Homes & Gardens: 5 Things to Swap for Thrifted Pieces

5 things in your home you should swap for thrifted pieces right now, according to designers.

What to look out for on your next trip to the thrift store.

Featured in Homes & Gardens | Article by Emily Moorman

Image credit: Vaughan Interiors, Grey Hunt Interiors, Knight Varga Interiors

There is a certain thrill that comes from finding a piece you love in a thrift store. It's that feeling of finding the treasure, hitting the jackpot, and walking away with the one and only version.

Shopping in regular stores is weighed down with decisions – which color option, which size, which fabric, which frame, etc. But when buying from a thrift store, there is only one choice – either you love it or you don't – and by removing the potential of 'would the larger size be better?' or 'maybe the yellow would be more fun' it's arguably easier to see one piece, fall in love and buy it. And if you don't grab it now, you may never, ever find it again.

Decorative Books

Decorating with books can add a real sense of homeliness and warmth to a room, and with the trend of bookshelf wealth that's taken this year by storm, it's no wonder more of us than ever are looking to use books as decor.

'Thrift stores are often full of hardcover books. We look for the color of the spine to blend into the decor, and then look at the title of the book,' says Trish Varga at Knight Varga Interiors. 'We are known to sneak some funny topics into unsuspecting shelves. For us, we look for white, black, grey, and taupe but there are lots of colorful options as well.'

But, not everything in your home is best bought from a thrift store. Items which generally take a lot of wear and tear are best bought fresh and new. So what pieces should you look out for in thrift stores? We've spoken to some top interior designers who love decorating with vintage, to find out what they would swap for thrifted pieces, and why.