Where Are They Now?

By Kate Riley October 10, 2012

Did you think I was referring to the past American Idol winners or teen stars of a popular 80s sitcom or flick?  (I love those shows by the way).  No, I’m referring to something else, but first, there are some questions that come to mind when I look at this image.

where are they now outsiders

What ever happened to Emilio?  How is it humanly possible that Rob still looks so amazing?  Who else loved Ralph on Dancing with the Stars?  #ageless  How unforgettable was Patrick as Johnny Castle?  Who’s that guy in the middle next to Matt?  Will Tom ever convince a gal to become wife #4?  These things I wonder about. 

Back to my point.  I was asked the other day about all that furniture I’ve dragged home from thrift stores and revamped over the years, so I’m here to answer the question, where are they now? 

These are the pieces I still own and have sitting somewhere in my house:

furniture i still have

furniture i still have 2

 

A long time ago I thought I’d take up furniture painting as a side business but later decided against it with all the other stuff going on in my life.  All of these pieces are the thrift store finds I repainted or restained for family or friends.

given to family or friends

 

And these I ended up selling or donating:

sold or donated

 

There was only one casualty out of the bunch, a velvet chair that was mysteriously broken by one of the monkeys in my house a few months ago and my motherly intuition suspects it was being used as a prop for jumping but I have no direct evidence so…

unsolved mystery

… the case of its destruction is still under investigation.

That’s the update on all that stuff I’ve dragged home from thrift stores over the years.

You can see all of these in the Furniture Makeover gallery.

And did you catch the full series on Secondhand Sprucing over at HGTV?  You can read the final article on Office Upgrades and my best thrifting tips too.

desk makeovers hgtv

 

Have you kept all of your secondhand finds you’ve collected over the past few years?  If not, did you sell them or give them away?  Do share.

 

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21 comments

  1. I was looking for the sofa that used to be in your office – is it still around?

    And, frankly, I think Tom Cruise should give up on marriage. Fun to look at him, but apparently not so fun to live with.

  2. That first picture cracks me up – it really doesn’t feel like it was that long ago. Your furniture makeovers are always so amazing – i love seeing what you still have around.

  3. For God’s sake, Ms. Katie, you make us all look bad! If I had finished ONE of those projects, I would be happy. BUT I did snag deal at my very first trek to the second hand store (it’s within walking distance of my house, who knew) and you would be VERY JEALOUS at the gorgeous soft white pierced urn lamps that I got for $25 and, after I unwired them, they are now are gorgeous urn vases that I have absolutely nowhere to put, but I can’t get rid of them because they are so beautiful I want to cuddle with them. Maybe, I w.ill paint them. Then I WILL have a project too. Truthfully, you really do inspire everyone. I have no idea where you get your energy.

  4. Those furniture are marvelous! You got serious mad talent.
    Emilio is living a quiet life, occasionally writing and directing film. I only know this because of Charlie Sheen’s public tiger-blood meltdown.

  5. How impressive!!
    But you left several out, you know! Your list should also include the round wooden pedestal table, and the piano, and what about that lovely wood+white dresser in your husband’s office?!
    I am blown away by your productivity!

  6. So impressive! Every one of those pieces is lovely!
    I have a vintage white desk (Craigslist find) that I need to sand and paint for my daughter’s room. I also have a couple of wooden cable spools that I need to figure out what to do with!

  7. I really hope you can repair the velvet king`s chair, it has always been my favorite. In fact I originally stumbled upon your blog because I was in search of a double welt cord tutorial and happened upon yours and found it very helpful and amusing!

  8. Yes, that is C. Thomas Howell. He actually has a role on the series Southland now, but you might not recognize him. I saw his name in the credits and then had to do some googling to see which character he plays.

  9. Another C. Thomas Howell update: For you Criminal Minds fans, he also played George Foyet, aka The Reaper, during the 2009 series. His character murdered the ex-wife of Hodge.

  10. Interesting to see the colours you use when you paint furniture – pretty much blues, grays, whites, and creams, with the odd reddish shade thrown in. Those are my go-to colours as well. Just beautiful.

  11. Oh the outsiders that was our (my husband and I) first date movie.And I secretly had a crush on Tom Howell.My husband took me to see this six times! I was a bit obsessed LOL!
    I paint furniture to resell now.And sometimes I fall in love with a piece keep it but sell something that I no longer want.It is actually wonderful because I like to change things allot!
    xx
    Anne

  12. Your are extremely talented! I love seeing how much you’ve done! That poor chair! :) At least it was broken while they were having fun! I always end up getting rid of things but some pieces I feel like I worked too hard on to get rid of!

  13. C. Thomas Howell also briefly played a part in the new TV series “Revolution”, but was killed off.
    :(

  14. I love that you’ve had as many comments about The Outsiders as your decorating (which incidentally is why I follow your blog). But my friends and I were like cult-followers of these guys in the ’80s. Some will remember that C. Thomas Howell was one of the most popular actors in this group at the time. Remember his roles in ET & Tank? Now I need to go check and see if this is available on Netflix. Do it for Johnny!

  15. What about the horrible nautical themed dresser that you turned into an adorable gray & white striped dresser?

  16. I have done quite a few furniture projects over the years, and have blogged about a few of them. I am about half and half for keeping items versus selling/giving them away. I get really attached and have a hard time letting go .. to remedy this I leave the item in my living room for awhile so that I am SO tired of walking around it that I am ready to set it free. It works :)

    http://www.pardonoursawdust.com/retrofit-furnishings/

  17. C. Thomas Howell was also the crane operator from the newest Spider-Man movie – Spider-Man saved his kid, and he saved Spider-Man. He’s brilliant. :)

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