How I decorate with vintage and second-hand decor

About 90 percent of items in our home are things I bought second-hand or picked up on the side of the road.  My favorite places to shop second-hand are consignment stores, yard sales, and estate sales.  

In today's post, I'm sharing my techniques on how to decorate with vintage and second-hand decor. You'll see how I pulled together vintage and second-hand items that I've collected over the years to update our dining room with a contemporary twist. 

I tend to be on the minimalist side when it comes to decorating with vintage and second-hand decor. Whenever I'm thinking about how I want to make a room pretty and function well I only buy items that I absolutely love paying attention to the material, detail, and history.  Scroll through to see how I decorated our dining room with vintage and second-hand decor.

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LIVING ENERGY

I love having plants having life in my space!  Seasonal flowers and plants styled alongside vintage and thrift decor bring pops of color, energy, and a happy vibe to the dining room.  The mint plant has a temporary home inside a thrift store egg basket.  Eventually, it will make its way outside to our tiny garden. 

SCULPTURAL DECOR

Sculptural pieces make a pretty statement when displayed in a home.  Position bundles of freshly cut flowers in a vintage vase to dress up a dining table. 

FUNCTIONAL AND PRETTY

This  American Federal-style velvet sofa does all the talking. Purchased at a consignment store I placed it a few feet from the table.  It extends the functionality of the dining area, which opens to the kitchen. The sofa provides extra seating and helps the space play the part of a sitting room and in the winter with the fire going its sort of the perfect setting for us. 

The second-hand dropleaf table next to the sofa functions as an end table as well as an extra table for drinks and snacks when opened.  The sofa faces the yard so it is the perfect place to sit and enjoy the view outside.  Occasionally I'll sit here with a glass of wine looking through design books while I have dinner cooking on the stove.  I really love having this extra seating in our dining area. You have to be willing to try things out and see if they work. And this works💙 for us.     

The new PILLOWS, OTTOMAN, and PHOTOGRAPH lend comfort and a contemporary feel to this space and to the sofa.  I styled the sofa with machine washable pillow covers from my SHOP.  I like to use Pillowflex Premium Inserts to make them full and luxurious.

ARTWORK

Check local consignment stores for artwork or purchase new artwork to hang on a wall.  The photograph behind the sofa is called Majestic and can be purchased BELOW.

 

MIX OLD AND NEW WITHIN THE SAME COLOR SCHEME

So it doesn't look like I put thrift store furniture and decor everywhere I selectively mix old and new furniture within the same color scheme. To achieve this technique combine thrift pieces with contemporary elements.  For example, I have new mid-century modern chairs styled with traditional second-hand pieces. I think combining the old with the new can create this really beautiful feel to a home and keep it from feeling dated to feeling fresh.  

Look for ways to combine the old with the new.  An easy way to do this is through textiles such as decorative pillows. The cotton pillow on the chair is designed by me and can be purchased at my PILLOW SHOP.

REFINISH WORN FURNITURE

The side table was in poor condition when I found it on the side of the road.  It is one of my lucky finds and my favorite furniture makeover. You can find the post HOW TO REMOVE WOOD VENEER FROM WOOD FURNITURE HERE.

We downsized from a large rectangular dining table to a small round one.  This table had a dated laminate orange finish and was quite worn when my husband found it on the side of the road. I refinished it and purchased newly upholstered dining chairs from Wayfair. I wrote a blog post about how to paint a laminate tabletop to withstand spills.  Please check out this helpful post if you plan on refinishing your table.  

MIX DIFFERENT TEXTURES TO ADD INTEREST

The basket, the copper cauldron kettle pot, and the lamp were second-hand finds.  I intentionally kept the wall empty and used the pretty painted flower lamp as art.  The lampshade and ottoman were purchased new. 

DISPLAY COLLECTED ITEMS

I think styling a bookshelf is so much fun, but I actually don't style mine very often because it does take a while to get everything right.  When it comes time to style my shelves I use the technique of space and  I keep the elements cohesive. What I mean by this is I give the items on the shelf breathing room and I stick to the same theme. If you use these two techniques the shelves will go from feeling cluttered to a styled cohesive look. I used a mix of antiques, thrift store finds, and photographs.  I have an upcoming post about how I styled the shelves below. 

SHELF STYLING PAGE

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

In the center of the console table, I displayed two of my favorite pieces. These finishing touches of a woven egg basket and wood bowl are functional, simple, and pretty. 

I hope these simple techniques give you the inspiration to create a home filled with your personality that makes your heart feel good.  So dive in, get creative and go exploring, you just never know what you're going to find💙

xx,

Julie