Thrifting for home goods and furniture has been a favourite shopping route for strategic shoppers and bargain-hunters alike for decades. Thrifting is not only a great way to shop if you’re on a budget, but many of the best home decor can be found at thrift, charity, and antique shops are of superior quality than the mass-produced equivalent you’ll find in homeware franchises (not always, but very often). Every year, World Thrift Day is celebrated on 30 October to acknowledge is money-saving benefits. Now more than ever, it has never been a greater time to mix the old with the new where so many vintage stores are selling excellent pieces for great prices. It is also an approachable avenue to tip your toes into the world of bespoke furniture because anything can be reupholstered for a fraction of the cost of a brand new couch, and it is sure to be superior quality.
How to decorate with Thrifted items
If you are looking for something small to accent your space, the best items to thrift books, picture frames, vases, bakeware, and drinkware. Often these kinds of pieces are the most affordable and are both highly functional and decorative. Especially if you find really unique and eclectic pieces, you have to make thrifted pieces work for you. With a vision in mind and an understanding of how objects exist in your space, you can make anything work for you. Vintage vases work great as centre pieces on dining room tables and mantels, whereas you can find great glassware that can work not only in your kitchen, but as a funky toothbrush or makeup brush holder.
Be Strategic about what you are thrifting
Thrifting strategically can entail coming into the shop(s) with a list and doing some homework before, especially to gauge the prices of items in shops. A great place to start is on Instagram, where you can find many resellers with the prices of goods listed. This will give you a savvy edge when you carefully examine the pieces and the prices attached to them. Always make sure you look past the current state of the piece. Also, keep an eye out for any signs of wear and damage on the pieces as this can also affect price. While these little scuffs and scratches add to the story and character of a piece, they can be a reason to negotiate for a better price for you.
Be Open to Scratching and Digging
Not only does thrifting for homeware require a touch of out-of-the-box thinking, but you must be open to sift through some shelves, racks, and stacks of goods. An easy way to approach this is to not go into a shop with too many expectations of finding trendy vintage pieces only nor searching for the exact specific object (unless you know for a fact the shop will carry it). To make your time spent digging for thrifted gold, let your eyes be your guide to drive you towards your own aesthetic, and the objects may reveal themselves to you.
Now go forth and thrift.
