By Nikki Phipps
You don’t have to be a professional designer in order to decorate your home with a first-class look. In fact, with merely a few decorative touches added to secondhand finds, you can make them weep with envy. There’s nothing difficult about secondhand decorating. It’s simply a matter of hunting down your unlikely treasures, finding their potential, and then transforming them into stylish pieces for your home. These sought-out treasures can be found in secondhand shops, flea markets, yard sales, attics, and even the junk yard. When coming across an item, inspect it thoroughly. Not only do you want to evaluate its condition but also its potential use. If it’s possible to restore the piece and it fits into your design scheme, then by all means grab it up and take it home. However, if the repairs will wind up being too costly and more than the item is worth, pass it by.
With only a basic tool kit, you can tackle nearly any decorating task. Handy tools to include are screwdrivers, a scraper, a putty knife, steel wool, glue, sandpaper, paint, linseed oil, a small hammer, and an assortment of screws. I also like to keep plenty of stencils, mosaic tiles (which can be made from broken plates), and decoupage materials. Shoe polish is another good item to keep, especially in various shades. This actually makes an inexpensive and nice-looking stain for a variety of wooden objects. Also great for filling in cracks on wood is putty. For small sewing projects, it never hurts to have various buttons, tassels, and trims on hand. These can easily give an elegant touch to pillows, furniture, and window treatments.
Many decorative finishes are easy to accomplish with only a little bit of know how. For instance, most metal pieces are oftentimes thrown out due to problems with rust, but these are actually easy to clean with a wire brush. Follow up with some boiling linseed oil to restore its original finish and bring out its color, and you’re done. Of course, you can also add some metal primer if you want to paint the item. Wooden chairs and other furniture can usually benefit from a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. If the shape of a chair or sofa is appealing and exhibits sturdy construction, then it is usually worth reupholstering. Curtains can make fantastic and stylish slipcovers for sofas and chairs. Tablecloths and sheets pinned onto chair cushions make quick slipcovers too. Layers of small rugs can make your living room or dining area look stylish without having to pay a lot of money for the large ones.
Need some fancy storage options? Try stacks of suitcases or hatboxes. Perhaps you could take a collection of old mismatched drawers from cabinets, desks, dressers, etc. and stack them up to create stylish shelves for storage. Baskets, trunks, and boxes are also great storage ideas. These can easily be dressed up to fit into any décor. Wire baskets make good storage bins for the office as do wooden boxes with dividers to hold various supplies. Teapots, sugar bowls, and the like missing lids can be used as beautiful candy dishes, flowerpots, or simply to hold accessories. Old wagons can be cleaned up to provide homes for reading materials or office and art supplies. Plants can also be used to fill these interesting secondhand finds. Guys aren’t the only ones that use tool chests. These can be fixed up to hold a variety of items such as utensils, mail, jewelry, office supplies, etc.
A variety of orbs (anything round) makes a great accent anywhere in the home. These could include marbles, croquet or bowling balls, or even small bouncy balls. Display them in baskets or other interesting containers. Shutters are also great accessories for the home. Use them for cabinet doors, screens, or to frame windows and other focal points. Did you know that window frames are great secondhand finds? These can be used as starting points for a variety of decorating projects such as room dividers, cabinets, picture frames, and tabletops. Look for anything with a flat top to use as a coffee or end table. Fashionable headboards can be made from garden gates, wooden or metal fencing, and even old fireplace mantels.
Decorating your home with secondhand finds adds personality and distinct character. By adding some secondhand style, you’re free to create a look of your very own. Not only is this an affordable way to decorate your home with style but it’s also fun. Hunting for your treasures in only part of the fun, where to put them and to use them is just as exciting. Looking at things in a new way can bring out the creativity in anyone.