Always Ask

When I moved to San Francisco I spent my first week in Napa and was inspired by the wooden crates and barrels.  I started looking for wooden boxes to use as a display in my own home and quickly figured out that nice wood is hard to find. I was walking home from my dance class in the Mission and saw an awesome window display made of crates at Aldea (a great boutique for interiors).  Even though they were clearly not for sale, I went inside to ask where I could find them.  It turned out they were handmade for the store but the folks at Aldea had 2 left over and offered to sell them to me for $70. $35 a piece was a great deal! It’s a little bit about luck, but more about asking for what you want.

Apartment Therapy did a great post about re-using wooden crates.

Tip: If you see something you like, you should always inquire. Imitation is a sign of flattery – nobody will be mad that you asked.