
One place that has its fair share of Xs on that same must-stop-by checklist is Beach Plum Antiques, one of our favorite stops in Bethany. It’s overflowing with cool, beach-y finds and we’ve mentioned it here and here among other places. Don’t let the “antiques” part of the name fool you, it’s a good old fashioned thrift store and we’ve snagged lots o’ deals there.
They had some of your usual beachy-cool objects, like these nautical glass buoys…
… and some more unique discoveries, like this crazy cool ship’s throttle. If only the darned thing weren’t $395. That put a pretty quick “stop” to our daydream about where it could live in our house. After poking around a while we (kind of surprisingly) left Beach Plum Antiques without any purchases either.
Shopping wasn’t the only way we got our home-y fix over the long weekend. On Sunday we took a quick detour to visit the nearby home of some of my parents’ friends, Pam and Neil (Pam was actually one of my bosses at my high school library job). They were putting the finishing touches on an above-garage addition that not only added two bedrooms and a bath, but also a second story. See the peak on the left side of the house with the double window?That’s all new as of just a few months ago.
A new second story meant they needed a set of stairs, which Pam and Neil had custom designed for a cool open & industrial feel. Since they greet you as soon as you open the door, they wanted to make them as visually unobtrusive as possible so your eye still continues through the hallway and into the living room behind it (hence the light colors and the thin wire sides). It’s hard to tell from the photos, but the light wood was very softly gray-washed, which looked really airy yet still warm because the wood tone and grain showed through.
To make way for the stairs they also had to bump out their front door about 3 feet (so the last step wasn’t right on the door frame). The only problem was that they didn’t have enough extra floor tile sitting around to fill the new space (they only had about 12 squares). So they made lemonade and designed this mosaic inset constructed entirely of new tiles, meaning the few large leftover ones could be used around the border so the whole thing looked intentional (as opposed to screaming “we ran out of tile”). It looked so much like an intentional choice, that we complimented their “tile welcome mat” even before hearing the story about the material-shortage dilemma.
They had another smart use of tile in the new bathroom upstairs, where Pam couldn’t find any small tiles that she liked for the shower floor. Since she had already fallen in love with the larger tiles used in the rest of the bathroom, she had her builder cut the large tiles into a bunch of smaller squares for the shower floor. Certainly a bit more work, but it definitely took the guess work out of “will this tile coordinate with that tile?” and looked really great (and not too over-done with different tiling choices everywhere). It definite had that easy beach-house feeling.
But the weekend wasn’t all just inspiration. We did come home with a little somethin-somethin, thanks to this yard sale sign that Sherry spotted on our way back from the playground one morning.
We did our usual drive-by to see if it was worth stopping, and these night stand beauties immediately caught our eye. They’re the real deal (from the 50s or 60s, made of solid wood, and even have awesome dovetailed joints). And you know we’re desperately in need of some not-too-short nightstands with drawers (instead of the squat stand-in old living room side tables that we’ve used for the last nine months).
It was meant to be. Especially when the seller was willing to hand ’em over for just $11 each (he was asking $30 for both, but Sherry pulled the “all I have is $22 cash” thing, which was actually true). We worried they wouldn’t fit in our car (with a huge baby seat, pack & play, and dog crate to work around) but we somehow got one in the trunk and one in the back seat. And seriously, can you beat $11 a piece?
Had our car been bigger, we also would’ve taken this guy home. But my sister (who has a larger car and a similar design taste) took one look at our pictures and high tailed it back to the same yard sale. She came back $30 poorer with this in her trunk. We think it’s hilarious that we each own part of the same mid century bedroom set (we would have used the dresser as a cabinet/buffet in our dining room near the front door). My sister Emily’s not sure where she’s gonna put it yet, so we’re secretly hoping we’ll inherit it eventually. We’ll even pay $30 for it. Haha. Fingers crossed.
But if you think all of our antique hopping, addition touring, and yard sale scoping got in the way of a “normal” little weekend trip, have no fear. Clara’s a beach diva, so there was no denying her some sand and surf (notice the nightstand seat-belted in next to her?).
The water was a bit chilly and the beach (well, what was left of it after Irene) was on the crowded side, but Clara was none the wiser and we all had a great time.
She and her cousins partied with sand in their diapers and said a proper sayonara to summer (which some of you saw earlier this week over on Young House Life). And of course there was some sea gull watching (and the occasional “birdieeee!” scream).
Is there anything better than a sunny day with my girls on the beach? Maybe $11 night tables. Just kidding. Kind of.
What did you guys buy/do/travel to see this weekend? It certainly was nice to get out of the house (and stop staring at the half-completed desk) for a few days. I think those breaks keep us coming back for more DIY madness (that counter might have killed me pre-break, but two days on the beach + cheap nightstands = Refreshed John, who was ready to build). Do you have any other end-of-summer things on your agenda? We keep forgetting it’s not still August. So when my aunt mentioned that Christmas was around fifteen weeks away our brains almost exploded.
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Click here to see if you’re one of them.
Suzanne says
DENTON, MD!! YAY :) My boytoy Nick is from there. Choptank in da houseeee. I love that you blogged about that store, the shop has QUITE the selection!
xo
Suz
almk42 says
I seriously read the whole post in Sherry’s voice until I got down to “with my girls at the beach.” and thought, “Wait, what?” It made my head spin. John, you must be writing a little goofy today. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I snorted when he used the word chic (I was proofreading, and it cracked me up). Love you hubby. You’re sweet.
xo,
s
Ashley says
I did the same thing too! Actually, with every post I try to ignore who it is by and test myself to see if I can figure it out while reading based on your styles and choice of words. Random little game I have. This one tripped me up for sure. I think it was all the talk about the light-up letters that had me fooled.
btdubs- I wouldn’t have minded at all if you had snagged the ‘A’ for me and shipped it down to FL!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, too funny!
xo,
s
Sheila says
Now see I don’t get that at all, he says “my parents beach house”, and “my sister Emily”…. It’s John style all the way IMO.
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Christmas is only 15 weeks away?!? Holy cow. I need to start shopping!
Glad you guys had a relaxing weekend! Are you going to update the nightstands or leave them in all their mid-century modern glory?
YoungHouseLove says
Right now we like the wood look because it ties into our wood dresser across the room (and Ed is painted so it’s a nice balance).
xo,
s
kate says
My in-laws have house in DE as well and the ole barn has been on my list of places to stop for years!! one of these days I’ll convince (trick) my man to pull over. so gald you guys were able to cross it off your list and give me a little sneak peek :)
javonne says
I have that mirror! the frame is just a little thinner and it’s gold. Because of you guys I’m going to ORB it soon. I went to the Home Depot last week and was looking for a can that said ORB and couldn’t find it. Not sure if it was supposed to say ORB or not. I just picked out a can of Rustoleum paint and primer in a color that looked like ORB. I’ll post pics to fb if I do it properly. I hope that I do since I’ve had the mirror now for about twelve years. Thanks for your inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck! It actually says Rustoleum Universal Oil-Rubbed Bronze on it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
MJ says
I love the nightstands and the buffet. Im secretly hoping your sister will give it to you too! I love the design of the pieces….the legs especially!
Great photos & finds.
MJ
Lucky 7 Design
Cheryl says
that Beyonce post was just too darn funny! I had tears streaming down my face (that chicken will cut you!) plus the pic of it looking in the front door – priceless! Great score on those tables, BTW, and glad Clara is going with the flow with her seat mate!
Sarah K says
Why aren’t there awesome stores like those around these parts? Also, LOVE the nightstands. Perfect for your room.
Liz says
So jealous of your $22 nightstands! It’s impossible to find deals on mid-century furniture in San Francisco…even on craigslist. That dresser would have been $300 and the nightstand about $200.
Chelsey L says
You should post that first photo on Beyonce’s Facebook page. Yes, of course she has her own Facebook page.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, hilarious!
xo,
s
JennyB says
Haha! I have that same table/night stand. My grandmother gave it to me when I was in college (20 years ago..eek) where I used it as a tv stand in my tiny apartment. It’s also been a nightstand and sofa side table. Man, I wish I had two! Great score–mine has held up SOO well.
Double ha–I didn’t see Clara at first in the pic with the lawn jockeys.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw so glad to hear it holds up! Too funny that we have twin tables.
xo,
s
emily says
i. am. so. jealous. of. those. nightstands. seriously.
like in a way that i really want to hate you but can’t bring myself to do it. love, love, love midcentury modern pieces – and also love that people don’t realize the gems that they have and occasionally fork them over at a really great price.
can’t wait to see what you do with them. i wouldn’t stop you if you wanted to send them my way!
Lisa says
I am so impressed that a) Clara will sit in her car seat looking at a book and b) keep a hat and sunglasses on. My son is a month younger and we just got back from a week at the beach in Rhode Island. All he wanted to do was eat the sand, and since he’s not walking yet but LOVES to crawl, forget about staying in one place. What is your secret? Maybe it’s a boy/girl thing?!?!?
YoungHouseLove says
Sometimes she rips them off and sometimes she tolerates them indefinitely. Haha. You never know which one will happen…
xo,
s
Janet C says
I thought about that same blog when I saw that giant chicken!
Lonely Wife Project says
What a find!!! And that Blogess metal chicken post is definitely the funniest thing I’ve ever read!
Jessie says
Awesome deal on the nightstands!!! And the dresser! I hope you’ll end up with it!
Clara is darling. She should be facing backwards in her carseat, though! We kept ours rear facing til they were three and a half, for safety reasons!
YoungHouseLove says
She is rear facing! That’s the back of the car she’s looking at! Haha.
xo,
s
D says
We actually stopped at the barn at the start of the summer! We also left with nothing…but it was on the list of things we HAD to check out (it’s usually closed when we’re passing it since we mostly make the trip from Baltimore to Bethany later in the evenings) since it just looks so odd from the road. I found a beautiful rug at the Beach Plum on our last trip. I am filled with deep, deep, deep regret I did not buy it. Another woman was eying it and ended up with the goods before I could :( Funny to see some of your faves are also ours!
Wrenaria says
YAY Beyonce! I love the Bloggess. <3
And congrats on your new nightstands. What a steal.
Michelle says
Ohh, yard sales always have the best stuff! I found a pair similar to your end tables at a thrift store. Did the whole sanding, painting, stainging gig with them. They even came with vintage brass hardware (my favorite part about them) :)
you can check them out here…
http://innovativeinterior.blogspot.com/2011/04/before-after-vintage-end-tables.html
P.S. Love the cute Clara pics on the beach!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh those are gorgeous! I love them!
xo,
s
Liz Leybeck says
Love the nightstands!We are preparing for a major master bath remodel and made a trip to Lowes for research and pricing. We knew we wanted a pebble mosaic for the floor of the soon to be shower. While browsing the isles we found the one we wanted on clearance for $1.12 sq ft!!!!!! We thought it would cost almost $200 for what we needed in the end it was under $30!!!!! So excited!
YoungHouseLove says
Amazing score! So lucky!
xo,
s
Tallymomma says
How funny is it that the first thing I shouted when I saw the big metal chicken was BEYONCE! Hubby thought I was crazy. I found her on the Bloggies and have been in love ever since.
I love Clara looking all tough in her sunglasses and hat.
Side note: I luuuuuv yardsale finds!
Amy in PA says
Unrelated to this post, but I wanted to let you know that I painted our back door today using the steps you provided for your front door. I love it! Shiny black & no brush marks thanks to the thin coats with the roller. Thanks for all the info you provide!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw sounds gorgeous!
xo,
s
Kate says
OMG I am so jealous of your finds!! You guys have all the luck! :)
Also – at first glance i thought there were children playing baseball behind Sherry and Clara in the first photo with the chicken. Those little things are creepy!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, they’re like monsters walking out of the sea slowly in the same direction.
xo,
s
Jason says
Well you know being from Delaware that I love a Delaware post! There are a few Delaware fans who’d like to buy you two a drink and Clara a milk and Burger a bone if there is a “sighting” of the youngsters lol.
Also, I love your night stands, mid century is the best thing ever isn’t it? $11 dollar holla!!!
I happened to buy some mid century stuff this weekend as well and I’m so excited! Monday I picked up my 1960s Broyhill dining room suit with china closet/hutch which I found on Craigslist.
And as a bonus the Wednesday before I got another mid century china clost/hutch off Clist that I’ll be using either in the living room or spare bedroom for more display/storage of the American Fostoria I collect.
TunAeki says
Jaw on the desk over those tables, and dresser! I never find anything that cool- and for so cheap!
Jealous!!!
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
looks like a really fun trip and that barn place looks hilarious! LOVE your nightstands and “your sister’s” dresser! Totally awesome scores!!!!
Jessicah says
MerGhost! Aaaahhh! :)
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey says
i need to make a trip to maryland to check that place out!
Jennifer says
Love your find and SO happy to hear you’re leaving the night stands wood (for now, at least). In case you haven’t seen it, Morgan at The Brick House has posted a great (easy!) tutorial for refreshing vintage wood that works wonders for rejuvenating those vintage mod pieces: http://www.the-brick-house.com/2010/09/refreshing-vintage-wood/. Looking forward to seeing them in situ…
YoungHouseLove says
Awesome tutorial link! Love that blog. Thanks so much!
xo,
s
Emily says
Ha! I just posted the same thing. Its so easy, and the pieces always look great!
Danielle says
Glad you finally got some night stands. I too have been with out proper night stands for several years. I’ve been using a squished man table, which is actually a halloween prop. I picked up a pair of old night stands, very similar to the ones you guys just bought, at a local resale shop. I’ve got one more coat of poly to put on them and then they go great in my bedroom. Total project cot $50….includes paint and poly. If I would have bought the night stands that match my bedroom set I would have spent $650. I think I love my 2nd hand table even more, but that may be cause I’m cheap. :) Can’t wait to see what you guys do with yours.
Kelley says
Nice job on the $11 find! but WHYYYYYY, oh why, did you not pick up that yellow chair for me behind the night stands?! Le sigh…
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! I should have known! Haha.
xo,
s
Deb says
Love it!! I make my husband stop at all those little thrift shops on Route 20/26 when we go down to my in laws summer place at Bethany :)
Marcie says
I have the same dresser in my living room being used as a credenza. I love it! It’s been a great piece for extra storage and makes a nice display spot for favorite items. I keep looking for some affordable mid-century nightstands too. So far no luck. Glad you found yours.
Britni says
Oh no. Now, not only will I constantly be wasting time at work by reading YHL, but the last hour has been full of The Bloggess! Thanks for the find, but now I will never get ANY work done!!
Reenie says
GAH!!! I would have gone crazy in that place….so many kewel things. Great find on the night stands.
Pics of Clara are adorable =)
Amanda says
Oh you two are rascals. I’m so jealous. I’ve been looking for nightstands exactly like those for like a year. Come on! (& that dresser!)
But with saying that, I still love you two. Can’t wait to see what they look like next to your bed in all their glorious gorgeousness.
Oh, and I love that towel. It’s very bright.
Aron says
White & Gold letter A, why do you have to be so far away???
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
We also spent some time with the family for a few days this past weekend. My mom decided to invite all the extended family over for lunch on Sunday and have a baby shower for our little one on the way. It was fun getting to see everyone like old times.
Mary says
WEIRD!!! I have the matching desk to your end table/dresser set that I got for FREE at a yard sale!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s hilarious! Love it.
xo,
s
Brita says
The jealousy that consumes me every time I see what you guys find at thrift stores and yard sales almost kills me. KILLS ME!
It’s a good thing Clara is cute. Pictures help ease the pain.
Ellen says
I’ve never commented, but I read your blog every day and I had to stop in to say that my parents have that exact same bedroom furniture! It’s not their style, but I love it and they told me that when they get a new bedroom set I’ll be inheriting it. Now I’m really excited that we’ll have the same nightstands!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s too funny! I hope they upgrade soon so you get the old stuff!
xo,
s
Haley says
It’s so funny that y’all posted that mirror, because I bought its twin on craigslist a few weeks back and sprayed it a plum color! It was an 80s-tastic aged gold and chipped, so I made it a pop of color for my foyer. I even thought, “Sherry would house crash the sh*t out of us now” when I hung it. :)
What are the odds of the same wacky mirror showing up twice in my life in a few short weeks, one in Tennessee and one in Maryland?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it! Plum = my jam.
xo,
s
Lisa says
The letters would spell out Dollar Tree, probablly meant to be the sign for a Dollar Tree store.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we understood that part, but didn’t understand how they “never made it to their destination” and then he was selling them. It just sounded like they “fell off a truck, wink wink.” Probably not the case, we just didn’t want to pry. Haha.
xo,
s
Robyn @ Imperfect Nest says
Can you tell me what the tile is that your mom’s friend used in her bathroom? We are looking for tile that is a bit coastal and has a lot of movement without breaking the ol’ bank account. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I wish I knew. Here’s hoping she drops in with that info (Pam is very nice and chatty!).
xo,
s
Lianna says
We spent our weekend preparing the nursery for our soon to be peanut (due Dec 30). We put new windows in, painted the room, and started on the floor stripping/re-finishing process. We meaning my husband and a friend. I did do all the no VOC painting :)
Amanda says
I am SO jealous! The yard sale you went to was my mom’s! I look at your blog all the time and I always hope I will somehow run into you at the beach! Bill (the seller) is such a push-over…I’m not surprised you got such a great deal!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha – no way!!!! What a small world. I wish we had bumped into you too! Bill was awesome and very good at pricing things to move! Haha.
xo,
s
April was in CT now CA says
“Knock knock, Mother F’r” LMAO!!!
Oh my word, I hadn’t seen the Beyonce post so thanks for sharing it. I’m going to be on the look out for Beyonce cousins in the future.
Can’t wait to see the nightstands in place, bet they look great and what a steal! And Clara in the car seat with the “Hey, I’m trying to read here..move along” look is hilarious. You should definitely frame the lawn jockey picture.
Sarah says
Love the pic of Clara in her shades doing some summer reading. Is it sick that I took one glance at the little sliver of book that’s shown in the pic and my mind immediately went “hungry horse, hen in hat, H-H-H!”. I blame my 4 month old.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we walk around saying that stuff too!
xo,
s
Hilary @ My So-Called Home says
I bought a very similar nightstand for only 2 bucks at a thrift store back in February to use as our printer table. If you so choose, a little paint will go a long way!
You can see ours here:
http://www.mysocalledhome.com/2011/02/from-unique-to-chic_25.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh so cute! And I can’t believe it was only two bucks!
xo,
s
shannon says
i’m so happy you threw out the beyonce reference. that has got to be one of the funniest stories i have ever read.