We’ve made it pretty clear how much we love craigslist. It was the source of Sage’s mid-century dresser makeover, and, of course, was where we found the extremely tiny house that our new tiny blogger contributors will be making over. (Thanks again for bearing with us through that subterfuge.)
We’ve also made it pretty clear how much we love finding strange things on craigslist and trying to figure out if they are strange in a good way or a bad way. Because, with most strange things, that line is pretty thin:
We’ve invited you into this game twice before (in our cleverly named posts Craigslist Finds: Awesome or Terrible? and (More) Craigslist Finds: Awesome or Terrible?) and we’ve had so much fun seeing what you all think! We’re back for another round. See what we’ve found, and weigh in below!
First up this lamp. It is long at 40″ (so probably would never fit in either of our low-ceiling-ed homes) but is it wrong for us to be a little sad about that?
It’s got a lot of great detail, and a fun vintage/MCM vibe to it. Plus, the current owners have already determined that it’s “very cool,” so who are we to disagree? But we can’t help ask, is the white and blue too “baby?” When hanging, would it just look weird and long?
Please help us decide.
Okay, then, how about this light? At only $25, it is definitely affordable. And it kind of has some cool mid-century vibes.
Or is the brown too sad and 1970s? To be fair, maybe we’re letting the context of the photo bias our impression. Pro tip: don’t photograph items for sale that include exposed live wiring and a really bright light in the foreground that *isn’t* the one you’re trying to sell.
But context aside, we see a lot of lights like this at reasonable prices, and its hard to tell if they’re really cool or really not (it’s so much more convenient when the seller decides for you, as in the first light). Maybe it would take just the perfect room to make it look great?
Moving away from strange glass lighting, let’s talk about coffee tables. Is it just us, or is this pretty and cool?
Besides the fact that we’re not sure “middle eastern” is a single style, it has some great detail and could look amazing in the right space. And the base is unquestionably awesome. (It is probably a good purchase for the base alone.)
But maybe the tray just makes it too haphazard and busy? You tell us!
Lastly, we’re suckers for mid-century legs just like most of the blogosphere, but we can’t quite tell if this living room set is retro in a really good way or a really bad way.
On the one hand, MID-CENTURY. On the other, maybe this is an example of too much of a good thing. Plus, the finish isn’t exactly the most appealing. What say you?
Thanks for playing along! We’ll definitely let you know if any of them make it into our homes.
And, if you come across strange craigslist items in your travels, send us a screenshot and we might put it in the next edition!
I bet you could shorten the chain thing on that first light to make it perfect for ANY HOME!
You’re probably right! I still wonder if the fixture would look too large scale in my 7′ ceilinged home?
Yes, the chain on the first lamp looks very shortenable. What I would want to know is what does it look like with light shining through the blue/white glass? It could be pretty or ghastly. And then there’s the fact that blue light on human faces makes them look dead.
I totally hate the other lamp. Both boring AND ugly in one simple package.
The brass table is not my thing, but the base is wonderful and demands to be rescued. (The phrase coffee table will always put me off, making my shins hurt at the thought, but tables can be used off-label.)
The living room set seems strikingly ugly to me, aside from the finish (finish? un-finish?) but, born in the 1950s, I’ve hated those pointy legs all my life.
Of all the items, the table base is my favorite….
The blue light with a very low watt bulb or a battery candle would be awesome in a home or outside, could really set the mood. Never heard blue lights make you look dead. Could definitively do something with the round table and the furniture is cool but not three hundred dollar cool. Just LOOK at it.
Oooh, I like the idea of the blue light outside!
I like the idea of the blue light suspended over a bedside table – very boho. The only other one I like is the trey-top table. That can really work beautifully in certain styles of rooms, but it’s not good in others. On the other hand, you could put a glass top on the table base and put the trey on a huge square ottoman for a totally different look.
Yeah, I think that a glass top on that base could be stunning. If I hadn’t already painstakingly built my own coffee table, I’d be all over it!
These are particularly hysterical..thanks!