A Gem
I believe in the world of flea markets. You really can get awesome stuff with character for next to nothing. Here in SA we have a few different flea markets but the best I've been to by far is Busseys. With our tiny little apartment I can only have a few big pieces or else it gets cluttered and I want those pieces to be functional and reflect our style. While on the hunt for a cool, good sized, full of character coffee table I went to Busseys and guess what I found? THE coolest, best sized, full of character coffee table that I had ever seen.
I saw it sitting there yellow with a brown stained top. The little casters on the bottom sold me on it. When I asked the seller what the price was he said $5! It was a gem and it was meant to be mine! I stuffed it in my back seat and brought it home. I used my good friend the Magic Eraser to clean it up a bit and got some bright turquoise paint to paint the top of it. For a grand total of $15 - the table, magic eraser, and some paint - I got my favorite piece of furniture ever.
The coolest things don't have to be the most expensive things. Tap into your creative side. Look around before you spend a bunch of money on something, you might just find a gem and find it for a good price!
Now go find a flea market!
JB