In case you don’t know about the beauty of shopping at Sally Ann, it’s the internet lingo for Salvation Army. Have ya’ll heard that one? Let’s take a stroll through and see what we can find. 
We have a nice big Salvation Army on Hwy. 150 in Hoover and since I don’t live that direction, I don’t get in there all that often, but I was on that side of town recently and had to stop in just to see what was there.
This sofa immediately caught my eye. As loud as the fabric is, there’s something about it I like. 
I wouldn’t normally recommend buying a sofa with a busy print like this, but for $200 at Sally Ann’s, you couldn’t go wrong. I could totally decorate a room with this piece and have a fun time of it. Classic style and a modern print, I have no idea how old this piece is, but it looks pretty stylish to me.
And it’s made by Sherrill, a very good brand and I think someone could get a lot of mileage out of this piece. Could you live with this fabric? 
This cute little desk was around $75, I think. Needs a little TLC, but totally workable. 
The fretwork was especially pretty.
A complete vintage dining room suite was really cute and I think it was around $200 for the set. 
Love these chairs. Not in perfect condition, but very promising. I can even see this whole set painted white. 
This already painted black piece was in rough condition and needed some wood putty on top, but with a little elbow grease, sanding and paint job, it could be a beauty. I think it was around $75.
This little mid-century modern beauty was also a prime candidate for a makeover. Totally reminds me of the dresser that Young House Love just remade for their soon-to-be baby girl’s new bedroom, check it out here if you missed it, it’s totally cute. They scored theirs on Craigslist for $20. This piece was around $70, I think.
This old beauty definitely needed some lovin’, as the joints were wobbly, but with some wood glue, she could be fixed up again. I think it was around $30.
This old oak dresser wasn’t bad either. Came with a mirror.
You’d have to look past the granny florals on these chairs for some potential, but it’s there. The wingback was around $45 and the smaller one, $35. Not bad for a makeover. 
These totally cute and modern green seat cushions were $2.50 for the pair. If I had somewhere to use them, I would have snatched them up.
I wasn’t shopping alone. These 2 sweet ladies were there too, Anita (L) and Tonya (R). Now, just who are these ladies?
Tonya reads my blog and emailed me and asked if I ever speak to women’s church groups about decorating on a budget. I told them that yes, I have done that before, so they asked me to come to their ladies event at their church (in West Jefferson, AL) in May and speak, so I agreed. I’m totally NOT a speaker, but I can wing it on the subject that is near and dear to my heart. So, wish me the best with this one. They’re doing a day of pampering for the ladies in their community, so we’re also going to add decorating to the mix.
We had met for lunch that day and I told them I was stopping into the Salvation Army and invited them to come along. They go here regularly too when they are in town and know all about thrifty shopping. 
Someone spotted this pretty, but rustic oil painting and we all admired it, but none of us knew where we’d put it.
I thought about it the next morning when I woke up and you know how you can’t get something out of your head? That happens to me quite often and I knew I had to go back and get it. At $4.99, it was a deal, so I called and it was still there. Now it’s home with me and I can’t wait to show you what I did with it! My living room is getting a mini-makeover.
Do you have a Sally Ann’s near you and do you shop there often?
The winner of the Shabby Chic Cottage giveaway is Phyllis Haynes. Congrats, Phyllis!
I think I’ll start my own Sally Ann. Invite people in and see if I have anything they might want. Serve some snacks. How about that? Make me an offer on an item and it’s yours. But I think that’s called a “yard Sale”, right? I would love to hear you speak on decorating. Enjoy your blog a lot. Keep up the good work!
I loved your post about Sally Ann, Rhoda! I love to poke around at our SA and also Goodwill and other thrift stores. I often spot furniture that has a lot of potential, but I don’t know how to execute the “makeovers,” so I pass them up. I also like the sofa with the “loud” print. It has classic lines and looks to be in good shape.
I’m very curious and I hope you have time to answer my question. It would be a fun post from you, too. I’d like to know how you would decorate with this piece. What color would you recommend for the walls? What type of rug?
What about other pieces?
I’m thinking I might pull that pale blue from the fabric, or maybe an icy blue for the walls. I think that would “cool” down the spicy fabric a bit. Or I migh use a warm ivory to neutralize it. I’d use dark wood for the other pieces. I’d add a pair of modern chairs, not too big, in either a dark olive or the dark rust. I’d use a slubby textured fabric – nothing shiny.
I might use a glass topped end table or two with bronze metal legs. I’d have a big bouquet of that salmon-y, coral-y, peachy color -roses. I’d use abstract art – something linear – in some of those colors. I would not use a subject that would compete with that print!
That’s all I can think of now. What would you do with it? If you have time, please share your ideas!
Thanks
I love finding hidden bargains with style at thrift stores. Love the “code” name too!
What is hilarious to me is that in Western Canada I have heard it called Sally Ann my whole life, yet I have never seen anything like that in any Sally Ann I have ever been in. Your Sally Ann looks like a ‘Shabby Chic’ furniture store.
It is all Depression Era to Mid Century Modern Prarie furniture in Alberta and British Columbia’s North and Interior. That is pretty much the only vintage at every Sally Ann I have ever been in. All that fretwork, and curvilinear wood makes me jealous. I would be through the doors of my Sally Ann a lot more if the furniture looked like the selection in yours.
I feel so inferior because I didn’t know about the Sally Ann thing but I love that!!!! I’m using it for sure!!! Thanks for the info. I love love love that Black table!!! I live in Decatur so Hoover’s not so far away that I couldn’t go and get that little beauty!!! But I’m like you on some things, I just don’t know where I’d put it!!! TFS!
Wow, you have a great Salvation Army! I never find anything like that at the one I go to…I am in love with the black piece and the white desk! Can’t wait to see what you do with the rustic oil painting 🙂
Health and happiness,
Angela
http://angelawalkerjewelry.blogspot.com/
Ha! Sally Ann is really my name! Wish we had a Sally Ann like yours…small town=not much stuff!
Enjoy reading your blogs and the decorating tips.
Sally Ann
Great finds…
I love the way you see potential in everything! We don’t have a Sally Ann … but we do have more than several second hand stores with great pricing. I need to look at the inventory with a more ‘creative’ eye!
GASP! I LOVE THAT SOFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so, so ME! I love vintage, and loud…especially together 🙂
Please take up Joyce’s suggestion and give us a design board based on that sofa. Love her idea of somehow pulling out the icy blue color in the pattern. What a fun post idea! I have a family room in my new house that is in desperate need of inspiration, and that sofa would just DO it for me! Can you please go back and buy it for me? 🙂 No? Well, okay. I think I’ll go explore my own nearby Sally Ann for the first time 🙂
I had never heard the term Sally Anns either. That’s one my girls and I will be using!
The couch is Ga-roovy baby. It would look good with the striped chair too.
Sally Ann!!?!! I love it! I’ve never heard that one before. No Salvation Army here but we have a big good will store. Hmm, might have to make a stop there sometime.
Love the code name! My circle of friends refer to our thrift store finds as buying it at “The Boutique”. We all know what it means & its fun saying it, like we’ve really been somewhere classy! Luv my thrift store finds! 🙂
Rhoda- I shop at your *Sally Ann* as well! My parents live in the area, so I was thrilled when they opened. My husband and I live a bit further away now, but I love to stop by when I can. I love the idea of painting that dining room table white and then recovering the chairs. It would be gorgeous!
Sally Ann – I love it. No, I’ve never heard of that before – but I’ll be using it! We have one – actually many – nearby. I never seem to get past the dishes. There are a few replacement pieces I’m looking for in mid-century patterns and I’m genreally finding better luck at S.A than ebay.
Now, I need to branch out – I could really use a couch, loveseat, and a couple of chairs. Oh, Sally Ann?!
Seriously, some of those wood pieces are perfect for a makeover and would be awesome. Some real steals at those prices if you want to put the work into it.
There’s a Sally Ann just down the road from me. I dropped some donations off yesterday and went in. Ours has good prices on small accessories, books, etc. but furniture tends to be pricey (in my opinion) for thrift. Ours does do a “Let’s Make a Deal” Saturday every so often and they will really come down on prices b/c they need to move stuff. 🙂
I love Sal! Which one do you shop at in Birmingham?
I’ve never heard of calling it “Sally Ann” before, but that’s kinda cute! I’m OBSESSED with that place and try to stop in at least once a week. I start getting addicted and then can’t go a week without running in. And you know “running in” is just not possible. It takes at least an hour of browsing!
Great post! We always called it (still do) “Aunt Sally’s”
We have a couple in the area and one of them has the best furniture.