I find some of my favorite pieces at thrift stores! Here are my tips for modern thrift store decorating and what I always look for when I visit the thrift store lately.
It never fails. When I’m out styling a home for a shoot, the homeowner or the designer I’m working with will always compliment me on the thrift store items that I’ve brought along as styling supplies. It doesn’t seem to matter how many fancy, new, high-priced decor items I bring along; the thrift store pieces are the ones that make them say, “Oh, I love this!” There’s really an art to choosing and using thrift store pieces, though, because it’s a fine line between a space looking interesting and character-filled, and it just looking kind of junky and cluttered. If you’re a fan of farmhouse-style homes or the country living look, you may already know that thrifting is one of the best decorating hacks, but thrift shops can also be a great resource for more modern decorations as well. So I thought today I’d share a few of my thoughts on modern thrift store decorating as well as the specific pieces I look for.
Thrift Store Decorating: Striking the Right Balance for Modern Home Decor
When you find a beautiful piece at the thrift store, you want to make sure that you display it in a way that will show off its best attributes, not just add to the visual clutter. These pieces usually have a lot more character and are a lot more unexpected than other, more mainstream decor pieces. Every space needs a little bit of character, but too much can be overwhelming and confusing to someone who’s looking at a photo of a space. The key is to use thrift store pieces very sparingly.
It’s funny because even though those seem to be the pieces that people will notice and gravitate to first, I find that when I stand back and look at how I’ve styled a space, there are usually only one or two thrift store pieces, and they’re balanced out by a whole lot of more “current” choices. So that’s important to keep in mind.
Essential tip for how to decorate with thrift store finds: How to Properly Clean Thrifted and Used Furniture
Secondhand Finds I Look For in Thrift Shops and Antique Markets
Vases and Jars With Handles
Pictured above: Design by Index Design Studio, cabinetry by Windmill Cabinets.
A lot of high-end home decor shops are re-selling real vintage jars right now. They just add so much character and often have great textures, but if you can find them yourself, you’ll save about $100. I often spray paint them matte black if they aren’t true vintage finds, but if they’re done in a nice neutral stoneware, I’ll keep them and use them as-is.
DIY home decor ideas using a mix of store-bought and thrifted items: Timeless Farmhouse Dining Room Refresh
Curvy, Organically-Shaped Vases
Another great candidate for a couple of coats of matte black spray paint. I look for softer, less structured curves.
Styled and photographed by Art & Spaces for Oak Barrel Cabinetry.
Decor tips for a magazine-worthy home: Kitchen Counter Decor Ideas for an Instant Upgrade
Photo Frames of All Sorts
The best gold frames always seem to be found secondhand and little silver frames are always in style. I love to see a whole collection of them together. Black photo frames come in handy for staging a number of different contemporary design styles. Wood framed prints and picture frames can be useful as wall art to add a bit of warmth and elegance if a space feels stark and cold before decorating.
Neutral Coffee Table Books and Cookbooks
I’m always looking for books with neutral-colored spines to use for styling for shoots. They’re hard to find, but once in a while, I’ll hit the jackpot with a really good one. I use them together with my newer neutral books to add just a bit of something unexpected while still keeping the look current. The Toronto in Art book pictured above is a recent favorite find. Don’t forget to look under the book jackets when you’re at antique stores and flea markets!
Favorite Neutral Decor Books and Cookbooks:
Sunday Suppers | Flour Water Salt Yeast | Habitat | Made for Living | Travel Home | For the Love of White
Read next for more home decorating ideas: Bookshelf Wealth is the Trend That Needs to Not Be Just a Trend
Bowls With a Modern Shape
I love a good traditional footed bowl, but I get a ton of use out of simpler, more modern bowls, either stacked up or just by placing one on top of a couple of books on shelving or as an entryway decoration, so these are what I look for most. I love wood bowls, artisan stoneware bowls, or bowls that I can spray paint matte black or white.
Umbrella Stand | Mirror | Vase | Similar Large Baskets | Similar Ginger Jar | The Kinfolk Table Book | Similar Black Bowl
Handmade Pottery Pieces
I just can’t resist these. They have so much soul to them, and despite the fact that they’re really popular right now, I have a lot of luck finding them at thrift stores. They’re always really under-priced for some reason, so definitely a good item to add to your list of things to look for!
Styled and shot by Art & Spaces for Erin VanderSluis Design
Plant Pots
The plant pot section of the thrift store doesn’t always have something for me, but when I do find something good, it’s usually really good. Plants are usually used in decor to add life and personality to a space, so if the planters you find are a little unique, that’s usually just fine, as long as you love them. A thrifted planter can be the perfect finishing touch to your living room decorations or to fill an empty spot on a bookcase.
More easy and affordable ideas for how to decorating your home: 10 Minute DIY Pillow Cover
Classic Staples of Traditional Decor
If you lean traditional like I do, the thrift store is the best place to find so many of your staple decorative items, it just might take you a little while to find them. Buying these accent items brand new works when you find a trusted retailer, but the quality is often lacking in these furnishings and they won’t really stand the test of time the way a lot of thrift store finds for your home will. If I find something that just says “classic” to me, I grab it. Some examples of this are vintage globes, small wood decor boxes, green glass demijohn bottles, and brass book ends. Even the most modern spaces can benefit greatly from the character and personality of a well-placed vintage thrift store find.
More thrifted home decorating inspiration: Ten Finds You Should Never Leave Behind When Thrifting for Home Decor
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.