Did you know that there are some people that HATE decorating with Thrift Store items? (Its nuts, I know.)
They don’t hate that the stuff was used. They don’t hate that there might need to be a little work involved.
They hate that they lack this little thing called vision.
They look at crap and see crap, not the awesome piece that is hidden in the crap.
Today I am going to give you 5 tips to boost your thrifting vision!
Don’t become set on an exact item. Thrifting is sort of a roll with the punches type of decorating. While looking for chairs for my living room I knew I wanted something sort of Mid Century Modern-ish without being TOO MCM, I want my living room to feel modern but not ONLY modern, that’s why I love thrifting, because it sort of forces things to be eclectic. I love the hard angles in these chairs but I wanted something a little curvier and softer. None of these chairs cost less than $800. The thing that I kept going back to was the arm situation. It had to have some cool arms. And have both wood and fabric/leather/whatever.
Last night I was checking out KSL (online classifieds in Utah similar to Craigslist) and saw an ad for these chairs. They had great wooden arms and leather I think they will be great once they are a little updated. And the price was killer $35 each!
Be willing to hold out for something you REALLY want. My couch is a perfect example of this. I knew I wanted something tufted and a color. For months I searched the DI and Craigslist hoping to find something and came up short time and time again, until the heavens parted and I found this one:
Which brings me to point #3.
Be Patient. Decorating your house with Thrift Store items means that its not all going to be done at once. Its not like shopping at a regular store where you can walk in and walk out with a complete living room group (blech.) Its like a puzzle that comes together a little at a time.
Be Willing To Buy and Try. Lets say you find a pair of chairs one day that you *think you like. But you are not 100% sure. Have your store tag them (so no one can swoop in and grab them) and buy yourself some time to think. This post is all about questions you can ask yourself before you commit.
Come To Grips. Sometimes the item that you want just isn’t going to be at a thrift store. Find stores in your area that you can find other great home décor items. Homegoods is my favorite store because it has a bazaar/thrift store feel, meaning it is a new store EVERY time you go in and you never know what treasure you are going to find. I love the hunt. Are there places on the other side of town that you have only been in once or twice? How about consignment stores? There is one in St. George called Urban Renewal that is amazing! It can be expensive so I don’t buy there too often but I love getting ideas there and finding things that I just cant live without.
Now that you have a few guidelines don’t be afraid to try and change things up in your home a little!
If you want more thifting tips check out these other great Thrifting 101 posts:
8 Questions To Ask Yourself BEFORE You Buy From A Thrift Store
10 Secrets From A Thrifting Goddess
Love Your Guts, Mandi
I don’t get it either. I love thrifting! I get excited to see what something can turn into.
Mandi! I was at D.I. in West Jordan this week looking for some amazing light fixtures I could redo and I saw an orangish retro chair and ottoman that would go so great with your couch. I immediately thought of you and said to myself, “Mandi would love this.” lol I found an awesome chandelier that I ALMOST bought ($8). It was way cool, but I got intimidated by part of it being wood, cuz I thought how weird. I did not buy it and I am kicking myself. I may have to go back there tomorrow! Anyway, thought you would want to know that your couch’s sister is at the D.I. up here!
Great tips. Those chairs are amazing by the way.. especially at 35$!
That’s the first place I look and 90% of the time I have the best luck! I think some people don’t like it because it can translate into having your home look too thrift store like if you’re not careful.
I like the patience part. If there is something that I am really looking for, I will make the rounds to about 3-4 different places every week until I find it. Thrift store goods are turned over quickly so you have to be aggressively looking. That’s the fun part!
If you ever need flea market haggling tips, I put some up a few years ago. Enjoy! https://montydob.blogspot.com/2009/02/to-haggle-or-not-to-haggle.html
Ok, this post is right up my ally, because THIS (i.e. thrift diving) is what I DO!! My husband is the one who generally has a problem with all the second-hand furniture I find, but what’s funny is that when he sees the transformations, he’s on board just “that” much more; I’m wearing him down, that is!! Lol. I would say 90% of our home is thrift store scores, and as of late, estate sales.
My motto is: “….because LIFE shouldn’t be financial suicide…”
Lol
Serena
Thrift Diving
http://www.ThriftDiving.com
LOVE your style!
Loved your post!! I also loved your honesty, depending on my mood I don’t even share my thrifty knowledge anymore. I just go about my business of finding awesome stuff and letting others pay retail (I know it doesn’t sound nice but it get tiresome trying to convert non thrifters) Cheers, and happy thrifting!!
Shae
I sell vintage on Etsy so thrifting & estate sales are a must for me!
Finding the good stuff is definitely about luck & timing, and yes, having the thrift vision is of the utmost importance. Some people see thrift stores as a bunch of junk, and the rest of us know there are gems & treasures to be found. This is why I love you! You and your great ideas have truly helped me fine-tune my thrifting abilities 🙂
My hubby started out as a buy-it-new kind of guy, but I’ve slowly brought him around. I no longer get ‘the look’ quite as much. He knows the magic I’ve been able to work with some so-called crap. and I LOVE me some Homegoods too … done the right way, mixing new with vintage keeps things fresh, modern, eclectic, and interesting.
Another great post. You are really growing into an insightful blogger. A point about your sofa. The rolling feet are obviously not original. I think they detract from the design of the sofa. The channel back is very elegant, well done, and a classic touch that might be antique. I don’t know all my upholstery history that well. The channels at least date back to the 20’s or 30’s. The feet are definitely 70’s, 80’s New Jersey. Why don’t you consider replacing them with a less blatant leg. A plain square wooden leg would look better. Think about it. I say all this with a very Eastern, New England aesthetic. We don’t throw much away back here and don’t buy much brand new. Ann
Excellent suggestions…I would add that you have to regularly frequent thrift stores/estate sales. For the beginning thrifter, it can be frustrating if you don’t find something amazing right away, but for those of us who are hooked, we can easily go on LOTS of “unsuccessful” trips before starting to get discouraged. The more you frequent thrift stores, the more you recognize great deals; have time to think about what you would have done with X item that seemed to have some potential but you passed on because it seemed too risky (we’ve ALL done it and learned the hard way from our hesitations!); and you increase your chances of finding the diamonds in the rough.
My latest find: a BLUE VELVET TUFTED SOFA at an estate sale I just “popped into”…wasn’t look for it, but am in love with it. That’s the beauty of buying non-traditionally: sometimes the best deals find YOU, not the other way around!
Great tips. I am sharing this link on my Frippery Farmhouse Facebook page.
cracking up at your comment of buying everything new from a store, BLECH indeed. Reminds me of one time my husband asked why we couldn’t buy “normal” chairs. He sent me some “X” back pieces of Pottery Barn crap and I said, BLECH. Amen sister, preach on.
Trish
http://www.mash-upchic.blogspot.com
I love point # 3.. everything is always a step at a time!