There's something delightful about walking into your favorite antique shop, especially if you have birthday money & specific items in mind! Maybe it's a perfectly worn oil painting tucked behind a stack of old frames. Maybe it's a lamp with a good shape just waiting for a fresh shade. Or maybe it's that one piece you didn't know you needed until you saw it & knew it belonged in your home. Since we moved last summer, I've been doing this kind of shopping in antique shops and on FB Marketplace (MP). And, no surprise, it's been one of my favorite parts of the whole process! It's very satisfying to fill your home slowly, piece by piece, with things that have a story. Things that feel collected and intentional. Today I'm sharing some of the finds we've brought home, and I hope you get some ideas for your home as well.
Why Thrift and Antique
First, there's the uniqueness. And I think there's something beautiful about giving old things new life. Plus, homes that are collected over time just feel different. There's a warmth to them. A sense that they're lived in and loved.
Here's my approach now. I start at home. I walk through the house and really look at what's working and what isn't. Where do I need better lighting? What corners feel empty, or gloomy? Is there a functional gap, like needing a nightstand or bookends? A simple list of real needs is very helpful before setting foot in a shop.
Styling New Finds
Over the last ten months, several new pieces have found their way into our new home. It takes time to decorate any home this way, and when you move, it's not quite like starting over because we had a good base to pull from. But, as I've discovered, some furniture pieces don't fit, different ones are needed, etc. It's been fun and interesting to step into decorating a new home!
Artwork ~ of course...
This lovely harbor painting was discovered on an antiquing trip with Matt. I was specifically looking for larger-scale paintings as they have much more impact than many smaller pieces. The blues, greys, and calm water with boats were perfect since they fit our home color palette, Matt's favorite color is blue, and he likes ships. This corner of the living room has many elements I love: dark-finished antiques, blue-and-white chinoiserie/transferware, and the high-back English loveseat.
The large painting behind the brass lamp I sourced from Etsy. Images with water are serene, and the canal boat adds some European interest. Plus, the scale and vertical orientation were perfect for this wall space. Then, as I was browsing MP, this pair of English lithographs popped up. I loved the scenes, the colors and the framing/matting was something that didn't need changing right away.
From experience, I've learned that unless thrifted, lithographs are expensive. I was intrigued by this pair and looked them up online. Nothing came up for the scene with the church, but "The Village Elms" with the ladies walking to market came up on eBay and Etsy, ranging in price from $300 to nearly $400. What a blessing to get two large lithos for $40!
Dishes.
On one antiquing trip with Matt & his Mom, she and I visited a booth with lots of blue transferware. The platter at the right end of the second row was a result of that trip and was only $30! Good price and wonderful memories.
This little leaf dish was such an easy decision! I didn't have anything like it, but I love botanicals (anything that helps blend the indoors with the outdoors), and it was in our home color palette. Plus, it was small and would fit many places, and was only $10!
Furniture
Furniture is usually the biggest ticket item, and can be the trickiest to find for specific needs/places. In our previous home, we added this handsome antique Eastlake chest of drawers when doing our master bedroom refresh. I love using more substantial pieces of furniture as bedside tables for three reasons.
- They are usually taller and fit the scale of the bed better.
- They provide more storage inside as well as more surface area for books, lamps, a box of tissues, and a cup of tea, etc.
- They provide more of a statement to further express your design style.
That being said, I wanted to find something similar for the other side of the bed. As I searched on MP and in antique shops, several options came up, but nothing under $350. Until...
This antique Eastlake chest of drawers with a marble top & a matching side table appeared on MP for $125 - that's $62.50 each! The chest of drawers does need some repair, but it's nothing we can't figure out, especially at that price. I also like the fact that they don't match, but are from the same era and style. Thank you for shopping and styling with me today. I hope you were inspired by some of these ideas for your home!
Warmly,
Rachel
