A common misconception we hear about decorating a home is that it costs a lot of money to curate a home. In this edition of How We Home, we want to debunk that statement and show you how to spruce up your home, no matter your budget!

We are huge fans of taking second-hand items and either bringing them back to life through DIY, giving them a new purpose, or adding them to the right environment for a vintage look. While we are always excited to be surprised by a hidden treasure every so often, we do have a few go-to items that we like to source from an everyday thrift store. These are items that can usually be found no matter what thrift store you go to, but having specifics in mind can be the key to turning someone else’s junk into your home’s perfect treasure!

If you want to skip the post and watch our IGTV we put together about this very topic, you can click HERE!

Books

If you have been to a thrift store, you know that there usually is a surplus of books available. Thrift stores are a great spot to find a cheap summer read, but their books are also our secret key to a great styled shelf or coffee table!

Sure, maybe you don’t need the vintage 1980’s cookbook about casseroles, but what if you took the book jacket off? When we peruse the book shelves in a thrift store, we always make sure to remove any dust jackets to find beautiful colors that compliment your home. Maybe you have a navy kitchen with a shelf that could use a bright pop or color or what about your built-in bookcase that could add a neutral touch to your living room. 

Frames

Frames and wall art are more items that we can always find at our local thrift store. We love the diversity of a frame because there are so many things that you can do with them!

Some of our favorite ways to utilize a thrift store frame is to add it to a gallery wall or styled shelf. If you ever find a frame shape that you love but hate the artwork attached or the color of the frame, never fear! Don’t be afraid to throw-out or paint over any ugly artwork and any color is easily fixed with a coat of paint. The key is to focus on the right shape, material, and/or details. Pro-tip: Don’t be afraid to incorporate a frame in an untraditional way. Currently, we are loving the look of layered empty frames styled together on a shelf!

Trays & Baskets

When were shopping for our brick & mortar shop, we needed items to hold our products so we immediately searched through the home decor shelves at our thrift store. Through some searching, we were able to score metal trays that work great for smaller jewelry pieces in the shop. Our trays have some beautiful engraved details but they are a little rusty. While we opted to use them as they are, it wouldn’t be hard to either clean them up or spray them with a brass spray paint to give it a new look. Trays are a great diverse option because you could use them in a kitchen next to the stove for spices, on a foyer table to hold mail and car keys, or in a bathroom to organize your toiletries!

Baskets are also another invaluable item to grab at a thrift store since they are usually super cheap! We love a good basket to organize items in a kitchen, bathroom, or closet. A basket flat wicker basket is also a trendy decorating item right now that can bring a neutral tone to a gallery wall or open storage. Pro-tip: Did you know that you can use a wood stain on a wicker basket? That’s right! If you find a great basket that doesn’t fit with your color scheme, try grabbing a stain that works on wicker and have at it.

Vases, Jars, Candle Sticks, and Other Vessels

Another one of our go-to items are the vases, jars, candle sticks and other vessels. These items are perfect to have on hand because, just like trays, they are so diverse! You could use a vases & jars to hold flowers, style on a shelf, or even use as a pitcher for margaritas. Candle sticks can be used over and over again for dinner parties and home decor. These items are also very easy to transform to be the perfect fit for your home style! Pro-tip: Be sure to take in consideration the material type when you are purchasing something that will hold a liquid. Not all materials are a good fit if it is going to be used for food or drink or even hold fresh flowers.

Lamps & Lamp Shades

If you have ever shopped for lamps, you have probably found that they can definitely be an expensive purchase. Before we purchase a lamp or lamp shade, we will take a stroll around our local thrift store to see if we can find something that could work! We recommend that you focus on the shape and style of the lamp as opposed to color or pattern and the same goes with a lampshade. If you can find a lamp (or lampshade) that will work with or without a little DIY, you could score the perfect lighting for a fraction of the price! Pro-tip: Always ask if you can plug in the lamp (with a lightbulb) before you purchase. If you are wanting a functioning lamp, you definitely don’t want to take home a dud, no matter how cheap it may be!

There you have it; some of our Thrift Store Decor tips and tricks! Let us know which one is your favorite and what treasures you are going to look for during your next thrift store stop.

Take Heart. Take Flight.

-Travel Patterns Team