Contrary to my first impulse I do NOT pick up everything cool that I find on the street. Now that it is deepest winter, and the heady days around moving season have long past, the street furniture pickings are greatly reduced. With all that non-existent extra time I would be happy to have a few projects waiting for me in my ground-floor heated workshop...which doesn't exist. Darn, that puts a crimp in my plan. Finding big stuff at this time of year is harder because it is cold outside, and sometimes rainy, or snowy, or all three at once...not exactly conducive to leisurely strolls with no destination in mind. But I can share with you, dear reader, a few things that I spotted on the sidewalk back in the day and didn't grab - the freestyle not taken.
Our first exhibit, the rattan étagère, a.k.a the rattan shelving unit.
How's that for a bad picture? Old phone, nighttime, no flash, only streetlights for illumination. Thank goodness for the help of Picasa, but it can only do much. Still, you can sort of get the picture, I hope. The shelf was laying on its side, the top was curved like a roman arch, and the 5 shelves seemed to be intact and attached. Even the caning looked ok. If I had been in need of shelving I so would have taken this. Rattan (or whatever this was made of) may not scream 'New England,' but it does make sense if you have to move a lot.
Perhaps in an earlier life stage the shelf looked like this picture (pulled from the web).
I could have sanded and painted the shelves and backing, the options for rattan and wicker extend far beyond white or black. (Plus, if it is free one doesn't feel quite so worried about small mistakes or imperfections in the paint job...) Some colorful painted wicker inspiration pulled from the the interwebs:
Orange
Grey and natural
Pink
Periwinkle
Happy freestyling, and remember - if you have to let it go, at least take a picture and be ready with ideas for the next time.
