Wonderland, Scavenged!

I think my last post could have possibly led some to think I am pregnant. Rest assured, I am not. Our little family is quite complete. My post today was late because last night I received the above lamp as an anniversary gift from some friends of ours.  Over dinner, my husband and I were told that there was a house nearby that was going to be demolished tomorrow (today) that was full of mid-century modern treasures. The best part - our friend had permission from the owners to scavenge through the home before demolition. My heart began to pound and I became full of excitement and anticipation as I tried to lift my jaw off the floor.

After dinner, we ran home to change into jeans and boots and grab our flashlights. (Yes, there were headlamps involved!) We looked ridiculous. It was so much fun to rummage through that house clinging tightly to my hubby as we lunged over piles of discarded objects. We were in and out fast and found some amazing treasures. It was a wonderland indeed. 

There was a mix of emotions as we left that house. On the one hand, I was so excited to have gotten so many amazing things. On the other, it made me quite sad that everything left behind would be bulldozed and hauled off to a city dump. Many of those items are valuable, some were cherished and now they are rubble. It was, however, a great reminder that they're just things and we can't take anything with us once we are gone.

I now face the challenge of what to do with some of these pieces that are pretty badly damaged from years of neglect and abandonment. Do I do my best to clean them up and restore the wood to it's natural beauty? Do I sand them and paint them? The gold lights will be painted for sure. The bench will be recovered. The headboard will go to my Mother-in-law and the lamps possibly sold on craigslist. What do you think I should do - got any suggestions? xo