YIPPEEEE! You just purchased your dream home!

(Diamond in the rough?)

Okay, maybe it’s not your dream home…..yet. It might need a little work here and there—a fresh coat of paint, some new carpeting…an entirely, brand spankin’ new kitchen. 

Let’s face it, furnishing and updating your home is EXPENSIVE.  And buying brand new, matching furniture sets for every last room? Forget it! We feel for you, sister. And we want to help you out in the only way we know how.

Lucky for you, consignment furniture can work WONDERS in your space! It saves you money, adds character to your home, and let’s be honest…it makes decorating so much more fun!

Worried about your room looking like a hodgepodge of random, mixed-and-matched pieces all jumbled together? Here are some tips on making your mismatched space look absolutely DIVINE.

       1. Pick a general style/time-period

      Whether you choose to go modern, vintage, antique, or anywhere in between with your furniture, try not to let yourself mix design-eras together. Pick furniture that represents one general era, and your room will seem to fall together effortlessly.

       2. Decide on a color-scheme

Painting or staining a set of mismatched furniture can really unify the varied styles.

       3. Use coordinating fabric

Pick one or two fabric patterns that work well together and use them to upholster chairs, create matching drapery, and add accent pillows around the room to really tie everything together.

These are just a few ways to coordinate mismatched furniture….but I bet all of you creative minds have even more great ideas! How would you (or did you) make this look work in your space? We’d love to hear from you!

(PS...Still need help designing your dream living space? Divine Consign does in-store (FREE) and in-home design consultations! Come on in, we’d be glad to help!)

Repurposing your Entertainment Center

What a great day to be outside!

We hope you are enjoying this gorgeous day while it lasts…Chicago weather can be so unpredictable! One day, your kids are out playing in the yard until the sun goes down, and the next they are stuck inside, cranky because the rain won’t stop.

Well, the brilliant minds at Divine Consign have come up with a cure for those rainy days….

REPURPOSING!

Not only is it a fun, INDOOR friendly activity, but you kids can help out too! And, if they’re really lucky, you’ll end up with something fun for them….like this super cute play kitchen made from a repurposed entertainment center!

You’ll turn something like this... 

Into something like this! 

  

How genius is that!?

Don’t have any old furniture laying around because you already brought it all over to Divine Consign? =)

We’ve got tons of cool stuff lying around both of our stores….come on in and check us out!

It’s spring! How about adding some color to your home décor?

The air is warming up, the sun is staying out later, why not brighten up your home with a little bit of color?

Tangerine is making an appearance this spring, and over at Divine Consign we are thrilled—what a fun, vibrant color! Not ready to paint your whole living room bright orange? Here are a few fun ways to add pizzazz to your home, sans a long-term commitment.

Fabric 

     Sprucing up any room in your house can be as simple as finding that perfect area rug, accent pillow, or set of drapes. This is a great low-cost way to celebrate this seasonal color without going overboard! (Oh, and did we mention Divine Consign does custom upholstery and drapery??  How convenient!)

    Paint an accent wall  

   Don’t let this bold color scare you away! Orange can actually be a very calming color, making a room seem cozy and comfortable. And you can choose from an array of tones, ranging from softer shades like “Pumpkin” and “Salmon” to brighter tangerines and even gold.  

Go trendy and practical! 

Can’t bring yourself to spend on fluffy pillows or a modern accent chair, just because it’s “in season”? Go the practical route and buy pieces that serve a function as well as add character! (And come on, how CUTE is that tangerine clock?!)

Divine Consign - Services Galore!

Being a successful furniture consignment shop is about a lot more than just great furniture. Sure, that's important, but Divine Consign has found even more ways to service our customers beyond our great pieces.

MARKDOWN NOTIFICATIONS:

Marking down consignment items 20% every three weeks is pretty standard practice. We have taken it one step further... we will CONTACT YOU when your favorite piece has been marked down! Simply let us know about an item you have your eye on and, if it hasn't sold, we will call you as soon as it's marked down - c'mon, who does that?!

LAYAWAY PROGRAM:

This may seem like an outdated procedure, but nowadays we're willing to do whatever it takes to help you furnish your home without breaking the bank! You can buy one of our already well-priced items with layaway! Simply put 50% down, then pay off the remainder of the total within 30 days and it's yours!

FURNITURE HOLDS:

Say you come in on your lunch break and see the most perfect sofa for your home. You're not quite ready to make the commitment until you talk it over with hubby. We will let you put the sofa on Hold until the end of the business day, leaving you time to make a solid decision. You don't even have to come back in, simply call us and pay for it over the phone!

RETURN POLICY:

It happens to everyone, you buy what seems like the perfect lamp, artwork, or side table. But when you get it home it just isn't the right color or size. No worries! Bring it on back within 3 days with your receipt and you will get a full refund - not store credit, a refund! See, we truly are here to help you!

UPHOLSTERY SERVICES:

Love the chair, hate the fabric. Love the fabric, have a bench at home that needs some work. We have a professional in-house upholsterer who will magically transform your piece of furniture into a stylish and just plain awesome work of art! And just wait until you see our fabrics and trims - they're to die for!

STAGING & DECORATING:

Now how many consignment stores have professional designers on staff who will help you decorate your home OR help you stage your home to sell? We have a furniture rental program for short-term needs and will even plan your space for you!

DELIVERY:

We've saved this one for last because really, who expects everyone to have a pickup truck available to transport their new dining set? Our delivery crew will not only deliver to your home, but to the exact spot you want it! No back-breaking, muscle-pulling work to move your new armoire. For a reasonable rate, delivery is definitely the way to go!

FURNITURE SPEAKS - Berkey & Gay

Good day, dearies! I am pleased to introduce you to my magnificent family of furniture - we are Berkey & Gay.

The Berkey & Gay Furniture Company started producing furniture in the mid 1800's until the 1940s. From it's humble beginnings in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it became know throughout the US for its high quality craftsmanship.

My sisters and I have been crafted with the finest of hardwoods and decorated exquisitely for those who truly appreciate proper furniture.

Weren't we surprised then to find ourselves on the floor of a furniture consignment shop - and what a shop it is! Beautiful pieces of furniture both old and new - we are pleased to find ourselves in such good company. However, we do hope that an antique furniture enthusiast will decide to grace his or her home with our presence soon.

Clockwise, from top left: nightstand $192; cane back chair $164; vanity with mirror $522; dresser $522; chest of drawers $468.

Contain Clutter

CLUTTER - no matter how hard we try to organize, we all have it. Here are a few simple and inexpensive tips to help contain some of your day-to-day clutter:

PAPERS - they are everywhere! School work, bills, recipes, manuals, wish-lists; paper is one of the biggest clutter offenders around. 

THE SOLUTION - binders! Grab a bunch of binders (they don't have to match, but it sure looks good) and label them appropriately. Have a 3 whole punch nearby and every time a piece of paper surfaces on your counter, store it away!  Take that, paper!

BATHROOM SUPPLIES - Not everyone has ample storage in their bathroom, sometimes we are faced with where to put extra rolls of toilet paper and guest towels?

THE SOLUTION - Old wooden crates! They look like cool antiques and can be stacked anywhere to store these necessities.

SMALL JEWELRY - How frustrating it is when dangly earrings get tangled together or when that special pearl earring gets lost!

THE SOLUTION - ice cube trays! The small compartments are perfect for separating pairs of earrings and they can even be stacked in drawers.

SOCKS & UNDIES - Now c'mon, who really has the time and patience to neatly fold underwear and stack socks in drawers?

THE SOLUTION - hanging fruit basket! You've seen these in kitchens, why not hang one in your closet to store socks, undies, scarves, anything that's difficult to store!

CHOOSING KIDS' CLOTHES - Always a chore when you're trying to get the kids ready & out the door for the morning.

THE SOLUTION - hanging storage shelves labeled with days of the week! At the end of the weekend when the laundry is done, simply choose an outfit for each day of the week and your morning ritual just got that much easier!

Random Acts of Kindness in Oak Park

Have you ever heard of Anne Herbert? No? Well maybe you've heard her quote "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." Isn't that quote, in itself, just beautiful? How difficult is it to practice random acts of kindness?

IT'S EASY. So easy, in fact, some people probably don't even realize they're doing it - random acts of kindness may just seem like good manners or simply being neighborly. In a tight-knit community like Oak Park, we can observe such acts on a daily basis.

Take our store, Divine Consign, where we observe such kind acts on a daily basis. Sometimes the simple act of opening the door for one of our young men carrying out an end table to a customer's car. We've seen perfect strangers offer to help load items into cars - or even offer to help customers bring items into our store.

Since we tend to be on the chatty side, we even hear from our customers about random acts of kindness they've benefited from - someone offering a quarter for the meter, a neighbor shoveling a front walk without being asked, a home-cooked meal brought after a new baby arrives, the list is long and wonderful!

I remember when I first moved to Chicago I was a young woman in need of directions. When I nervously asked for directions, rather than just pointing in the general direction, a perfect stranger walked with me for several blocks to show me the el train location. I don't remember what she looked like or even which station I was going to, but I remember that simple act of kindness and the impression it made on me.

Want to join the movement? Visit the Random Acts of Kindness website where you can get some great, simple, easy ideas on how to brighten someone's day or truly help someone in need.