Dear Lovely,

If you are new to thrifting, antiquing, or shopping secondhand, I want to give you a little insight into the pieces I always keep my eyes open for, because not only do I search for decorative items while shopping, but also functional things. If you’ve never shopped in this capacity, it can be overwhelming. My sister says she never has luck when she goes to a secondhand store, even the ones that I go to frequently, and I think it’s because she isn’t quite sure what to look for. So I hope if I make a list of certain things that I always watch for, in time you will feel more comfortable and with a creative license to shop on your own!

And in case you don’t understand why I love to buy secondhand, let me give you a little recap.

I absolutely love our world. I love what God created for us, I love nature, I love sunsets, I love pastures and forests and gardens and trees and oceans and beaches and mountains. I feel so incredibly blessed that God made such an incredible planet for us that it is my goal in life to be a good steward of this blessing and to take care of the things that matter to me. I know I’m just one person on a planet of 8.3 billion, but I have hope.

One of my favorite things to thrift are mugs. You want to know why? Because across the globe each year over 2 billion porcelain mugs are sold. 2 BILLION. (source) And the next year, 2 billion more, and then the next, 2 billion more. Do we need to continue manufacturing more and more mugs if perfectly functioning ones are lining the shelves at secondhand stores? And these are just the mugs, porcelain mugs. What about plates, bowls, trays, cups? What about stonewear, or glass, or paper?

This is the math that circulates through my head daily, and yes, it’s exhausting. But it’s important to me, so I do what I can. Besides, tablewares are so easy to clean. Just put them in the dishwasher. Clean. Sanitized. Done. Ready for use. ✔️

So here I am, trying to normalize shopping secondhand for certain things. For example: I know when my boys leave for college, we can likely get an entire set of dishes for their apartments at the thrift store.

Here is a list of things I’m always watching for when shopping secondhand. (FYI: I’ll do a second post about shopping secondhand for clothing. Today is all about home finds.)

Large Glass Containers with Lids

I love these for decanting purposes. Rice, laundry detergent, soap, sugar, clothes pins, dryer balls, whatever. Glass containers look so much nicer in a pantry or cabinet than open bags, twisty-tied shut, with the probability of spilling in just a matter of time. If I see one of these at the thrift store and the price is good, I almost always purchase it.

Oversized or Interesting Games

Oversized games make such cool conversation pieces, not to mention are really fun to actually use. I saw this huge domino set at Wild Ember and fell in love—each domino was longer than my hand.

We already have an oversized Jenga set, so I wasn’t thinking I really needed a second big game, but how neat is this? It’s nice to have a fun game to play outside when the weather gets nice, and an oversized one can look neat as decor in a basket.

Copper

I always have my eyes open for copper anything, just because I think it adds such warmth to a kitchen/home. Plus, I actually cook with copper, so if I ever come across a copper skillet or saucepan (with the lid,) it will likely come home with me.

I purchased this copper wine decanter at Round Top—secondhand, but definitely not a secondhand price. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Oh well, I love it. This is one of those pieces that looks beautiful but isn’t usuable. I try not to buy too many of these things because I want to use the things I invest in, not just look at them.

Nesting Tables

I absolutely love nesting tables, and if I wasn’t careful, there would be a set of nesting table in every corner of our house. Because they usually come in a set of 3, it feels like you’re buying one table and getting 2 for free. 🙃 I also think nesting tables are the perfect addition to a living room when guests are over but not everyone gets the seat next to the side table. Just move one of the nesting tables over. The fact that they “nest” within themselves is such a space saver! The ones I found below were gilded Florentine and GORGEOUS! GAH! I wish I had bought them.

Tiered Serving Trays

As a frequent hostess, I love to have serving trays that add height to a tablescape. Look at the one below, with shell shaped bowls to hold all sorts of treats!

I bought this one at the thrift store forever ago. It was just the frame and then you can add whatever plates you want to use. I use it often for appetizers, muffins, deviled eggs, and the like.

Crystal Ice Buckets

These make the best engagement/wedding gifts. Paired with a beautiful bottle of wine or Champagne, chef’s kiss! If you are in the stage of life where you’re attending lots of showers and weddings, grab a crystal ice bucket when you are out shopping to keep on hand. They are beautiful, thoughtful, and interesting gifts that are both usable and pretty for decor.

Art

I’m a big fan of the “leaner.” A lovely framed print or painting propped against a mirror, atop a desk, or against the kitchen backsplash is always appealing to me, and I like to change out my leaners every few months or so. How fabulous is this lady with the cigarette!?

I bought this framed map of Paris in the fields at Round Top and have it leaning against the wall on top of my desk. I don’t think it’s old or especially valuable, but I love it. I also bought these very Da Vinci-esque prints from Wild Ember. (Obviously, Wild Ember is one of my favorite secondhand shops!) They are leaning against the mirror in our hallway, and this is probably my favorite nook in our house.

Cookbooks

Well, any book really. I love the price and that you find books that maybe are no longer in print. Secondhand cookbooks are especially fun because I like to imagine the families these recipes fed in the home prior ot mine.

I already have a stack of Ina’s cookbooks and still enjoy cooking from them after all these years. Actually, can we go sidebar for just a minute so I can gush about Ina?

When Caleb was a newborn and still waking in the night to feed, I would record Ina’s cooking show on Food Network during the day. This was 2012. At night, when I would hear his little cry, I would head up the stairs, get him out of his crib, come back down stairs, make myself a large glass of water, and turn on Ina’s show to watch while feeding him. Those nights, especially at the beginning when they are up often 3 times a night, were so difficult. I’m one of those people who cries when they get overly tired, and having Ina there for me on those exhausting (and emotional!) nights made everything feel better. It wasn’t just me trying to stay awake with baby Caleb. Ina was there too and I will forever be grateful to her for spending those long nights with me. Now those babies are teenagers, and she still with me while I feed them thanks to her wonderful cookbooks. Ina, meeting you is at the very top of my bucket list!

Anyway, if I see a wonderful cookbook at a secondhand store, I love to snag those right up!

Decanters

Oh dear, do I love decanters! We use them in the traditional sense and store liquor in them in our bar.

In fact, if you are anything like my husband, not every bottle of bourbon is “open for business” when entertaining. In fact, it’s a running joke at my house that anytime my dad is over, he loves to head right for the good stuff, even if it’s some rare collector’s item that Brian is saving. 🤣 So now, Brian has a decanter full of “Jim approved” bourbon that he sets out before Daddy or anyone else we are entertaining arrives.

I also love to use a decanter to hold mouthwash on my sink. It looks so pretty!

In the same vein but slightly different, these Victorian Cruet Sets are often found at antique malls and tell the story of such a beautiful time. I mean, can you imagine pulling one of these out instead of a bunch of mustard and ketchup bottles? Not only does this caddy have bottles for oil and vinegar, but also shakers which you could use for salt and pepper. I love to find gorgeous antiques that are functional today.

Decorative Boxes

One of the first pieces I ever thrifted—purchased at an actual thrift store—was a McKenzie Childs rattan box. It’s 9"x12", and even though I’m not any sort of big collector of McKenzie Childs, I thought this box was neat and was a great price. I want to say maybe $9.

Anyway, it made it’s home first on our coffee table as a place to store remotes. Then as a layering piece in my china cabinet. And then finally, it found its forever home when I had a problem that needing solving.

PROBLEM: charging cords taking over my kitchen counter and looking like crap

SOLUTION: put them in a thrifted box

When thrifting solves a problem, these are all the dopamine rushes I get:

thrifted price over retail price is wayyy better.
giving a second chance to a beautiful piece
decreased manufacturing demand

Okay Lovely, these are the things I almost always keep my eyes open for when shopping secondhand. And below my signature are a list of favorite secondhand stores/shops that I love. Tell me, what treasures do you love to search for when shopping secondhand?

Favorite secondhand shops for home and tabletop:

Things I grab at the Thrift Store