I’ve shared a lot of painted furniture ideas and thrifty makeovers here. But until now, I haven’t talked much about why I choose to decorate with thrift store and flea market finds, and why I think it’s a good idea for you to do it too.
My definition of a “thrifted item” is anything you can find at a thrift store (like Goodwill), yard sale, flea market or antique store, or online places like Facebook Marketplace, Varagesale, Let it Go, and Offer Up. When my kids were little, we’d call it treasure hunting, because let’s face it, that just sounds way more exciting.
Five Good Reasons to Decorate with Thrift Store and Flea Market Finds
1. You Can Save a Lot of Money
Let’s face it, decorating an entire home can be really, really expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.
I’m gonna go ahead and assume that we agree that being on a budget is a good idea, right? That whether we have an unlimited amount of money to spend (don’t we all wish), or you’re barley just getting by, being smart where you spend your money is just wisdom.
You can score some real treasures at thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets.
My daughter is a recent college graduate (yay!!) and living in her first apartment. She doesn’t have the budget to go and purchase everything new for her space, but she does want it to feel comfy. We’ve taken the weekends, and evenings when we have time, and shopped Goodwill, yard sales, and even Facebook Marketplace.
Of course we haven’t found everything all at one time that she’s needed, but piece by piece it’s coming together, at a fraction of the cost if we were to purchase everything brand new.
Her dining table was $40 at a garage sale here in Tennessee, and the four chairs were all on sale at Goodwill, none of them being over $5 a piece. We painted the chairs for her, and recovered them in a mix and match style, and she loves it.
Her mid-century desk is another great find that we made over to suit her style.
My son’s lockers were FREE from our church, all we had to do was haul the super heavy things away. My husband was really happy about it, ha! But a good paint job, and they’re still looking good 2 years and one 400 mile move away.
2. You Can Make a Unique Statement
You have the freedom to choose whatever design style you’d like. When you shop at thrift store and flea markets, you have the opportunity to find one of a kind pieces to compliment your style and taste. Paint is your friend when you find just the right piece, but it’s in the wrong color.
I paint a lot of my furniture, like this farmhouse style curio cabinet, to go with my decor style. Someone might have a cabinet similar or exactly the same as mine, but when I choose to put my own paint and style on it, it makes a statement like no one else.
Thrift stores and flea markets are treasure troves full of interesting statement pieces, or items that you can repurpose and reuse creativity to make your mark.
In my post called “Tips for Creating a Farmhouse Style on a Budget” you can see how I took several small ordinary items, and made them over into unique and fun statement pieces that suit my style.
3. Trends Change and Your Style Will Too
When we moved into our home in Florida in 2007, the first thing I did was paint allll the walls. I’m not talking about the fresh crispy black, white, and duck egg blue that I love now. Nope, they were all Earth tones. Terra cotta, marigold yellow, greens, browns. And my wall art coordinated with it. You can see the colors I mean in my very old post “How to Recover Ugly Chairs“. The tutorial is still relevant, but oh boy, those colors though!
When I was so, so over those colors 10 years later, I didn’t feel bad about changing my style and colors, because I hadn’t spent a lot of money on my decor. What I did want to keep, I either worked into my new farmhouse style as it was, or I repainted or repurposed it.
For a while, I was on a “paint everything Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze” kick. Now it’s more like Duck Egg Blue everything, but as you can see, even small things like shades and hues can change. My post from 2013 about making over a frame into a funky deer silhouette is a good example of how quickly things change. Deer are still cool, but they’re not necessary super trendy any more.
Trends come and go. In another 10 years, I may love something totally different from the farmhouse style I like now. Or, maybe I’ll still like farmhouse style but in an entirely different way.
Imagine, it’s not really a new style. Way back, it wasn’t called “farmhouse style” it was “country” and it was full of mauve, magnolias, and geese.
You see where I’m going with this though right? Shopping flea markets & thrift stores enables you to change as you want without the guilt of spending a small fortune.
4. You’re Often Shopping Small & Supporting Local
I recently started a part-time job (my first time in 10 years working outside the home, but that’s a story for another time) at a place here in Tennessee called Farm Fresh Vintage Finds. We carry an assortment of antiques, vintage, hand-made, and also boutique items. When you shop here, you’re supporting a local family and small business.
Many flea markets, antique shops, vintage shops, and even some thrift stores are family owned and operated. Even if your thrift store isn’t family or locally owned, many are supportive of local charities.
And, think of the family that worked all week to get a garage sale set up in their front yard. There’s a satisfaction in knowing that you’re helping one of your neighbors when you shop small.
5. When You Spend Less On the Rest, You Can Splurge Occasionally Without Guilt
I’m not contradicting myself here, I promise, so hang with me. I’ve always taught my kids that when they shop smart, that helps them to save money on a larger, newer purchase.
Take clothing, for example. When you shop at a thrift, you can get four pairs of shorts for the price of one at a high-end retailer. But when you set a budget, shop smart, and save the money, then you can have enough to splurge on that expensive pair of jeans without feeling guilty.
The same concept goes for your home decor. While antique stores and flea markets are excellent places to find that absolutely perfect, one of a kind piece you might love, it might still be pricey. When you’ve shopped smart & saved, then you can spend without guilt.
*BONUS* Because it’s fun!
You’re probably here as a reader because you’re right there with me already, and you love the thrill of the hunt! Thrift store and flea market finds are your thing! We spend our weekends treasure hunting, and aren’t afraid to make a U-turn in the middle of the road to go back to a good looking yard sale. You’re able to see the beauty in someone else’s trash. That little table that might’ve gone to the garbage if it didn’t sell by noon, to you it looks like the perfect piece for the front porch.
I get it, I’m right there with you my friend. Would you agree that these are relevant and good reasons to decorate with thrifted items?
What advice would you give? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email, and let me know, and if it’s a good one I’ll share it with my readers.
