How to Thrift for Home Decor Like a Pro
As someone who loves creating a cozy home on a budget, I’ve found that thrifting is one of my favorite ways to find unique pieces with character. To me, there’s nothing better than when someone asks where I found a piece, and I tell them, “I thrifted it!” If you’re new to thrifting, grab a cup of tea, and I’ll show you how to thrift for home decor like a pro!
How to Thrift for Home Decor Like a Pro
In a world of fast decor and endless online shopping, it can be easy for homes to start looking the same. Thrifting is one of my favorite ways to create a home that feels collected, personal, and full of character. Not only is it a more sustainable way to decorate, but it’s also a lot more fun. When I go thrifting, I always have a specific idea of what I’m searching for, a thrift wishlist, if you will, but you never know what you’ll find! As I tell my husband, it’s the thrill of the hunt!
Nothing beats waking up on a weekend morning, grabbing coffee, and discovering what treasures await. Let’s dive into my top tips and tricks.
Thrift as Often as You Can
This might sound a bit crazy, but the people who find the best stuff are always at the thrift store. My local thrift shops constantly bring out new pieces. There have been times I visited the thrift store near my son’s school every day before picking him up, and I kept finding piece after piece. It was amazing and made the quick visit so worth it!
See an Item for Its Potential
Sometimes, pieces at the thrift are in rough shape. Whether it’s a piece of furniture that needs refinishing, silver needs polishing, or a piece of decor needs some rub-n-buff or spray paint. Being able to see an item’s potential is key to thrifting like a pro.
I’m not advocating purchasing pieces that are outside your scope of fixing, but if a little TLC is all that something needs, I say go for it.
Know Your Measurements
Most thrift stores are final sale. If you find a piece of furniture that you think might work without knowing your measurements that your space needs, you might have lost out on some money. I recommend keeping a note in your phone’s note app, including dimensions of spaces you are thrifting for. For example, I have a wall in my dining room that I am looking for an old hutch for. I have overall wall dimensions as well as the dimensions of the current piece of furniture I am trying to replace. This way, I have a rough idea of what will fit in that space.
This stops me from buying items that are either too big or too small for my space!
Get to Know Your Local Thrift Stores
We all know about the larger thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army, but many smaller thrift shops can sometimes have better items. I’ve noticed that some donors prefer to donate their items to smaller thrift stores that align with their missions, whether that’s a charity organization or a church. Even small mom-and-pop thrift shops often have great finds. You never know until you go.
Take the time to get to know the employees or volunteers at smaller thrift stores. You never know the relationships you can develop or the information you might learn about stocking or certain sales. It’s always worthwhile to connect with people.
Create Your Thrift Wish List
Creating my thrift wish list has helped me figure out what I am looking for more often than not. I love to screenshot pieces I see online to look for and have created a whole album in my phone of items I want to find. This keeps me from buying things on a whim (which I still do, definitely!) and helps me stay focused before going thrifting. I highly recommend doing this and looking at it in the car right before you go into the store!
Do a Quality Check
This one goes without saying, but make sure you thoroughly inspect anything you buy! Make sure there’s nothing funky growing inside and that there are no hidden chips or cracks. I will even use my phone’s flashlight to look things over. There’s nothing worse than buying something that is broken, and from my experience, there are often broken pieces at the thrift.
Ready to Go Thrifting?
At the end of the day, thrifting is one of my favorite ways to make a home feel layered, personal, and cozy without spending a fortune. It takes a little patience, but that is part of the fun. You never know when you are about to stumble across the piece that makes a room feel just right.
If you are new to thrifting, I hope this post gives you the confidence to get out there and start hunting. And if you are already a fellow thrift lover, I’d love to know your favorite thing to look for when you shop.
