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We've all seen home tours online and in glossies where people show off impossibly stylish furniture bought off Craigslist for next to nothing. "Oh, this old thing? I got it on Craigslist." Sounds so easy, right? But then, you try it yourself, and end up scrolling through hundreds of postings for dinged Crate & Barrel tables and IKEA cast-offs, with nary a cool vintage piece in sight.
Enter web-shopping savant Ellen Richardson, who has an incredible knack for finding the DMV's coolest furniture, from brass bar carts and teak tables to glamorous lamps and vintage skateboards — all ripe for the picking on Craigslist. Luckily for us, Richardson shares the wealth on her blog, Listed District, where she publishes the listings for the best secondhand scores in the Washington area.
After looking at all the rad furniture that Richardson, a graphic designer, posts on her blog every day, we had to know what Craigslist pieces she's found for her own home. So, we finagled a tour of her amazing Columbia Heights rowhouse, which was restored and designed by her architect boyfriend, Greg Gardner. Gardner opened up the space, brought in tons of natural light, and added custom, built-in touches, while Richardson incorporated midcentury-modern pieces and an Americana flair that reflects the couple's shared Southern roots.
Click through to check out some of Richardson's best-ever Craigslist finds — and take notes, because she's also spilling her tricks of the trade, from favorite keyword searches to how to bargain for a piece once you've found it.
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