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How to Decorate a Home Using Thrift Store Finds

By Rachel

published 04/25/2024

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Last Updated on October 23, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

I’ll show you how to decorate a home using thrift store finds!

Are you on a budget but still want to add unique and personal touches to your space? Look no further than your local thrift store! With a little creativity and some insider tips, you can transform thrift store treasures into stunning home decor pieces that will make your space truly one-of-a-kind. Come along as I show you how to decorate a home using thrift store finds!

Table of Contents

The Ultimate Guide to Thrifted Home Decor

In this article, we’ll explore the art of decorating with thrift store finds and how it can help you achieve a stylish home without spending hundreds of dollars. From understanding what to look for while thrift shopping to learning easy thrifty techniques on how to spot the good stuff, get ready to elevate your home’s aesthetic in a frugal way.

So, grab your re-usable shopping bags and join me as we dive into the world of thrifty decorating!

Thrifted Goodies Volume 22

Hello, guys! Welcome back to the blog and to the next installment in the ‘Thrifted Goodies’ series! If you are new around here, welcome!

This is a monthly series where my friend MaryJo from the blog Master’pieces’ of my Life and I share thrift hauls, thrifting tips, and general thrift shopping advice.

Sometimes we invite other bloggers to join us who share a love of thrifting and vintage decorating. This month, we’ve invited Tanya from TwelveOEight blog to share her take on what thrifting means to her and how she decorates with thrifted finds in her home!

MasterPieces of My Life

My friend and partner in this series, MaryJo, is sharing a thrifty post all about her thrifted copper finds. After you are done here, head over to her post and say hello!

MasterPieces of My Life Social Channels:

TwelveOEight Blog

Tanya is such a sweet person with a love for all things vintage. She is super creative on how she styles and decorates with her thrift store finds!

TwelveOEight Social Channels:

Eco-Friendly Decorating Ideas

I started thrifting many years ago, mainly because money was extremely tight and thrift shopping was a way to purchase needed items for my family. Thrift shopping, by nature, is extremely budget-friendly.

Not only that, but did you know that shopping secondhand protects the environment? It’s true! Through thrifting, you are purchasing items that have been used, which eliminates the off-gassing from brand new items, saves thousands of things from going into landfills, AND decreases water and air pollution.

There are SO MANY benefits to thrifting and is really the only way I like to shop for goods. Give it a try…you truly have nothing to lose and much to gain!

What Items Should You Look for at a Thrift Store?

There are a variety of home decor items that I always keep my eye out for when thrifting. These are things that can be used now, for Spring decorating, but throughout the rest of the year, as well.

One of the many amazing benefits of thrift shopping is that you have the opportunity to source items or decorative pieces that can be used all year round! This is achieved by minimally altering said items for specific seasons or holidays.

Such items can include:

vases, jars, or planters
baskets
bowls
plates or platters
candle holders
artwork
old books with beautiful covers
fabric to use for table runners, throw pillows, or DIY projects
vintage linens

Shop the Thrifted Look

How to Decorate a Home Using Thrift Store Finds

Here, I’ll share some recent thrift store finds and show you how I’ve decorated with them in my home.

My hope through sharing this thrift haul is to encourage you to style your home with thrifted decor because, truly, you can incorporate the old with the new.

If you are wanting to add character to a space in your home, using vintage items is the best way to do so. Needing decor on a budget? It doesn’t get any cheaper than thrifting. Looking for ways to style or display your thrifted, vintage collections? I got you.

So, let’s get into it!

Thrifted Decor #1: Vintage Artwork

The first item on the list is this super neat vintage art print!

What’s the difference between an original painting and a print? Well, an original is just that…an original piece of artwork. The first one of that picture ever made. A print is a copy of said original. So, in this case, the artist had a number of prints, or copies, made of the original scene. The prints are sometimes signed and numbered by the artist, sometimes not.

You may remember that I collect vintage barn or countryside art. When I saw this one, I was immediately drawn to the enamel kettle full of wildflowers. The old rickety building in the background is also quite appealing! For only $4.99, bringing this home with me was a no-brainer.

When looking to bring character or color to a space, vintage artwork, or artwork of any kind, is a budget-friendly way to do so.

Some areas that may benefit from thrifted artwork include:

a small or dark hallway
bathroom
above the kitchen sink
a laundry area
the entryway

I have this hanging on the wall behind the toilet in my master bathroom. It’s such a serene and peaceful scene to look at when coming into the bathroom throughout the day!

Thrifted Decor #2: Ironstone Pitcher

This! You guys. I cannot believe this old ironstone pitcher was just sitting on a shelf for only $2.00!

How many people walked past it before me? Who knows! But I’m so happy no one else scooped it up before I did.

Pitchers are right up there with vases when it comes to versatile decorating pieces. You can use pitchers for just about anything AND can be styled in any room.

For Spring, I popped a stem of faux daises in this cutie little pitcher and displayed it alongside a vintage hanky.

Thrifted Decor #3: Round White Linen

Each time I write these thrifting posts, I always tell you that I don’t need anymore linens!

But, I just can’t help it!

How was I supposed to leave this gorgeous floral linen behind when it was only $1.50?! Nope…can’t do it!

Truly though, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a linen to use on the other nightstand in the bedroom.

This is exactly what I had been looking for and fits perfectly nestled among the brass lamp!

Thrifted Decor #4: Vintage Milk Glass Plates

I’m noticing, more and more, that actual, real, authentic milk glass is getting harder and harder to find.

If you are unfamiliar with vintage milk glass, click the green link above to learn more about it and how to spot the real stuff.

So, when I come across real milk glass that either I don’t have in my collection or is super unique, I usually purchase it.

This pair of plates was no exception…I truly don’t think I’ve ever seen this pattern on any piece of milk glass before. They are super heavy and were only .99 each! I think they are absolutely stunning. Don’t they look so pretty underneath my vase of birthday flowers?!

Each plate is stamped with the Westmoreland mark, as you can see below.

I really try to only purchase vintage dishes that are marked. This ensures that I’m getting an actual piece of vintage and not a reproduction.

For the Spring season, I stacked them up in my hutch along with my jadeite collection and other pieces of vintage milk glass.

I want to mention here too that milk glass is one variety of vintage decor that can be used all year round.

If you are a minimal decorator or simply don’t have the space to store all kinds of seasonal decorations, milk glass is a collection that can truly be styled for the seasons with minor tweaks.

Thrifted Decor #5: Wooden Plant Stool

You guys. I’ve been looking, for many months, for a vintage plant stand to put my arrowhead plant on. Even on FB marketplace, vintage wooden plant stands aren’t cheap!

Do you know how excited I was to spot this plant stand, complete with turned wooden legs, for only $5.00?!? It’s incredible!

This little stand totally reminds me of a vintage piano stool…like…the similarities are incredible.

However, I wouldn’t want to place a plant on a piano stool. So, this is the next best thing!

I’m totally okay with all of the marks and scuffs and imperfections that my thrifted plant stand has. The more blemishes the merrier is what I say!

So, if you take one thing away from this thrifting post, let it be this…JUST BE PATIENT! Don’t settle and don’t go buy a brand new item just because you can’t find what you are looking for at a thrift store. You will eventually find the thing…I promise!

Thrifted Decor #6: Colored Vintage Books

The last few items I have to share today, in how to decorate a home using thrift store finds, are two vintage books!

If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know just how much I adore finding and rescuing these old pieces of literature.

The green book below, with the pretty detailing on the cover, is not that old, from the 1970’s. But, the color of green just spoke to me and I knew it would look so lovely stacked in a row with my other thrifted green books.

And! The best part is that it was half off that tag color so I only paid $1.50 for it!

On the same thrift store trip, I also found a brown book, priced at $3.00.

This book is much older with a copyright from 1920. It’s in such good shape for being that old!

I love the color scheme on this book and will use it for Fall decorating. It will look lovely stacked in my hutch or as a riser for other decor that have more of the brown, orange, and maroon tones.

Thrifting Tip: When buying vintage books, purchase ones that pair nicely with decor or other books that you currently have. That way, you will be able to use and decorate with your books often.

Closing Tidbits on How to Decorate a Home Using Thrift Store Finds

That concludes this thrift haul! It’s my hope that, through these ideas on how to decorate a home using thrift store finds, you can begin to visualize how it not only saves money but also adds unique and personal touches to your living space. Using this mindset while decorating your home allows you to 1) Get creative with repurposing items and 2) Teaches how to be patient and persistent in the quest for thrifted goods.

Be encouraged to go out and transform your living space into a reflection of YOU while harnessing the power of thrift store finds. May the thrifting fairies be ever in your favor 🙂

Leave me a comment. What thrifted decor do you use in your home? I love hearing from you!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!