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The Best Thrift Store Finds

As many of you guys know if you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, Katie B and I did some thrift store trolling while we were in Destin last week. Which is pretty much a tradition at this point (check out our past adventures here and here). We didn’t have our video camera on hand, but we snapped a junkload of photos for you guys. So without further ado, here are my finds – and you can see Katie’s over on her blog if you’d like.

I’ll lead with my favorites: these amazing woven twin-sized headboards. They were $29 each and I am COMPLETELY regretful that I left without them. Picture them painted white – or even soft blue or bold red. They’re almost quatrefoil-ish in shape (picture the bed going on the bottom to complete the four-things-jutting-out shape), and I lurv-lurv-lurv them. Not only was there no room in the car for them, we have daybeds (two of ’em) so I just couldn’t convince myself they were meant for our house. In my mind, they’re the ones that got away though. Single tear. I hope someone takes them home and pets them every night.

Bamboo Headboards

I thought this wicker based table was kind of cool, and although I wasn’t crazy about the rounded-square glass shape, couldn’t you see it with a large round wood top instead? Maybe all painted charcoal like a pedestal table with extra texture in the base?

Rattan Table

These two frames were $2.99 and although they’re looking pretty gilded, I thought with some paint on those frames (white, black, yellow, emerald… anything really) and some new fabric inside of them, they could be really fun for a frame collage (it’s nice to break up a lot of squares and rectangles with a few curvier shapes). The little dudes inside of them could even be fun if they were painted and added back into the mix, but they also could be removed completely so the new fabric could be the star.

Face Frames

This leggy wooden side table was $29, which isn’t cheap but it’s also solid wood so I think it could be sanded down and oiled/stained or even painted (cottage red? crisp white? soft gray?) and used as a bedside table or an end table in a living room. You could even slip a woven basket underneath it for added storage.

Wood Side Table

There were four of these guys for $19 each I think – and although they look a little bland right now (they remind me of oatmeal) I think some glossy white or black paint on the chair part with a new seat cushion (maybe an ikat or a chic little polka dot?) would completely change them. Here’s another color/fabric idea. And of course there are these. The nice thing about chairs like this is that the seats are so easy to remove, both for easier chair-spray-painting and for a simple staple-gun-upholstery-session.

Rattan Chair

How cool would this sold wood three-drawer dresser look with a treatment like this or this or this? Just picture it stenciled, stained, hand-painted, or even nail-head studded with new hardware. Me-ow right? Or perhaps you’re more of a wood purist who’d rather forgo those detailed designs? I could also see this stained a rich brown color (or even scrubbed with vinegar and water to weather it a la Restoration Hardware items). Add some cool knobs (I keep picturing bright white faceted ones for some reason) and you’re golden. It was $59, so it wasn’t dirt cheap, but it was solid wood and around the same price of a not-solid-wood dresser from Ikea.

Wood Dresser

These chairs were $15 each (there were four of them) and I didn’t mind them as-is (the medium wood was nice, and the bold cushions were in good shape) but they’d also be easy to paint/stain and recover for a completely new look. I could see them painted in a soft platinum color with a navy velvet seat. I know. I’m fancy.

Blue Chairs

This little green light was another find that reminded me of something from Pottery Barn kids, and at $6 it was a lot cheaper. I prefer to buy newer-looking lights secondhand unless I’m going to rewire them (or pay to get them rewired by a pro) since older lamps can have weathered/faulty wiring which can result in scary things like shortages or fires.

Green Lamp

There were tons of textile finds as well, which can scare some people, but running them through the wash on high heat or the sanitary setting (even with some bleach if you’re extra nervous) can clean secondhand clothes, sheets, tablecloths, etc. Gotta make Macklemore proud. So I never shy away from the idea of giving them a new home if you see something you love. This high contrast chevron-ish comforter was queen sized and $19. I could even see someone buying it just for the fabric… you could cut it up and make pillows, curtains, roman shades, etc. And it would break down to being around three bucks a yard.

Chevron Comforter

This twin sized Ikea duvet was going for $5.99. Once again it would be awesome to use for the fabric (a little red-heart table runner with matching napkins would be cute for V-day) or you could just toss it on a twin sized bed and call it good.

Ikea Heart Duvet

There were also a lot of lace tablecloths, which I pictured dying for a more modern look. How cool would a blue ombre pattern be? Or even just a solid emerald or plum. You can also use lace as a “stencil” (lay it over an old table and spray paint over it, then remove it to see that cool lace pattern translated onto the table).

Lace Tablecloths

This polka dot twin sheet set had me at hello. It reminded me of the sets that places like Pottery Barn and Serena & Lilly sell, and it was 100% cotton (which is always something I look for in sheets). At $7 for the set, I was sold. These babies came home with me and are already on Clara’s daybed. There’s not much the girl loves more than polka dots these days, so she’s just as smitten as I am.

Polka Dot Sheets2

This is just a crazy picture of me displaying my sheet set like Vanna White.

Polka Dot Curtains

Duck!

Duck Hanging

That was $1.99 and very enticing, but somehow I held it together and left him behind. I think my ceramic animal count might be in the double digits, so I thought it best to leave Mister Mallard for someone else.

Oh and don’t forget to check out books at thrift stores! This one was $3.99 and giant (the picture doesn’t do it justice – it was easily 18″ tall).

Hotel Book Front

It had gorgeous color photos that could be cut out/blown up/framed and also would just be pretty on a coffee table or console (either closed with some other books stacked on top, or open to a pretty page. I’d switch the page every week or so, just to keep it spicy. I know you guys, I’m a wild woman.

Hotel Book

So there you have it, my thrifty finds. In the end I only popped one tag (those cute polka dot sheets) but the thrill of the hunt is the best part. Plus John would have had my head if I came back with ten bags of stuff to cram into the car for the drive home. #carpackingtyrant

What are you guys hunting for these days? Any thrift store scores going on in your neck of the woods? Do you ever go second-hand hunting on vacation? I’m a fan.

Comments

  1. cd says

    I think the whole point of getting the guys in the frames is to keep the guys in the frames.

    Also – one might be a girl? It looks a little Athena-like on the left. And maybe Nike or Hermes on the right?

    Reply

  2. kb says

    those headboards are TO DIE. would be so so so amazing in a guest bedroom at a beach cottage or a little kids shared room–or in my room!!

    Reply

  4. Kaci says

    Dude seriously?! This post makes me want to move – Lake Charles, LA is a thrift store VACUUM! No joke, they just closed the 2 Goodwills AND the Salvation Army. I almost cried. The boyfriend was confused. But look at all the awesome stuff you can find! I don’t know how I managed to move to the one town in America that hasn’t jumped on the DIY/thrifting wagon. ok. rant over.

    Reply

  5. Gwen, The Makerista says

    I love these posts! It’s always fun to see what others find. Those headboards are amazing! I’m glad you mentioned the bedding section. It’s something I usually skip over, but have often thought “if I wash it it would be ok.” I’ll remember to check it out the next time I go!

    Reply

  6. Diane says

    My favorite thing at thrift stores is buying pretty plates and picking up heavy duty but pretty platters. I love switching them around and the platters actually come in very handy. I also quilt so one of my favorite things is to find the local quilt shop and see what different area’s are working on.

    Reply

  7. Kimberly @ Turning It Home says

    Those headboards! If I lived closer to Destin I’d be heading there right now. I also love checking out thrift stores when I’m in a new town, but my husband thinks I’m crazy for it… one day he’ll understand the greatness of it. For now, I just share my monthly thrift store finds on my blog (http://www.turningithome.com/search/label/Thrift%20Store%20Finds), instead of tiring my husband with the info.. haha! My favorite thrifty find so far has been a vintage fan at an estate state for $5… don’t tell but I may have drooled.

    Reply

  8. annie @ anniehearts says

    I totally enjoyed that! How I love thrift shopping!

    You have some serious discipline for walking with only the sheets (SO cute). If I had an ounce of your will, my husband wouldn’t become apoplectic once a week when I come home from the thrift store.

    Speaking of which, it’s thrifty thursday over at anniehearts.com, so come over and visit!
    :shameless plug:

    Annie XO

    Reply

  9. Wendy @ New Moms Talk says

    We’re moving from UT to WA today, so what did we do the last 2 days when everything was boxed? Thrift shop!

    We found a Revere pot and 2 gorgeous old Pyrex dishes all for $1 a piece. We also picked up a few mud kitchen items (copper salt/pepper shaker and a cup for 25 cents each).

    In fact, I have a box that is labeled “Last DI (Deseret Industries aka thrift store) purchases” because I didn’t know where else to pack the stuff!

    Reply

  10. Dine says

    I love going to thrift stores and finding pretty plates big and small and heavy duty platters with pretty patterns. I use the plates for decoration and for serving and the platters always come in handy. I also quilt so I love finding the local quilt store and see what’s new in different area’s.

    Reply

  11. mp says

    Girl, I’d have tied those woven headboards to the roof and made John drive slowly! I did that when I bought a Billy bookcase at IKEA shortly after it opened.

    And I agree with you about the fabrics. My washer has a pre-soak cycle, which gives the items a nice long soak in addition to a good wash. It’s my go-to setting, given that I have six little Burgers running around the Chihuahua Ranch. I’d have snapped up that chevron comforter, dumped it in the washer on pre-soak with hot water and a good dose of Method or Mrs Meyers, and after a tumble in the dryer it’d be set to go!

    Reply

  12. Amanda T. says

    Oh man! I love all these finds! I can totally see that dresser in a soft mint or yellow with some fancy knobs. And those headboards are amazing!!

    Reply

  13. lauren says

    Our dining table looks a lot like that wicker / glass one! It’s awesome for a small space, because the glass top makes it look way less bulky.

    Reply

  14. Diana Buchanan says

    I totally agree with you on the headboards. Those are so great! I’ll add my single tear to your single tear…

    And that chevron comforter was kind of awesome. That would have been my ticket item!

    I realllllly need to get out and do some thrifting around town. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  16. Andrea says

    I love the dresser (it’d be perfect in my entry way, or a s a new tv stand with storage), and the chairs with the blue fabric. I’ve convinced my husband to let me make a new dining room table (in exchange he gets the miter saw he’s been eyeing so it’s a win-win for me!) those chairs would have worked nicely since our current chairs are counter height.

    I find lots of things at the Habitat ReStore, but very few of them can fit inside my car…so I know that feeling of loss as you walked away from the Mr. Mallard.

    Reply

  17. Pam B says

    I’ve never been big on thrift-store shopping, probably because the one thrift store we have in our town is awfully grody. I have looked there occasionally with my adult children to see if we couldn’t find some furniture to go in their first apartments, but everything was so dirty it was gross. Wish we could find stuff that was in good enough shape to DIY. You make it sound so satisfying!

    Just an FYI, that duck is a Pekin, not a mallard. Take it from a 4H Mom who has sat through many sessions of duck judging at the County Fair… ;-)

    Reply

  18. Caroline W says

    Your definition of overpriced/expensive is way different from mine! Of course, all I do is junk for old pieces so I don’t usually compare them to knock-offs or newer pieces either. In any case, I want to visit Richmond!

    $29 for that table was a STEAL as was $59 for that chest of drawers. In our Goodwill, that chest would have been at least $75…maybe even more.

    Reply

  19. Tirsa says

    Great finds! I go to thrift stores very seldom and have yet to get lucky. I’m not giving up though. I’m trying to keep an open mind. :)

    Reply

  20. Eris says

    So funny. I definitely have one of those ducks in my kitchen from the 50s. I think he’ll be coming down when we finally get around to renovating the kitchen. He can be yours for free :)

    P.S. We love Destin. We go every year!

    Reply

  22. Hilary says

    My sister has those exact same sheets! We just moved so I haven’t ventured out to any thrift stores yet, but I always look for little tikes toys for my son. I found a slide for $10 once!

    Reply

  23. Jennifer says

    This may sound weird, but my family goes to library book sales & 2nd hand bookstores on vacation instead of furniture thrift stores. We’ve found some good books that way, for less!

    Reply

  24. Annette says

    Dude! Those twin headboards would look amazeballs side-by-side behind my king sized bed! Too bad I would make up for the cheap factor by travelling from Cali to retrieve them…

    Reply

  25. L. Curran says

    Omg That Duck! How did you walk away! The strength you have lady! :) … I have a very similar pig that I walked away from then went running back… oh the lure of treasure…hehehe ;)

    Reply

  27. Mary Beth says

    OMG you guys that three drawer dresser is BEGGING to be turned into a bathroom vanity!!! It even has the wooden lip at the back… just drop in a sink and you’re done – gorgeous!!!!

    Reply

  32. Jen says

    OMG the Roman wall plaques…obsessed! The green is ugly, but on a different color fabric – be still, my heart.

    Reply

  33. Beth says

    I love me some good thriftin’ fun! In fact, since Thursdays are the big garage saling day around here, I’ll be garage saling over my lunch today. I actually like to garage sale (as well as thrift shop) when on vacation- last saturday I saw a sign when heading to a wedding so I pulled over (luckily I had 15 minutes to kill anyway). It’s like eating in a local dive instead of a chain when on vacation- you really sink into the community & feel like a local.

    Sad to say, I don’t love those headboards- the part I do like is the bottom corners where the ripple effect begins, and that part would be covered by the mattress. Something about the top looks too much like cleavage to me.

    Reply

  34. Theresa says

    This makes me want to go thrift shopping SO badly! I LOVE those headboards, I imagine them in a little summer cottage by the beach or lake. So cute.

    Reply

  35. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    I really liked the tall backed chairs with the blue and white seat cushions. We are well overdue for a road trip. Recently Michael said something so out of character that I put my wrist to his forehead to see if he had a fever. We were driving home from Orlando and passed a whole slew of cute little thrift shops and I said I would love to do a thrift store day and would you believe it he said “Yeah that would be fun!” …………the FL sun has finally penetrated his skull into submission and in my favor. Yay! :o)

    My best, Lynn

    Reply

  36. Nicole says

    For some reason I really feel the need to clarify what “popping tags” actually means. It means to change the price from what the store has placed onto it to another, cheaper, price. Essentially ripping them off. Hate to be nit picky but I actually work at a thrift store (and it’s awesome!) but when people “pop tags” in real life it doesn’t make me want to sing a catchy tune!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Nicole! I’ve heard that but have also heard that it just means “going shopping” since when you buy something and rip the tag off it makes that popping sound. I definitely don’t mean that I went into Goodwill and switched a bunch of tags around!

      xo
      s

    • Jennie says

      Yes! It definitely also means “buying stuff.” Usually buying stuff you don’t need, haha. It can mean both … depends how you use it! So, both ways are “correct.”

    • Larissa says

      Maybe Macklemore will chime in with his definition for us? After all that free press he got from the Macklemore challenge I’m sure he’s an avid YHL reader! (I totally downloaded his entire album after learning about him from your post.)

  37. Amy K says

    Great inspiration! I love the variety of posts you guys have…this is such a great way to think of things differently and give a new angle to your process. Keep doing what you do!
    I’ve gotta go thrift shoppin!

    xoxo

    Reply

  38. Liz says

    Okay, I have a confession to make… I have never bought one thing from a thrift store (and I’ve only ever been in two my entire life).

    A lot of my friends/family think this is shocking, but whenever I read your thrift store posts it makes me want to go to Goodwill to look for furniture! I just have to get over my mental block (I know I’m strange). haha :)

    Reply

  43. Bethany says

    I’m new to sewing and have recently discovered buying old bedsets & sheets for material. We have 99 cent days and it saves so much money! Plus I like to think that I’m helping out the environment by re-using, even if it’s just in this small way. :)

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      I love doing this, too! Especially with vintage sheets…you can find some with amazing prints!

  44. Andrea says

    Not cheap? Did you try thrifting in Alaska? Ahhhhhhh! Those are all dirt cheap. Take everything in there and times it by 2 or 3 and that is what you would pay – yes at THRIFT here. Sigh! My blue eyes turned green.

    Reply

  45. Elise says

    I always thrift with my Mom when I’m back in my hometown. One store was having “bag day” – $5 for a sack and whatever you can fit in it! There was a beautiful bridal veil that I had to get (even though I’m already married). I made my father model it and put the photo on FB. He was the prettiest blushing bride ever.

    Reply

  46. Avigail says

    I used to have that Ikea heart duvet and everyone would comment that they looked like testicles…it was hilarious! I forgot all about that until seeing your picture.

    Reply

  47. Charlotte says

    A friend of mine had a vintage (50’s) family box fan. She loved the style. One night she was awakened by a smoke alarm. The fan had caught on fire, even though she recently had a repair person to put on a new electrical cord. Be careful with old mechanical appliances.

    Reply

  48. Lindsay says

    I adore your idea of picking up slightly used textiles, I frequently skip that section and now I’m going to dive back in! We ALWAYS thrift whilst on vacay, because how fun is it to go through a bunch of old, cool stuff? In Germany I found so many awesome pieces and a thrift shop and for pennies to what was sold in the main drags! Now we are living in Hawaii and I just found the coolest little Chinese chest. The Asian influence here is HUGE and is filling up my home!!

    Reply

  49. Carly says

    I love all of the finds. I always forget about Goodwill.

    On a semi-related note. How did you pack for 3 people plus Burger for almost 2 weeks away? And with entertainment for Clara in the car? Where does she sleep when out of town? Stroller? Help!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      She’s still in a pack & play, so we bring that and her stroller along with Burger’s crate. Other than that it’s just snacks and toys for the car in a bag that I keep up front to hand back and clothes in a suitcase in the back. We like to travel as light as possible since we have complicated-ish things like a dog crate to deal with :)

      xo
      s

  50. Katie K says

    I so wish I could get that duck! My 1.5 year old son is in love with ducks, and I can just envision him patting it and saying “duk! duk! hi, duk!” Depending on how sturdy it is, I would use it as a backpack hook!

    Reply

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