Like many people, I am on a budget so there are not too many dollars left over for home decorating. At the same time, I spend a lot of time in my apartment again because of budget issues. I do have a decent job but the majority of my money is going to paying off student loans.
Changing The Look
When you do your shopping at thrift stores what you see is what you get. Meaning that you are not going to have multiple selections of one particular item. Of course, you can choose to get a key item from Modern Digs or some other vendor to use as a central theme to help you with this as you go about mixing and matching shopping. For example, you see a beautiful peacock blue pillow, but there is not one that is matching. This means you now have to be innovative, but you do have some choices such as:
- Complement
Chances are there are some other pillows available. They may not be the same size or color. What you can do is pick a complementary color to go with the peacock blue one that you like. A nice cream color would look great with this.
- A Makeover
If there isn’t a color that would go with the blue then check out the drapery and curtain section of the thrift store. Here you may find a perfect color. You can then buy any one of the other pillows and give it a new cover with the drapery material. With what material is left over to you can put it to other good uses. For example, you could make a cover for your coffee table that would now match your pillows.
Shelving
Bookcases can be expensive even if they are available at a thrift store. But shelving usually isn’t. There are no worries about finding matching shelves. What I do with these is buy the wood ones then refinish them to match. They are not usually the same style so I use matching hardware such as brackets to give them something in common. I find that using different styles and sizes adds character to the rooms I use them in. I have several of these mounted on my walls and they are perfect for holding my collection of books. I use one shelf for each category of books which allows me to be super organized. Much better than I would be if I were using a traditional bookshelf.
Use Your Imagination
One of the keys to decorating with thrift store finds is to use your imagination. Whenever you come across a great item think about how it could be repurposed for something else that you need. For example, how could you convert a really neat trash can into something purposeful? Maybe you need a new laundry basket that doesn’t take up as much room as the traditional style? You could use the trash can for this purpose. You could identify it as the new laundry basket just by putting some decals on it. This is just an example of how to think outside the box when it comes to thrift store finds.
Don’t Get Carried Away
A common mistake that can be made with thrift store shopping is to go overboard. It is hard not to take advantage of such cheap prices. What can happen is you buy so many things and your home dcor becomes a cluttered mess, or you buy something you do not need. You really need to restrain yourself and only buy those items first that are going to have a specific purpose and secondly enhance your dcor with the use of accessories.
The best way to do this is to shop with intent. When you are going to go to a thrift store then do it with a goal in mind. You are going with the purpose of buying something specific. There is no harm in finding something extra if you have a need for it.
Be Patient
You won’t always find what you are looking for when thrift store shopping. Unless there is an urgent need for an item then wait until you are able to get what you are looking for. If you don’t you end up with a lot of items that really don’t serve your purpose.
Shop Carefully
Even though you are getting a great bargain, there are some items that you just cannot re-purpose or restore. Have a plan in mind for the item you are buying.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
[…] looking to score a bargain and still get a great item, look out for mommy-focused swap groups or thrift stores with interesting items. While swap groups are great for textiles, clothes, and even some kinds of […]