A favorite piece in my house is the buffet from the Hayworth Collection at Pier 1 Imports.
I had been eyeing the piece for years, picturing dinner parties with charcuterie boards set out for guests to enjoy. A glass of wine in one hand and an appetizer plate of meats, cheeses and nuts in the other.
The problem was I lived in a 1,000-square-foot condo with absolutely no space for the buffet, let alone guests. In the new house, space was not a problem.
The hurdle now was the buffet’s $1,000 price tag. The Hayworth Collection is not inexpensive. Even on sale, the prices can be steep, which is why I always headed for the clearance section.
Even before ground broke on the house, I shopped for Hayworth pieces in the hopes of finding a bargain. My persistence paid off when I found a buffet for $200.
The piece had minor scratches I could live with and a loose foot that John and my Dad easily fixed. The buffet moved straight into storage where it waited a year for the house to be done.
Today it serves as a sofa table on the main floor between the living and dining areas. It’s the first piece I see when I come downstairs in the morning. It’s the first piece I see when I walk in the front door. It’s the first piece I see when I come in from the garage.
But what I love more than the buffet itself is the deal I got just by shopping the clearance section.

