Whether your home decorating style is farmhouse or modern, traditional or cottage, you can create a beautiful and unique look by shopping at thrift stores and flea markets. 

Thrifting home decor is a great way to decorate on a budget. Sometimes though, it can be hard to know how to style thrifted home decor. (This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases as no additional cost to you.)

I’ve been shopping thrift stores all of my adult life.  From clothing to housewares, decor to furniture, it’s the thrill of the hunt because you never know what you are going to find on any given day.  Today I want to talk specifically about decorating with thrift store decor and give you ideas for how to incorporate thrifted pieces into your home.

How to Style Thrifted Home Decor

Look for Quality Original Paintings in Frames

Larger, statement pieces don’t need a lot of accessories to make them pop.  While finding the perfect subject matter in an original piece can be tough, the paintings we’ve added are special because no one else has them.  As a painter myself, I can also appreciate the time it took to create the art and the investment they made in beautifully framing their art.

Look for Professionally Framed Prints

Framed prints are another great option and can often be found for just a few dollars.  This one, hung beneath our brass walls sconce is of a scene in Charleston and is a daily reminder of the trip B and I took last year and of the city that we both fell absolutely in love with during our visit.  

This and others were professionally framed with quality materials and help elevate the room quite a bit.

Find unique ways to hang or display personal collections

When my Dad was sick last year, on one of my stays in the hospital, B hung my collection of enamelware around the door between the kitchen and our pantry.  While not exactly what I would have done, it admittedly adds some personality to our kitchen and these old enamel pieces remind me of my grandmother, someone that has influenced so much of my life.

Think outside the box

Also in our kitchen is this collection of vintage metal baking pans and jelly molds that I’ve styled like old sconces.  Not my original idea, I actually saw it in a vintage Martha Stewart book and fell in love.  I did spend months curating my collection by hunting flea markets and thrift stores to create this lovely wall display.  While originally planned for Christmas, B and I loved it so much that we’ve kept it up.  Easy and relevant kitchen wall art!

Side Note: I hung these with these plate hangers.

Dishes and platters aren’t just for food.

Vintage plates and platters hung on the wall with plate hangers also help add decor and character to your home without a lot of fuss or expense.  I use these plate hangers and love that they come in different sizes meaning you always have the right size hanger for when you need it.

Repurpose for a New Life

This goes along with thinking outside the box, but in our pantry, you see I’ve used old jars for pasta storage that look a little more unique than new food canisters.

Similarly, the vintage flour sifter is a little rusty so it wouldn’t be ideal for actual use, but the printed pattern on it is adorable making it a perfect accessory that goes along with the cooking theme of these shelves above our microwave.

Makeover worn or damaged items.

The schoolhouse light fixtures in our mudroom and pantry were purchased at a public sale several years ago for $1.  The bases were rusty and dirty but the globes were fine.  A good cleaning, light sanding, and some spray paint made the bases look brand new, and with inexpensive new light kits, these two fixtures look like a million bucks.  Classic and timeless and perfect for the two spaces!

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When it comes to styling thrifted decor, your options are really only bound by your own creativity.  My advice is simply to get out there and see what you find and keep an open mind.

I hope these seven tips help inspire you to give thrifted decor a try.  Have questions or other ideas? Leave a comment below and let me know.