Sick of Pottery Barn? Want a more original look? Try Ruff and Ready

I have a love-hate relationship with the furniture industry. I love beautiful and interesting pieces but I hate the expense, hassle and most of all the commitment of furniture shopping. As someone who has lived in 3 different places in the last 5 years, I have to buy things that are versatile enough to work in different settings- my side table was transitioned to a T.V. stand when it didn’t look right in the new house and I took a leaf out of the dining room table because I no longer have a large dining room. I absolutely love antique furniture, and I see enough homes to know that the “Pottery Barn Look” is completely overdone. (Not to mention I did not have a good experience ordering furniture there) This is why my new shopping obsession is Ruff and Ready furnishings on 14th and T. Everything is awaiting your restoration (or not, if you are ok with a weathered look), hence the name Ruff and Ready, and it’s like digging through the attic of your glamorous great aunt. Old books, dishes, hat boxes and silver line the shelves and furniture is crowded in everywhere! Apparently people have all sorts of luck finding valuable pieces, fixing them up and selling for a profit, but I am not knowledgeable enough to try my hand at that. Most recently I bought a tall skinny teak shelving unit that someday will look amazing stacked high with fluffy white towels in a spa-like master bath, but for now looks nice holding coffee table books, decorative boxes and framed photos in the corner of my bedroom. That piece will be traveling with me until I find that perfect bathroom to put it in! Other good finds include elephant bookends with ivory tusks and an old jewelry box. Best of all- you can get lots of interesting and beautiful pieces for under $100, some for under $50. So, I can shop without worrying too much about the expense or commitment!