I have always loved going to garage sales and walking through thrift stores. Lately, I have really been on a roll, finding unbelievable treasure. My friends and family always say, “I don’t know how you find this stuff. Every time I go in the thrift store all that’s there is junk.” Au contraire, mon frère…or should I say sister. There are always great things in the thrift store, they just may not be what I am looking for that day. To test my theory, I visited two of my local thrift stores and snapped some pictures of items I would buy, if I needed them right now. I also found some photos to help you see their potential. Click to read through. Don’t miss my number one thrift store rule at the end of this post.
Thrift Store # 1
First up is this coffee table. It caught my eye because of the detail on the base, its long length, and the rustic quality. Plus it was marked $30 with 30% off all tables!
The base reminds me of the trestle table trend right now. It has a sort of rustic farmhouse feel. Let’s take a look at where this fits in with design and what could be done to make this $21 table look fantastic in someone’s home.
This first example is the Andrews Coffee Table from Ballard Designs. Simply paint the whole thing in a white chalk paint (including the leather inserts) and any living room would quickly get a dose of character. Or, sand it down and give it a weathered finish with some of the grey stains available for a more coastal/beach vibe.
Then I came across this pair of rattan and bamboo side tables marked at $25 each with 30% off. I don’t think I would do anything to them, but they could be painted in a high gloss paint or gold. It would be really hard to decide what to do with them because there are so many possibilities.
Let’s look at what these could become…. The first is a high gloss console table from One Kings Lane, priced at $949. The second is also from One Kings Lane. The third one is from Serena and Lilly and left natural.
Then I spotted this pair of bookcases. I know they don’t look like much right now. They are priced at $20 a piece. With forty dollars and some paint, I could totally change the look of a room. I would add at least one more shelf into each bookcase which could easily be done with some MDF board from the local big box home improvement store.
The first example is from my own house. I used two bookcases to flank the sides of my son’s bedroom dresser. It gives him great storage and is all neatly placed on one wall. In a small bedroom, this is the best way I have found to increase storage without taking up too much floor space. The second example is from Sarah Richardson and finally a stunner from Better Homes and Gardens.
Thrift Store #2
The first thing I saw when I walked in was this incredible coffee table. It’s not my style, but I could totally see this in some posh New York apartment with Central Park views. Glamorous lines with lots of details.
I gathered some NYC Penthouse eye candy to show you what I mean. It isn’t coastal, at all. But fun none the less.
Up next is a table and chair set that stopped me in my tracks. Bamboo, caned seats and chrome? Too much goodness. Priced at $125 for all of them, they are a steal.
These Mart Stam dining chairs are very contemporary looking even today. These are vintage, found on 1st Dibs priced at over $12,000.
These Stendig Rattan and Chrome chairs are for sale on Chairish for $1250. Similar?
Then I saw this dining set and immediately thought of Lauren at Bless’er House. She used chairs very similar to this to create her knock-off Restoration Hardware chairs. I’m not sure what the price on this was because some lucky shopper snapped this set up already.
This is what Lauren’s chairs looked like when she was finished with them.
Of course, I love all things caned and if it has a vintage/French flair I really love it. I have always loved the work of Miss Mustardseed. Her dining room is a show-stopper. This vintage set would be a good place to start.
That’s it for furniture. My home has a lot of thrift store furniture in it. But I also find a lot of great smaller items at thrift stores to use in my home. Here is a sampling of some of the furniture and smaller items I have found and used.
Plates for $1.00
Chairs for $90.00 a piece (I found matching ones).
Bamboo Chair- I can’t remember exactly…$50 I think?
Buffet used by front door-$17
Small items from the Vintage Swap I just participated in.
Now…for my final tip. One big rule that I truly stand by. Are you ready? Here it goes…“If it costs less than a really good cocktail at a nice restaurant, I buy it without thinking about it”. Earth shattering? No. But, when I stand there and contemplate something I always refer back to my big rule and it totally helps me decide.
Here are a few other tips and tricks I use to shop thrifty:
- Keep a list of items wanted/needed in your wallet with perfect dimensions written down. This way you will never have to run home to measure.
- Carry a tape measure
- If you aren’t sure, put it on hold. Many thrift stores will hold an item until the end of business for you.
- If an item you love already has a hold on it, ask to put a 2nd hold on it just in case the first buyer doesn’t come back.
- Frequent the thrift often and be friendly. If you make friends with the store staff they may call you when your dream item comes in or they have a flash sale.
- If you find that unbelievable, one-of-a-kind item like I just did and you totally feel sort of guilty for getting such an incredible deal…be happy about it and be quiet about it until you leave the store.
I have a major thrift store find to share with you in the coming weeks. It is absolutely the biggest treasure I have EVER found in a thrift store. If you follow me on instagram you will probably already know about it. If not, I’m leaving you with a little clue. It was $100…and you can click the following link to really, really have a clue. Here is the clue…click away!
Nancy
