What I Thrifted vs How I Styled It: Part 1

If you’re on Instagram, you might have seen the ‘What I Thrifted vs How I Styled It’ trend. It usually begins with an influencer walking around the thrift store, finding an item, and showing how they used it in their home.

I love those videos!

In fact, I liked them so much that I started a series of my own and decided to share them here on the blog, too!

Here are 10 examples of what I thrifted vs how I styled it:

*Disclaimer*

I don’t have any videos of me walking around thrift stores. As a matter of fact, most of my ‘treasures’ were found in abandoned houses, old barns, and dusty flea markets.

And for the most part, I wasn’t able to simply dust them off and style them on my shelf. Many of them underwent major transformations before I even brought them inside!

So, I titled my videos ‘The ‘Junk’ I Bought/Brought Home vs How I Styled It’. It’s not as catchy or relatable, but it’s more accurate, and it works. For the sake of SEO (search engine optimization – it’s a blog thing), the title of this post is “What I Thrifted vs. How I Styled It.”

Gold Picture Frame

Axeman 11×14 Picture Frame Gold – 11×14 Metal Picture Frames with Plexiglass – 11 by 14 Picture Frame Matted to 8×10 – Wall Display Horizontally or Vertically – Gold Set of 1Coliseum Studio Inc. Medium Goddess Planter – Flower Pot with Drainage – Indoor Outdoor Decorative – Pot Head – for Succulents & Cacti – Medium – Handmade in The USA (White)

 

I found a print that I am obsessed with at a local art gallery in Haleiwa. It’s an aerial view of 3 girls floating on their backs near the shore, and it reminds me so much of beach days with my daughters and niece.

So, of course, I had to thrift a frame to display it on our entryway table. I even thrifted the little blue bud vase next to it, too!

I don’t know of anywhere you can buy matted frames for $7. So, this was definitely a thrift store score!

Family Heirloom

JANDERART Vintage Oval Picture Frame 6×8 Inch, Antique Ornate Photo Frames with Glass Front, Scroll Design, Tabletop & Wall Hanging, Photo Display, Gift Ideas, GoldJanoray Upholstered Rocking Chair, Mid Century Modern Faux Leather Living Room Chair with Wood Frame Comfy Armchair for Lounge/Bedroom/Reception, Brown

 

I didn’t find this antique rocking chair at a thrift store. My dad passed it down to me, and he got it from his great-grandpa. We know, for sure, that it is over 100 years old.

I styled it in the corner of our bedroom. It comes in handy when we’re putting on shoes or when we’re in outside clothes and don’t want to sit on the bed.

(You can see how we refurbished it in this post: Rocking Chair Restoration: How to Refinish and Reupholster a Family Heirloom.)

Boring Gray Dresser

Creative Co-Op Decorative Distressed Cast Metal Duck Head Bookends, Black, Set of 2ART.COM Wall Art Print Oak Alley Plantation on Black Frame by Diane Millsap, 21

 

I found this boring gray dresser on Facebook Marketplace for $20! Despite its bumpy paint job and lack of handles, I knew it could be pretty.

This is how I styled it for pictures to list it for sale. This dresser is one of the first things we flipped for profit. It only took a few days for it to sell!

(You can see how we gave it a makeover in this post: Old Dresser Makeover: How to Transform a Thrifted Dresser Step-by-Step.)

Old Reader’s Digest Book

SIKOO Vintage Picture Frame 4×6 Antique Gold picture Frame Ornate Photo Frame Tabletop and Wall Hanging Frame with High Definition Glass Front, Wall Decor Art, Photo GalleryAlways In Blossom Scallop Classic Book Page Rose Bouquet – 1.5 Inch Paper Flowers On Stems – One Dozen – Literary Theme Graduation Party Table Centerpiece

 

At our all-time favorite flea market, we found a shelf full of vintage books for $1.50 each. I bought 2 of them and a little milk glass vase the same day because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with those perfectly-aged vintage pages.

I made a bouquet of paper roses for our bookshelf! Because what better flower to display alongside all of your favorite books?

(If you want to make some of your own, check out the tutorial here: How to Make Vintage Paper Roses.)

Boxy Brown Cabinet

Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Bluetooth Portable Suitcase Record Player with Built-in Speakers | Upgraded Turntable Audio Sound|Brown, Model Number: VSC-550BT-BRWAMERICAN PLANT EXCHANGE Golden Pothos Live Vine Plant, Easy Care Air-Purifying Indoor Houseplant, 10-12 Inches Tall, Perfect for Beginners, 6-Inch Pot for Home & Garden Decor

 

This boxy brown cabinet was another Facebook Marketplace find. I bought it for $20, and after a little paint and TLC, it became a classy record player cabinet for vintage record players.

This is how I styled it for pictures to list it for sale. Thankfully, it sold after two weeks!

(You can see how we gave it a makeover in this post: Record Player Cabinet Makeover: A Beautiful Before and After Furniture Flip.)

Crusty Hardware Cabinet

Deco 79 Wood Decorative Candle Holder Candle Stand, Set of 3 Candlestick Holder 18, 15, 12Large Rustic Ceramic Vase for Home Decor, Antique Textured Wide Mouth Farmhouse Clay Jug Pitcher Pottery Flower Vases with Handle for Aesthetic Gift…

 

The antique hardware cabinet is one of my all-time favorite furniture pieces! This cabinet was rotting away in an old house that my great-grandpa used to store hay and farm equipment in. That was before we got hold of it and turned it into a smaller (and less rotten) version of its former self.

Not only is it beautiful and extremely useful (I keep all of my small craft supplies in there), but it has sentimental value. I plan on keeping it forever!

(You can see how we salvaged it in this post: Antique Hardware Cabinet Makeover: How We Brought It Back to Life.)

Gross Antique Bed

FJWMZ Western Cow Print Pillow Covers 2 Pcs Brown Cowhide Throw Pillows Cover 18×18 inch Rustic Country Decorative Soft Farm Animal Skin Pillow Case for Home Couch Bed Sofa DecorCreative Co-Op Wood Wall Décor with Metal Feather

 

I found this disgusting antique bed on Facebook Marketplace. The seller bought out storage units and found this in one. He sold it to me for $50.

After some reupholstery and sanding, it is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I’ve even had folks offer me a lot of money to buy it, but I just can’t part with it.

This is how I styled it in our master bedroom.

(You can see how we re-upholstered it in this post: Antique Bed Makeover: A Step-by-Step Tutorial.)

Cat-Scratched Recliner

Christopher Knight Home Sunapee Tufted Recliner – Faux Leather – Cognac Brown/EspressoReplogle World Classic Globe, 12

 

This leather La-Z-Boy recliner is another Facebook Marketplace treasure! The seller told me that he couldn’t keep his cats away from it. Despite the THOUSANDS of scratches, I knew it could be pretty!

I styled it in the corner of our living room near the bookshelves to make a reading nook. We hope to one day have a home library for it to go in!

(You can see how we refurbished it in this post: How to Dye Leather Furniture: Refurbished La-Z-Boy Recliner.)

Brass Boot

Rustic Western Cowboy Boot Vase for Flowers or Standalone Decoration – Resin Floral Holder with Vintage Worn Leather Look, Embossed Detailing, and Metal Concho Accent – Home or OfficeAoivrb 10PCS 16inch Artificial Tulip Flowers Real Touch Tulip Latex Tulip Artificial Plastic Flowers Fake Bouquet Dining Table Home Office Party Wedding Birthday Garden Store Decoration (Yellow)

 

Brass objects are always my favorite thing to look for at thrift stores. And this brass boot was hanging out on a shelf for $5! (Actually, it looks like brass, but it’s some kind of coated cast iron.)

Right now, it’s styled in our front room with bright yellow tulips. However, I change the flowers out according to the season.

90’s Dresser Mirror

Tanmicoshomy Rustic Wood Bathroom Mirror 20×28 Inch, Asymmetrical Live Edge Framed Rectangle Wall Mirrors for Bedroom, Living Room or Entryway(Walnut Brown)Antique Vintage Zodiac Armillary Brass Sphere Globe Astrology Horoscope Signs – 5 inch

 

We bought a bedroom set right after we moved into our first apartment in 2011. And the dressers are still going strong!

However, I’m not a fan of the attached mirror. It takes me back to the 90s, when all the dressers had attached mirrors and all the beds had headboards with shelves.

So, we made the mirror able to hang on the wall and gave it a live-edge makeover.

It now hangs in the reading nook of our living room.

(You can see how we refurbished it in this post: How to Make a Live-Edge Mirror.)

Shopping for second-hand home decor, whether it’s in a thrift store, a flea market, or Facebook Marketplace, will always be one of my favorite things.

“What I Thrifted vs How I Styled It” was the social media trend I’ve been waiting for! I hope it inspires you to give new life to old treasures.