I have been loving the real time makeover journey with you guys, I hope you are loving it too! I am so excited to show you the first giant piece to this puzzle of granny awesomeness. The cornerstone if you will.
A few weeks ago I was running blog errands and stopped at the DI (Utah’s Version of Goodwill). While going through my normal rounds my eye was drawn to a pretty awesome/trashed wicker étagère. It was super swirly and I liked it, not enough to invest the $20 in it but still…it started the wheels turning.
If you know anything about me, it should be that I make design decisions very quickly. If I like something, I know right off the bat. And then the dominos are falling faster than I can explain and BAM the room design is done. So. During the 3 minute drive back to my house I came to the conclusion that I needed a swirly wicker headboard for my Master.
A quick google search when I got home confirmed that I did in fact need a swirly wicker headboard
After this post you are going to need one too.
Actually finding one? Complete divine intervention. This is one of those Life of Pi situations where its a crazy story but in the end you believe it, so God must be real.
Ready to be a believer?
Here are the things working against us.
1. My bed is king sized (most beds from that era are NOT).
2. Wicker is super fragile (frageeelay) and finding one intact after 30 years is about as hard as squeezing blood from a turnip.
3. I live in St. George UT, not Pensacola Florida.
4. I have NEVER seen one on Craigslist in all my Craigslist hunting days.
Of course the first place that I look is CL. Nothing. So I widen my search to include Vegas, Salt Lake, and Phoenix. Nothing. Not. One. Thing.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
I called my favorite second hand shop in St. George and put Diane on high alert for one. Then on a whim I called a consignment store that I never go to.
Guess what.
They had 2 twin size swirly wicker headboards. I am pretty sure I yelled in the phone “I WILL BE RIGHT THERE!”
I RAN out my front door (insert 15 minutes of hyperventilating and yelling at every red light) and raced into the store. The lady took one look at my crazed eyes and said “You must be Mandi.”
That’s what I like to call a first impression.
She then said she will be right back, they had them stored in a different place in the store. After about 10 minutes (insert more hyperventilating) she came back empty handed because, SHE COULDNT FIND THEM.
Do. You. Mind?
In my life at that exact moment, is the equivalent to finding El Dorado and forgetting to write down the GPS coordinates. It is just too much.
I feel tears welling up as she goes to check with another employee to see if they had sold. This headboard has dictated the design of the entire bedroom. I HAVE to have one.
Then like manna from heaven she walks out with them.
I KNOW! Do you have goosebumps? I know I did!
Apparently they had been put on the truck to go who knows where (she really didnt know). The truck was literally getting ready to drive away when she went back to ask about them. That is what I call minute to win it, because 2 more minutes and they would have been out of my life forever.
Now they are nestled snug in my garage, waiting for makeover Monday. Can you guess what I am going to do to them?
Pssst! My girl Emily at Jones Design Company is interviewing bloggers and giving away their favorite item! I am up today and IN LOVE with the prize I chose! Go over and check it out! Oh and while you are there check out her fireplace, it is out of this world!
Well, they were clearly meant to be yours based on those crazy circumstances! : ) Wicker is not my style, but I have faith you will lure me to the wicker side with your final project. Can you divulge if the headboard(s) will stay white or if you are painting them?
Those are really cool! I am glad that you were able to snag them.
I'm really excited and interested in seeing what you are going to do with those. I grew up in a wicker heavy house. In fact my parents bedroom had a wicker headboard, chair, garbage can and a hamper… I thought they were very chic.
I haven't a clue what you're going to do? Whatever it is I'm sure it will be fantastic. When you first mentioned wicker headboard I pictured something fuller. I'm excited to see this!
You crack me up! I love your go-to attitude with projects! The split decision making is something I am having to work on. Perhaps by following your blog and my gut I will get better at it! 😀
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
This is going to be FAB! Can't wait to see what they look like after you work your Mandilicious magic! 🙂
I'm big on quick decisions, too. If I have to think about for any more than a minute, and the reason I'm thinking on it isn't budget related, then it's not the right thing for me.
Who knew wicker could be so amazing? I'm excited to see what you do with these headboards.
-Becca
Ladyface Blog
Pardon my drool, but these are awesome!!! I confess, I was never a big fan of wicker … until I moved to FL. A lot of stuff just kinda screams "I've come to the sunshine state to die", but some things speak to me in all kinds of pretty ways. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve!!
How wonderful! They are beautiful! I have a twin wicker headboard waiting for something to do with it. No twin bed here. Can't wait to see what you will do to them.
Oh, I love how you write!
And I can totally imagine, how you were hyperventilating and looking, because I would probably look the same!
And the two headboards definitely look gorgeous!
Love, Midsommarflicka
i have those same two headboards in my garage…. a friend gave them to me and i have done nothing with them. yikes!
Haha I think I was actually holding my breath throughout reading that story- even though I knew you were going to get them in the end it was so darn intense!! I bet you're an excellent camp fire ghost story teller 🙂 xx
Holy cow! I can't wait to see!!!
That looks way better than I expected. I was picturing one of those big solid ones. I knew you would make it look great but was wondering how. This one I can picture looking good. Can't wait to see it!
I don't know which I like better, you or your headboards. You are too hilarious!
I am LOVING this "blog as you go" thing from you. You're too great of a writer to not share your experiences along the way. Thanks again!
Gorgeous! Now are these two twin headboards that you will join to make a king? Just wondering.
Can't wait to see what you do! So fun!
Kerri at HollyMuffin
Oh, those are beautiful.
I happen to have my grandmother's unpainted, twin headboards, a matching chair and foot stool. Or, I should say my sister now has them for her two little girls. That's generation 4. 🙂 I love wicker, too. Thank goodness you didn't snooze and lose!
I'm new here and I enjoy your blog.
Thx for the story!
they are gorgeous!! can't wait to see them Mandified!
That is hysterical because I just sold the same headboard in pink on craigslist…lol
You are a Riot!! Look at one twin headboard. See where the heart part is connected to the U shaped part with some rattan? You can get some of that reedy stuff from a basket making website and use it to connect the two headboards to each other. It is simple to do. Or buy some from a chair caner in your area. Also, the headboard on the right is missing a round curlycue thing on the very top. You can take one from the very bottom to replace. You won't see the bottom row because you will have 6 rows of pillows on the bed. You will probably have to mount the headboard higher on the wall because todays mattresses are so thick that you will miss all the wicker goodness. I'm very interested to see how this all relates to the blacky green of your bedroom. Decorating history to be made!
OMG OMG OMG! Mandi, as soon as I read this, I had to search my local CL for wicker headboards, and I found the EXACT ones you got!!! I don't even know if they're still available… waiting for a reply, but just HAD to share my excitement with you!!! =)
Love those wicker headboards!
i have a pinterest board just for wicker furniture, especially painted wicker, so i feel ya. the narrative was even better than your headboards though, pretty funny!
Wow! i love how you write!.All furniture are looking so nice.That looks way better than I expected.So a lot of thanks for you share this post.
walk in tubs
You are too funny. They looks nice!
I love the wicker headboards, wish mine still fit my bed,
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Oh Mandi, this post is the best. I love and totally relate to your story of crazed-thrift-shopper urgency. I've done really brazen things, like leaving a note in someone's mailbox when I saw something cool sitting near their trash (in the driveway, not on the curb). Whatever works, right? Can't wait to see what you do with these beautiful headboards!
if anyone has a queen, saw this one on CL in AZ 😉
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/fuo/3842729045.html
We're going through real time makeovers too! I totally agree with your quick decision thinking! When you know, you know!
I have been looking for them too, and found a place online that makes them, check it out!
https://thefamilylovetree.com.au
Last summer I found, and still have, a nearly perfect (just a lil bit of wicker unwinding, and a few tiny loose nails…nothin’ i can’t fix ) salmon pink, double bed size headboard, similar to yours, yet an awesome design I can’t find pictured anywhere. Its beautifully intricate. I found mine on the side of the road, nice and clean, early one trash morning. I’m sure the owners enjoyed watching me trying, but successfully fitting the thing into my 4 door car…which was already half full with other hard to find items that the well off folk around here quickly discard, when they don’t like looking at them anymore. I went home with a full car… loaded trunk, front seat and back- all the way up to the roof. This was a good day. A great hunt can keep one on cloud 9 for weeks…or until the next hunt 🙂