Have you ever heard of a Broyhill Brasilia? You will now. True story: A few weeks ago I was in a nearby city and was looking for a chair to pair with a vanity. I had never been in this particular thrift store that had relocated to an old empty mall, and had heard it was a great place to hit.

I had avoided stopping there in the past, knowing that my stash was full and it’s so hard to resist a deal, but I needed a chair, right? You would be proud. I did so good. Walked right past an awesome desk, some French style tables, and even was ready to walk back out. Then I saw it.

Draw dropping to the floor with a squeal (I really did squeal out loud and the man nearby looked queerly at me). Here was what I would not be leaving without, even if I had to drag it home.

I signaled my kids to find a store associate pronto, but of course no one was to be found. Sigh…isn’t that always the case?

As the know-a-find-when-you-see-it-mother, I told the older kids to stand by it while I tracked down an associate. You see, my kids are trained. Not only did they stay by it, but the circled it with their back facing it, as if guarding it with their life. Good kids.

Finally found a lady and she told me she had stuck it out. $30.

Sold.

45 min. was the allowed time once you purchase a piece of furniture to pick it up and they would NOT help load. Problem: How does one get a dresser that size in their suburban with 6 kids on board and lives a half hour away?

Cram it in!!

Okay. Let’s pause for a minute. You might be wondering why in the world am I going nuts at an ugly brown beast covered in stickers??

This, my friends, is a Broyhill Brasilia. A highly coveted and collected Mid Century Modern line of American furniture designed by Oscar Niemeyer during the 1960’s. In original condition, it’s valued in the thousand dollar range.

This purple beauty was my very first custom order for another Brasilia I had in my stash years ago.

So… let’s just say, my gang and I made memories bringing this beauty home.

Obviously the stickers were the first to go.

I cleaned it up and stuck in my shop as a custom listing.

It needed love and it takes creativity to imagine away that wear and tear it had. I waited a week and then recreated the Brasilia how I thought best. I’m so patient. tee hee.

Ta da! With a little sanding and some paint, I stuck it in my shop with a new look and it sold in a couple hours. *insert the song “Happy” here*

See…it’s smiling at me, saying “Thank you!”

Lesson: Don’t look too quickly when you’re out and about. Look for labels and quality markings. You just might find a flower power beauty of your own.

I hope you enjoyed this makeover and my little story to go with it. Consider yourself invited to join our blog family by signing up for our newsletter in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. Stay tuned for more junkin’ adventures!

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