New To You: Great Used Finds in the Portland Area

I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a New to You post. I’ve been itching to put one together, but I had a hard time deciding what city to do next. I chose Portland because it is a city that is a well-known beacon of sustainability and home to dozens of independent eco-friendly designers and boutiques who understand what it means to be truly green. It’s not a catch phrase or a fad there — Green is a way of life. Given that, it’s only natural that the shopping for gorgeous used furniture would be not just easy, but absolutely inspiring. Here are some of my favorite finds:

1. Red Chair

I’ve always been a sucker for soft cushy chairs, especially after years of sitting in front of a computer for hours on end in a chair that was a lot less than comfortable. This looks like a great place to snuggle up and read a book. The chair in itself isn’t especially inspiring with the unsightly red corduroy upholstery, but I see its potential. It looks like a pretty simple DIY upholstery job (but what upholstery job is ever easy, right?) I envision it covered in a beautiful eco-friendly print like ModGreenPod’s Aspire, shown at right, perhaps with a recycled aluminum side table next to it.

• Price: Asking $60
• Location: 1932 SE Madison, Portland

2. 5 Drawer Dresser

OK…so it’s a dresser. Big deal, right? What caught my eye about this beauty is the fact that the seller mentions it is all wood — with no particleboard. If you’re buying furniture that will last a lifetime, which we should all aim to do, you will want solid wood. And for a solid wood chest with 5-drawers, $125 is a small price to pay. Particleboard may be inexpensive, but it isn’t sturdy or terribly durable. I would paint this lovely dresser black, as I’m not terribly fond of the current paint job, then cover every other drawer front with a bold black and white fabric or wallpaper like the one shown above.

• Price: Asking $125
• Location: Hillsboro

3. Antique Mantel

So you can’t destroy and rebuild your ugly fireplace. What else can you do to make it look better? Add or replace your mantel. This beautifully carved mantel comes in at just $75. While it would require you to have a fireplace that fits specific dimensions, you really can’t beat the price. I personally prefer a long, simple wooden block shelf, but if you’re a fan of traditional design, you can’t deny that this is a great deal. If you’re really bold, you can use it against a blank, empty wall that needs a feature, even if you don’t have a fireplace.

• Price: Asking $75
• Location: Portland

4. Deacon Bench Booth

I love conversation pieces, and this deacon’s bench is definitely one of them. Reminiscent of something you’d find in a church, it would make a great bench for an entryway, sitting area or patio. It reminds me of a beautiful handmade headboard bench I featured a few months ago, except it won’t require any DIY skills. It looks like it has already been painted, and the seller says it is made of plywood, so it’s not worth stripping. But with a creative paint job, you could have yourself a one-of-a-kind, stunning piece of furniture for just $50 (or less, if the seller is willing to negotiate). And if you add a beautifully upholstered cushion, you can make the bench even bolder and harder to ignore.

• Price: $50
• Location: North Portland/Kenton

5. Wrought Iron Patio Set

With the warm weather calling to me outside, I couldn’t complete this edition of New to You without at least one piece of patio furniture — or in this case, a set. This wrought iron 4-piece patio set is nothing spectacular on it’s own. But if you add some colorful cushions, or do like Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely and spray paint or powdercoat the set in a  lively color (her patio set is painted pink), this could make your porch or patio a space where you actually want to spend some time.

• Price: Asking $100
• Location: Beaverton

That’s it for my fabulous finds in Portland. What city would you like to see featured next week? Leave your suggestions in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out the Green Your Decor Tumblr page for some link love, including green giveaways, DIY projects, videos and more.

NOTE: Green Your Decor makes no claims about the condition of the furniture posted above, nor can we verify whether each individual piece is still available for sale. The nature of used pieces is that they are one-of-a-kind, so if you are interested, you will have to contact the seller directly via Craigslist.