Stan
Williams, style editor of Maxim Magazine and author of The Find: The Housing
Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market, finds ordinary
thrift store items used to display new merchandise by major companies. Which
leads to the natural assumption, why not us regular folks? Digging into thrift stores for elegant finds
or cheap furniture isn’t a new idea for most. College students and newlyweds
have been doing this for years. So have interior designers, as a newbie with a design firm, I haunted estate auctions with instructions to bring back something
interesting and cheap.
What is
new is using items in other than its original intention. A good example of this
is elegant wooden two drawer file cabinets used as bedside tables. The
rolling cabinets bought at office supplies stores, discount stores, even thrift
shops at one fourth of the price of a regular cost of a bedside table. The
storage is an added delight.
When
storage and space are at a premium, make everything a storage unit. Instead of
furniture that just sits there, make it store stuff. Dorm furniture is great
for multipurpose and can be bought new now at discount stores. Come May and
June it will show up in college dumpsters, garage sales, and thrift stores.
Need a
coffee table, use an old travel trunk. You can top it with a sheet of beveled
glass or leave it plain. It will serve as an excellent storage unit for
blankets or seasonal items you do not use too much. Underbed storage bins are
another way to store items, but maybe your bed is too low. You can actually
raise your bed with inexpensive risers from discount stores and closeout stores
like Big Lots. If you go this route, you might want a bed skirt to hide this
less than beautiful storage option.
Disguise
ugly furniture with fitted covers and throws. You can find these online or at
discount stores. It’s okay is you have
different types of furniture. That is the fun of it. Patterns can different too, but try to stay
with about three basic colors, and one needs to be a neutral so your eyes aren’t
assaulted.
Don’t
overlook stores like T.J. Maxx or its sister store Marshalls who have
interesting items at deeply discounted prices. Two or three interesting items
make a room unique, more than that and it looks like you’re running some type
of curiosity shop.
Storage
in the bedroom can be problematic because most bedrooms run small. Instead of
huge dressers which gobble up floor space think bookcases or cubbyhole units. Purchase the cubbyhole unit at hardware stores
or discount stores. If possible, place it in the closet, freeing up more space.
Every inch of your closet should be storage all the way to the ceiling.
Bookcases work well for storage too. Just make sure to get a tall, sturdy one
for maximum space or stackable ones. The beauty of this is you can put items on
the shelves or use canvas storage bins for smaller items. The dollar stores
sell canvas boxes for as low as a dollar.
Remember
whatever an item started out originally may not be its purpose in your home. A
set of nesting suitcases can be a side table, a mirror can enlarge a room, and
decorative carpet or blanket can serve as a wall hanging. When you see
something that talks to you, decide how you want to use it. Maybe it’s never be done before that makes
you a style setter, a frugal one that makes it even better.
