Habitat for Humanity

Are you one of those people who are savvy with their flea-market finds? Love a good bargain? Did you know that there is a Habitat for Humanity store right here in Calgary where you can spend an afternoon looking through new and used furniture, appliances and building products? This is a great place for someone like myself, who devours HGTV and dreams of spray painting 1950's ornate silver chandelier with a color called "pearly pebble" and declaring it brand new. Generally those of us who have envisioned what our homes might look like if we were to declare our own personal 'home heist' a la Justin and Colin style, it would be an impressive feat. Sadly time, energy and plain skill are often lacking and we resort to maintaining the status quo.

There are places in Calgary such as the one listed above that won't break your wallet but will help you indulge your inner design diva. Another store recommended to me but which I have not as yet visited is the Consignment Gallery, located at 533 - 58th Ave SE. The information I received is that this is a great place to shop for pieces that were previously used to decorate show homes and we all know how gorgeous those homes are decorated. Their stock is thus constantly changing so it is certainly worth popping in from time to time.

Lastly, Fine Furniture Outlet off of Edmonton Trail is great for quality furniture (think kitchen tables, bedroom sets and sofas). When I was last there over a year ago they had scads of thick catalogs from various furniture stores in Calgary and should you be after a particular piece, they may be able to order one for you at a discounted price. Worth looking into.

I should mention that I have a personal soft-spot for Habitat for Humanity as in the upcoming week I'll personally spend a day volunteering with a group of mortgage broker's and lender's that I work with on a home in Evanston, in northwest Calgary. I'll be sure to post a few pictures alongside a story about that experience in a future post.