Mimis Attic

When you first look at the new WSKG Ithaca office, you might wonder what decade you’re in. The unworn floors and modern technology are unmistakably new, but there is a certain charm that lingers here from the past. First of all, it’s located in the historic Clinton House of downtown Ithaca which was built in 1831. You only need to stand at the massive windows to feel the history and grandeur of the space. And the funky, nostalgic furnishings?  Those are part Mimi, part the ReUse Center, and part brainchild of WSKG’s Rebecca Potter.

Here we see the new WSKG office right before their recent ribbon cutting ceremony. The matching desks, vintage Steelcase chair on the far wall, and square table in the right corner are all from Mimi’s Attic!

Rebecca, an Underwriting Account Representative at WSKG, first came to us back in March looking for a unique and cohesive style for their new office space. Luckily, we had just the thing: matching 1950′s Steelcase tanker desks! These heavy-duty beauties are right at home in a bustling radio office. Built to last, they look practically new and will stay that way for decades to come. And these desks even came with a neat little bonus. That WSKG sign on the far wall was made from interoffice envelopes that were found in one of the desk drawers (remember interoffice envelopes?!). Rebecca arranged these relics from the past perfectly askew, traced the letters, and cut them out with an X-ACTO knife. She then assembled her masterpiece in a frame which she also got at Mimi’s. So clever! Congratulations on your reuse and creativity, Rebecca, and on your beautiful, new office!

Once again, inspiration has struck one of our amazing customers.  TV tray turned ironing board.  Genius.

This project took less than an hour to complete and it created an alternative to a screechy ironing board (which had been used to for sewing projects).  Emily would like to credit The Crafty Cupboard on Pinterest for this project idea.  She used some extra batting & cotton fabric, pulled them tight and stapled them to the underside of the table.  Voila!

It was a simple project, but nonetheless very rewarding.  Great job, Emily!  We love to see what our customers do with the items they purchase.  Get inspired.  Get creative.  Get yourself to Mimi’s and find yourself something fun to enjoy.

You may recognize these marvelous pieces if you’ve browsed our April photo album. They are SO cool, SO beautiful, and SO full of history that we decided to rave about them a little.

The Jamestown Lounge desk is certainly one of our favorite pieces in the store.  It’s solid oak, mid-century, and definitely a pleasure to look at.  It has a lot of surface to work on as well as built-in file storage in the right hand drawer.  This is a quality piece.  Originally priced at $400, it is now marked down to $320.  Come see for yourself just how wonderful this Jamestown Lounge desk is!

This sofa is BEAUTIFUL.  Designed by the famous architecture, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings,  this sofa has graced our sales floor for just over a month.  It’s stylish, comfortable and would class up just about any space.  Here is a little more information about the designer we found on the Merrill Antiques website:

Friends, it’s Spring time indeed. It seems we don’t have to live in fear of sneaky Central New York snow storms anymore! So let’s celebrate.

Let’s grow something. Let’s add color and life to our homes!
We can’t think of a better way than with this easy, fun craft from The Small Garden.
Our manager, Meaghan, stumbled across this idea on Pintrest and we fell instantly in love. The possibilities are as numerous as the fabrics and patterns you can imagine! All you need is fabric, PVA glue, scissors, a paintbrush, and a planter. We can certainly outfit you with a planter- we’ve got dozens! If you need fabric, you might try our neighbors here on State St. at Quilters Corner. They’ve got bolts upon bolts waiting to inspire you! They also have a clearance section, ‘End of Bolts’ section ($5-$10/yard), and ‘Little Bits’ (starting at $.75 for 1/8 yard) for the thrifty crafter.  This is also a perfect project for all the fabulous fabric at SewGreen. So, what are you waiting for? Stop through the West End and get crafting!!

When a piece of furniture is made from good, solid materials, you can do just about anything with it. Solid wood, as opposed to particle board or veneers, can be painted and repainted, stripped down, refinished, or painted again. What ever your style, you can make a piece of solid wood furniture transform to fit right in. These two “Before and After”s are great examples.

 Before…

Our first story comes to us from a husband and wife duo who are making her family’s home theirs.  Though the wife, Angela, was reluctant at first to sit on this chair’s ”well-loved” retro cushions, they both found its gentle rock too soothing to pass up. The finish on the wood was a little dull and wearing at the edges, but they were inspired by what it could be. Her husband sanded and refinished the frame himself so that aged look is a distant memory. He used a red stain on certain details to match the new, velvety-soft reupholstered cushions and give it some more flair. We’re quite impressed with your craftsmanship, the wood looks brand new! What was once a bit of an eyesore is now their favorite chair in the house. We’re so glad we could help in making this masterpiece possible!

 After!!

Our second transformation this week comes from our own Clea Lockwood-Wynns. The newest addition to the Mimi’s Attic staff, Clea wasted no time in diving into the spirit of the business. She purchased this simple wooden bookshelf to help organize all the DVDs, CDs, video games, etc. crowding her living room floor. But the shelf was in rare form with paint splatters, nicks, scratches, and a dark uneven stain. That was just not gonna fly with this fly girl, so she sanded, painted, and stenciled it to match her bright personality. From all the rest of us here at Mimi’s, you go, girl!

If YOU have a treasure from Mimi’s that you worked your creative magic on, send us some pictures and your story!! We’d love to write about it AND we give you $5 in store credit for being so marvelous.

Whoa. What else is there to say, really? Measuring in at 6′ 5″ tall and 5′ 9″ wide, the size of this hall tree is enough to take one’s breath away. It came out of a residence near Watkins Glen and is estimated to have been built somewhere between 1870 and 1900. In addition to being beautiful, it’s so darn practical! Just think of all the coats you could hang on there! Since I know some of you are wondering, with hooks on either side, you could hang 36 coats on this thing. I’ll say it again, whoa. We think it would be perfect for an entryway, office, restaurant, mud room- anyplace where lots of people gather and organization is needed. The rich, antique wood will bring warmth into whatever space it enters. Make it a member of your home for $425 today!

And yes, that IS Old Glory currently working overtime as a back drop for us. Sorry Alaska and Hawaii, this particular flag is before your time with only 48 stars.  If this American treasure strikes your fancy, it’s $150.

Perfect for that time of year when you never know which coat you’re going to need!

Currently in stock! Just marked down to $22.40

There is a strange magic to Mimi’s Attic that brings certain items to us in waves. The current magic item? Shabby-chic window panes! We haven’t sold a lot of this kind of thing in the past, but they were so full of potential, we couldn’t resist! Boy are we glad we did because some enthusiastic Mimi’s customers have already made them their own.
The very same couple from our last “Before and After” post turned this window into unique house numbers!! They used their cottage’s accent color to script these delicate numbers on the glass. The frame was already pink, so it worked perfectly! In the bottom three panels, they plan to rotate seasonal images or write in phrases with temporary markers. You guys are so creative! Keep the inspiration coming!

Thanks again, Jenn & Patrick!

Changing up a window takes minimal effort because they are already charming to begin with. If you’re wondering what other amazing things can be done with an old window, you’re in luck! The creative minds of the universe have come up with some stunning ideas and they put them all on the internet! Here are just a few to get you started…

Rustic picture frame. Originally pinned by Ashley Wainwright at Home Sweet Home

Window frame jewelry hanger idea from The Borrowed Abode

Adorable towel or coat rack!

If you’re a regular in Mimi’s Attic, you might be shocked that this item has found a new life so quickly. Purchased just last week, the couple who took it home wasted no time transforming it to fit their needs and decor. They painted this former dresser with a beautiful blue paint and distressed it with sand paper, and dark wax. We just love that shabby chic look! In need of an entertainment stand, they added a shelf to the open space to hold their electronics. What’s that supporting the shelves, you ask? Old chair legs! How clever! They painted them a rich orange to match the fun porcelian knobs they’d been saving for the right project.

What we love the most about this transformation is that this item is on it’s third life! When it came to us, it had already been salvaged once (you may remember it from our March Photo Album). The original consignors had discarded its broken drawers and painted it to be used as extra storage. And now it’s the most unique entertainment stand we’ve ever seen!

Great job, Jenn & Patrick! And thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us!! If you ever find that you don’t need it anymore, you know where to bring it! Who knows what future lives this piece still has in it…

There must be something about that pinch of Spring in the air that get’s people’s creative energy stirring. This week we recieved emails from two different members of the Mama Goose/Mimi’s Attic family about items they purchased from us and made their own! The first is from Christine Uliassi, former Mimi’s Assistant Manager. She took this rather drab glass container and turned it into a beautiful little terrarium! We love how the stark angles of the glass contrast with the organic earthy scene inside. That spritely little plant now hangs out in her home with two little stone owl figures. Adorable! We can’t say for sure, but we think that’s probably great for her feng shui.

The second transformation comes form Mama Goose Manager, Emilee Tracy. She’s practically a connoisseur of Mid-Century style. When these awesome chairs came in, she just couldn’t resist… despite the fact that they matched nothing else in her home. She’s not the type to let that stop her. A heap of ambition and one can of spray paint later, they fit right in with her sleek white pedestal table. Snazzy!

Emilee and Christine, thank you so much for sharing these awesome transformations! If any of YOU readers have a Mimi’s Before and After story, send it our way! We’ll give you $5 in store credit for being amazing and (hopefully) inspiring others with your brilliance!

Fierce.

Here at Mimi’s, we see more than our fair share of furniture items big and small, but it’s rare that we get an item of this grandeur. Measuring in at 5ft. wide and 7ft tall, this colonial mantel demands your attention. The rich, grainy oak could add just as much warmth to your home as the fire below! The broad mirror will make your space feel taller and more spacious. And sure, pictured above it reflects the dusty pipes of our ceiling, but can’t you just imagine it reflecting the smiling faces of your family? We’d love for you to stop on by and check it out!