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I am Sandra - faithful steward. listener. shepherd. dream believer. hard worker. collects brass bells, boots. Jesus follower. contented. star gazer. homemaker. farmer. prayer warrior. country woman. reader. traveler. writer. homebody. living life large.

Friday, February 08, 2013

Thrift Store Leather Ottoman

~ Levi, checking out the ottoman ~
Dave always hated thrift stores but he enjoyed the great bargains I'd find. Like this ottoman; it was made in Malasia and was purchased at a thrift store for $15. It had a couple of stains on the top but the bones were good and, living in a household with cats, dogs and people who like to actually use their furniture...iow, put their feet up, it was a great buy. 

The ottoman is leather, quite nice leather, and is in the living room which is where the wood stove is located. That means unless I do a monthly nourishment treatment, the leather will age well before it's time. I'm guessing the reason the ottoman was donated to a thrift store in the first place is because of the stains. It's funny...some people see stains and I see character. 
~ neats foot oil that I've had for almost twenty years ~
There are a lot of leather cleaners on the market but I use the same thing in the house, I use in the barn...neatsfoot oil. I also have other leather cleaners but, until this gallon jug is empty, it's neatsfoot oil for me. Neatsfoot oil is rendered from the shin bones and feet, but not the hooves, of cattle. "Neat" is an old name for cattle and neatsfoot oil conditions, softens and preserves leather. If the words "prime" or "compound" are used, it's, probably, petroleum based; not what you want. 
Fat from warm blooded animals, such as cattle, has a higher melting point and becomes hard when cold but not neatsfoot oil. It remains liquid and darkens leather which is not a bad thing, in my opinion. Especially when it's a $15 thrift store bargain!
The sides aren't all that darker but the top is a lot darker.
The more neatsfoot oil I use, the more uniform the top will become until, eventually, it's all the same color. Neatsfoot oil is found at hardware stores, big box stores and specialty stores but I shop at tack shops, places where horse supplies are sold and the price is a lot better. Not as good, mind, as the $6 you see on my gallon jug but still a good buy. 

I'm a crazy woman smile ...posting twice on the same day; this time it's with Miss Mustard Seed and her Furniture Feature Friday

"There are only two ways to live life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein ~

Today's Miracles ~ thrift store finds ~ Levi ~ neatsfoot oil ~ Godly women ~ 

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:45 PM EST

    I love thrift store finds and this is a great piece! Very interesting about the oil.
    Hope you have a nice weekend.

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  2. That's a beautiful piece. I love shopping in thrift stores too -- you just never know what treasure is hiding in a back corner. Ottomans and stool are just about my favorite pieces of furniture; I don't know why. Glad you found that piece!

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  3. That's a beautiful piece. I love shopping in thrift stores too -- you just never know what treasure is hiding in a back corner. Ottomans and stool are just about my favorite pieces of furniture; I don't know why. Glad you found that piece!

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  4. Cool! I bet that cozy footrest appreciates all that tender loving care! It's pretty!

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  5. Great classic piece. I love my leather chair the older it gets and am always on the watch for old leather footstools (or maybe they're vinyl). Glad to know how you clean yours.

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  6. aww - I like that ottoman and I shop at feed stores 'cause they are less expensive than Home Improvement places!
    I wouldn't label you crazy for posting twice on the same day - some of your other stunts - now THOSE might be crazy (I'm thinking of stopping alongside the road on drive to church to photo various critters! I do it too so we is crazy together)

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  7. I love it. What a wonderful piece of furniture with such great character. Some people have no vision.

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  8. I love this footstool - I think it matches my couch!... what a great find! Nemo is the storm hitting the east coast... we are in the midwest and there is big talk about a storm coming in from the west... (we didn't see anything of Nemo)... It seems weird that the winter storms are named!

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  9. I think it is an important task, a ministry even, to care for our possessions, and to rescue a thing and make it more beautiful as you have been doing with this ottoman. You are improving the world!

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  10. wouldn't have thought of that oil, my husband always used saddle soap to soften up his leather boots and things. hope you have a great weekend, two for you! great!!

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  11. I wonder if Neatsfoot oil would work on my leather snow boots I have been wearing as I walk through the recent foot and a half of snow . . . I bet it will do the trick!

    Great and good looking thrift store find!

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  12. Anonymous6:52 AM EST

    'Score!' Love that... I found one with distressed leather at a garage sale a couple years ago and got it for about $20.. I use it every day, in fact I'm using it right now... lol!

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  13. Ha! If it weren't for thrift stores my house would be near empty, and I would be near naked!
    VERY thankful for folks who donate perfectly good stuff to thrift stores!

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  14. Great find! I absolutely would have snatched that right up too. :)

    Blessings, Debbie

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  15. What an amazing bargain for just $15. I think leather gets better with age. Thanks for the tip on how you clean it.

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  16. gorgeous!Sandra, I can't find your address can you send it to me again?Thanks!!!

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  17. Anonymous3:15 PM EST

    Thanks for explaining about the neatsfoot oil. Fascinating explanation for a curious name!

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  18. Nice ottoman! I'm still working my way through a bottle of Neatsfoot Oil, too :) A few years back when I was cleaning tack and boots on a daily basis, I tried a couple other things as a result of tackroom chitchat. Always came back to my original program: plain old saddle soap for day-to-day cleaning and conditioning, and neatsfoot oil for seasonal conditioning.

    I'm a thrift-shopper as well, and am in a bit of a quandary at the moment trying to decide whether or not to "inherit" some dressers and such, which would have to be moved from my parents' home next week. Means spending several hundred dollars hiring a mover (and not lifting an arthritic finger! can you imagine?) or renting a cargo van (and hiring a heavy lifter), etc., and the whole thing just feels overwhelming, especially with the added twist of deep snow. But...for someone who only acquires furniture on a thrift-shop basis, I feel I'd be sorry later if I turn down the opportunity to not only bring home some ordinary but well-made pieces, but also to keep them in the family. This is the kind of decision I find difficult...so many threads attached.

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  19. Crikey, I just realized what a novella I wrote...sorry!!

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  20. I'm so fond of thrift stores! Unfortunately, I see prices there going up, up, up!There used to be quite a few that had good bargains. Now most of them are pretty high with their prices. :( I guess everything is going up these days.

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  21. What great info about the oil. The ottoman you found is an awesome piece and at such a great price.
    I love the light and dark areas of color. I think it just adds to the charm.
    Thank you for sharing this and also thank you for stopping by and your kind comment on my RH blog feature. You are so encouraging.

    Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.
    Hugs and Blessings, Celestina Marie

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  22. I always say I'll never have furniture that the dogs can't wallow around on. Great find!

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  23. That is a real find. Leather is so nice, easy to care for.
    Have a good Sunday.

    yvonne

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  24. I would have snapped that up in a heartbeat -- love how big and comfy it is! Thanks for the info on neatsfoot oil -- very interesting!

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  25. Funny cat, super chair!

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  26. Great find at $15. The stool ends up looking fantastic with the conditioning work.
    Thanks for stopping by my "random house items" post.
    Have a great week.
    Michele

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  27. WOWO! What a fabulous find!
    I bet your could not check out fast enough!

    Smiles, Cyndi

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  28. This is a wonderful tip- I have a huge leather couch that needs some rejuvenation. I'll try it!

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  29. Nice thriftstore snag! I do like leather furniture...

    And thanks for the visit to my blog from BMB.

    Vic303

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  30. Mildred, missing you but understand.

    MK, I enjoy ottomans too and think it's because I'm short and my feet don't reach the floor, generally.

    Pom, it does double duty as a "coffee table".

    Dewena, I've never seen one before or since; glad I found it.

    LindaSue, some of those critters still live here -grin-.

    Knitter, "without a vision, the people perish".

    Leah, it was a great find and buy; hope you weathered Nemo warmly.

    Gretchen, I'm at least improving my living room -grin-.

    Annie, I thought saddle soap was for cleaning and neats food oil for conditioning.

    Lynne, saddle soap for cleaning and neats foot oil for conditioning.

    Madge, I'm amazed at what people throw away!

    Cyn, you bet! I adore thrift store shopping.

    Debbie, it holds wonderful memories for me but that's another story.

    Betsy, saddle soap to clean and neats food oil to condition. I'm sorry not to be clear.

    Gabriela, sure, not a problem.

    Carol, you're welcome, I thought it was interesting as well.

    Quinn, sent you a novella so will say thanks for commenting! -grin

    Patrice, not only are prices going up, more dealers are shopping there and re-selling. ugh!

    Celestina, thanks for stopping by and glad you found the information useful.

    Leslie, home is for living, first and foremost!

    Yvonne, I'm enjoying my leather ottoman.

    Nancy, it was a real find at a good bargain.

    Dori, thanks!

    Michele, thank you for visiting Thistle Cove Farm!

    Cyndi, it was a great find and I think I also bought a Singer sewing machine that same day.

    Tina, neats food oil should condition your couch quite nicely.

    Monkey, you're welcome and thanks for visiting Thistle Cove Farm.







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