We all have those items we naturally gravitate to while out shopping. If I’m clothes shopping you’ll always find me by the white T’s; at the grocery store there’s a pretty great chance that I’m either by the fresh flowers or the chip aisle; at the thrift store, you’ll find me with one (or all five) of the following items in my cart.
These are the kind of pieces you can pretty much always while out thrifting. At the thrift store on the weekend, I managed to pick up four out of five items!
01 | Brass Candlesticks
My collection of brass candlesticks has reached 15+ and grows every time I hit the thrift store. I have a wide variety of shapes, patterns and sizes. Grouped together they create a beautiful centrepiece for any occasion, theme or season! Simply adding a white taper candle (I always have these IKEA candles lying around) adds a touch of elegance that can be toned down for a rustic look or elevated for a glamourous vignette. I love bringing them out around the holidays!
02 | Old Apothecary Bottles
I can’t really claim this idea because my sister has always been obsessed with old apothecary bottles (Hey Bella!). There’s such a wide variety of shapes and sizes out there that no two are ever the same! I love arranging various sizes together to elevate the look of cheap grocery store flowers. They’re also great on nightstands with a single flower or a few sprigs of greenery!
03 | Vintage Hardcover Books
Want to know the secret to styling shelves? Vintage hardcover books. Picking out the right books is the most time-consuming part of thrifting but it always pays off. First, you need to scour the shelves for hardcovers, check to make sure the binding is beautiful with the dust cover off, and finally check the title of the book to make sure it isn’t anything outlandish — bonus points for gold foil and a pretty font! I love stacking them under a pretty plant or frame to fill up space on a lonely shelf. Try facing the spines inward for a more neutral look.
04 | Pink Depression Glass
I think we’ve pretty much established that I have a thing for the colour pink… My collection of dishes is slowly growing piece by piece and I’m waiting for the day that I have a free shelf to display them all. Each piece that I own is unique and beautiful, and I even love the slight colour discrepancies! I recently had some friends over for tea and I loved how all of the pieces looked together on my table. At some point last year, I stumbled upon a set of six pink teacups with matching saucers prices at $4 a set in my usual thrift store and I still regret not picking them all up. What was I thinking?!
05 | Ornate gold frames & mirrors
Gold mirrors are sometimes difficult to find due to their popularity. But every once in a while I stumble on something really beautiful. Last time I went thrifting I picked up a little gold frame for $1! It’s a 4×6 size and I think it would look lovely on a shelf or nightstand. I love the timeless look of black and white photos in gold frames.
Those are my top five! Easy to spot, usually only a couple of dollars apiece, these are definitely staples in my collection. If you’ve ever wanted to build up a little store of items to rotate around your home, you can easily pick up a couple of each item for under $30!
As much as I love big box stores like HomeSense and IKEA, the items I pick up at thrift stores always mean so much more to me. I can usually remember when I found them, who I was with and even the bargain I scored! I find they add authenticity to my home that wouldn’t be possible from a mass-produced item. Plus, the experience of wandering around a musty store is very soothing to me and I always walk home with a few special treasures.
