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Today is the day I plan to make good on my promise to post a Thrifted Home Tour to feature examples of thrifted home décor throughout my house. Some of the stuff in the photos I’m just ‘trying out’ for the Little Big shop and you’ll see it in Etsy soon. Anthony’s convinced I’m going to get too attached and not be able to let some of it go, but he’s wrong! I, uh, just haven’t gotten around to listing it yet. Yeah.

Anyway, I think thrifting is far and away the best way to decorate a house. As I mentioned earlier, it’s kind to the environment, creative and unique, and often times much less expensive. Trolling thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets is a hobby and obsession of mine. Over the years I’ve found enough goodies to decorate my entire house and then some. Let’s start the tour off with the bedroom, shall we?

First off I must apologize for the quality of these photos. Our master bedroom gets fabulous light from about five o’clock to seven o’clock May through June. The rest of the year it’s as bright as cave. I cranked the ISO way up so the pictures would at least turn out, but the sacrifice is quality.

Here we have our bed decked out with vintage pillows and linens. Finding thrifted linens that you like, in good condition, the proper size for your bed, and at an affordable price is a challenge. I will let you in on a little bedding secret, though: if you drool over the fancy crocheted and knitted blankets on etsy, but can’t afford the price tag, you’re not out of luck. Lots of people undervalue their grandma’s knitted Afghans and crocheted throws. Instead of keeping them they take them to Goodwill. A gorgeous blanket that would cost upwards of a hundred dollars on etsy will cost you far less in a thrift store. Lucky you for finding an under-appreciated blanket!  Now, I’m not advocating not shopping at etsy, on the contrary, I fully support the goods of handmade artisans. I just can’t always afford them.

I’m particularly happy with how my bedside table is looking these days. I frequent a Catholic thrift store run by the nicest volunteers. When I came upon this Madonna-esque picture Isobel was still a newborn and it pulled at my heart strings. I know it’s meant as religious art, but each time I look at the lovely blue illustration I just think of that sweet feeling of Isobel resting her tiny head on me. The candle holders were a thrilling score and the vintage peacock perfume holder? Icing on the cake.

Anthony’s side of the bed is less thrifted-oriented, featuring a giant d20, a vase my friend Jenn gave me ages ago, and a thrifted copy of Stranger in a Strange Land that Anthony has finished reading by now.

I spent many, many hours in this thrifted chair, nursing and rocking Isobel and looking out the window while I waited for sleep. In fact, looking at that chair is making me kind of sleepy. The Afghan is from my grandma (appreciated!), the bird’s nest wreath was from the dollar store, and the needlework owls and vintage candle holder I just adore. The magazine holder and throws are thrifted.

Next to the bed sits a very old thrifted garbage can from the 60s and a set of vintage suitcases. I used them recently on our trip to Santa Cruz but I love the way they look so I leave them out to enjoy. Our crappy dresser from Target is next to the suitcases. I really don’t like it but I haven’t found anything better while thrifting yet.

Above the dresser is an adorable thrifted pair of needlework mushrooms (heart!) and vintage plastic floral wall décor that I just love. I really feel like I’m not done with this wall yet, but I’m okay leaving it like this till I find the perfect treasure.

I’m quite proud of the arrangement on top of the dresser. Just about everything is thrifted. I miraculously found two vintage milk glass initial mugs with Anthony’s and my initials on them and put them on a monkey pod wooden tray. I added delicate silver shamrock dishes (I usually set my wedding ring or nose ring in them), a vintage frame with an enlarged photobooth photo, and two vintage glass jars. One jar contains a lock of Isobel’s infant hair and one holds treasures from some of my favorite places: shells, acorns, rocks, bits of driftwood. The non-thrifted parts are the DND scrabble pin I bought Anthony off of etsy and the Librarian pin that I wear when I want to feel fancy.

Next to the wooden tray I have one of my most prized thrifted finds: carved agate mushroom bookends. When I found them I died and went to heaven. For reals.

On the other side of the bed I have a large wooden trunk that I inherited from my Nana. It’s still mostly full of family memorabilia. On top of that I have a vintage shopping basket stacked with yarn (some of it thrifted! I took advantage of someone’s de-stashing efforts), a thrifted silver tray, silver Indian bowl, vintage brass pitcher, thrifted silver frame with disgruntled baby Isobel photo, and some miniature silver Viking ships that were my Grandma’s. If there’s one thing I learned from taking photos of my house it’s that I have a slight Viking theme that I was previously unaware of.

The striking black and white sails painting was picked up for five dollars and the framed marigold painting cost ten. The silver cat silhouette was originally a weird yellow color and housed a painting of a duck. I spray-painted the frame silver and created this silhouette of a photo of my beloved Tinkerbell in Photoshop. She used to be the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning. Now she still is. The metal green lamp in the corner? Thrifted for thirty bucks. I may have started babbling with joy when I found it.

The only other thing I really have out in the room is a large mirror that used to belong to a dresser but functions perfectly for me as a stand-alone mirror. I keep a lot of stuff in my closet and bathroom that I will show later. I really hope that more people discover the joy of thrifted décor and if you have any questions, please add them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

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