Before I share HOW I source secondhand finds for our home, I want to share WHY I choose to use them as much as possible. The obvious first reason is budget. Everyone has their own priorities for spending, and our family prioritizes doing activities over buying things. Decorating my home on a budget with secondhand items allows us to use any money saved for travel and other family activities. Second, fast fashion and home decor products are major contributors to landfills. Choosing to use pre-loved items in my home keeps those items from ending up in landfills and is the most ethical choice for decorating. Finally, I love having a unique, collected home that doesn’t look like it came directly from a big box store.
I’ve actually written a bit about this in the past when I used to guest blog for Goodwill Stores of Greater Washington, but I thought I would expand on it a bit since I don’t go to thrift stores frequently anymore. Also, we just purchased a new home that is larger than any home we’ve lived in before so we have a lot to furnish, and I find myself relying on these tips more than ever.
Thrifted Items: Console Table, X Benches, Chesterfield Sofa, Side Table
- SHOP YOUR HOME: Not loving your current decor? The absolute cheapest way to redecorate or to even know what you actually need to buy is to shop your own home. Rearrange your current belongings and try rugs, paintings, furniture, etc in different rooms and in new combinations to create new looks. I never sell off unwanted furniture until I know for sure that it won’t work for me. Similarly, I never buy “new” furniture or decor for a home without living in it for a while first. I arrange and rearrange until I know for sure what will work best in the new space.
Thrifted Items: EVERYTHING (but the plant)… and most of it has a new life in my new home.
- GO SLOW: Don’t rush to fill a space. I have 3 outdoor spaces and 4 indoor spaces that need furnishings, and they’ll stay empty until I find the right pieces. I don’t like to waste money and effort with buying placeholders for a room. I only buy items that I absolutely love. When designing a room for other people, I usually keep to a theme (either color or just a general vibe) and try to only look for pieces within that theme. However, when I am shopping for myself, I only buy things I LOVE. I love having an eclectic home, so I don’t mind if my furnishings don’t match perfectly. They somehow all work together, and a big reason is because I purchase only things that I love.
We lived without nightstands for quite a while before finding (and painting) these that were the right height.
- MAKE MISTAKES: Don’t be afraid to purchase items and try them in your home. I went through 6 sofas (all pre-loved) before we found the one we currently have and love. Funnily enough, 4 of those were leather Chesterfields because I like what I like and buy what I love (HA!). The best part about buying used items is that you aren’t investing too much and can usually resell them for the same amount that you bought them for… sometimes even more. So if you think those gorgeous velvet chairs on Craigslist will look great in your home, get them! And if they aren’t perfect, sell them. No big deal!
A few of our earlier Chesterfield sofas
- KEEP A LIST: I have a long list of things I need for our new home. When I’m going through a thrift store, I’ll take a glance at the list (on my phone) while I’m in the store and just do a quick pass through to see if any of the items are on the list. Today, I scored a heavy wooden toddler step stool to use at the sink for only $5. That’s been on my list since I’ve had my firstborn, but it didn’t seem like a necessity that deemed a $40 new price tag.
- FILTERS AND KEY WORDS: I filter my finds on FB Marketplace and Craigslist in very specific ways. For Craigslist, I always filter by the category I want (usually furniture or antiques) and by “owner” then I scroll through with the gallery view. It allows me to very quickly look through posts.
On Facebook marketplace, I usually do not search by category, but I do filter it by “local pickup” and sort it with listings nearest to my home since I don’t like to drive far distances for my finds (that’s just a personal preference). I often also sort it by newest or filter it with only finds from the last 24 hours.
Keywords are extremely helpful in finding pieces that you love. I’ve found that brand names (like “Pottery Barn”) aren’t particularly helpful in finding items, but descriptive terms are. For example, I often search for “lucite,” “bentwood,” “velvet,” and “chinoiserie” to find items that fit my design style. I personally stay away from terms like “boho” or “midcentury” because they are often used to market an item and price it higher than it is usually worth. I’ve had better luck using broad terms like “old” or “vintage” when searching for midcentury items for a very low price. I also keep alarms set for certain key words. For example, I currently need 3-4 bar stools for my kitchen. I have an alarm set for the term “3 bar stools” and get notifications every time someone makes a post that contains some combination of those words.
I hope this was helpful! Happy thrifting and saving!
district of decor 