How I stumbled upon $40 chairs from Ballard Designs

If you've been following Simply Sarah Style for awhile, you know that we moved into our new house last summer. To be honest, our house is still bare, and I'm okay with that. Slowly, but surely, I've been making decorating decisions. Recently, I've been on a Craigslist kick selling numerous furniture pieces we had at the condo. While they were in great shape, I craved something new and wanted to break out of the Pottery Barn look.

One of the first things I sold was the dining set, bench and rug we used in a small nook at the condo.  I was ready to move onto something completely different. Plus, I'm pretty over browns. Here's what we sold:

With cash from our Craigslist sale in my pocket, I set out to IKEA to purchase a round pedestal table (the INGATORP). I loved the table's round shape and also appreciated the fact that it had a leaf which made it perfect for parties.

When I saw this IKEA table in person, I was disappointed with the quality. For $349, it showed a lot of finger prints and scratches. Granted, it was on the showroom floor, but I was still disappointed.

So I left IKEA and headed to my other favorite store in West Chester, the Ballard Designs/Frontgate/Grandin Road outlet.  I walked in to find these bistro chairs 75% off.

They were listed as $320.99 (originally $429).  My thought was that they would be $80 each after taking 75% off. 

The $80 price per chair was pretty reasonable considering Target has a similar style listed as $268 ($134 each).

Shortly after spotting the chairs, I set my sights on a pedestal table. This one was not the color I had in mind, but the price tag caught my attention. It was marked down to $300 with an additional 50% off. Considering this table was less than half what I was ready to pay at IKEA, I knew it had to come home with me.

I had $320 in cash remaining (after a couple of bookcases and other miscellaneous items at IKEA).

I approached the counter giddy about my great finds, and the cashier tells me that I'm getting a great deal. I smiled because I knew it's true. Then she says, "Oh girl, these chairs are amazing. One set is only $80." WHAT?!? I thought I was paying $80 per chair. With this news, I was over the moon to learn that I was only paying $40 a chair.

She told me my total was $330 and some change. With that news, I happily handed over my $320 in Craigslist cash and paid $10 on my debt card. Wow! Talk about the deal of the century for an entire dining set from Ballard Designs.

I have to take a second to also  tell you about my new cowhide rug. I picked this one up at Home Emporium's booth at the Cincinnati Home & Garden Show. It was only $99! That is the cheapest I have ever seen a cowhide. That's even cheaper than IKEA's $200 version.

I purchased these dining additions over a month ago and still get excited about my purchases! Isn't funny what a great deal can do for your mood?