I shop all the time at thrift stores and retail clearance aisles for clothes and shoes but they are also great places to pick up decorative items for your home…especially if you’re on a budget. My friend Ashley was nice enough to share some pictures (and prices) demonstrating how you can mix and match thrift and clearance, spend just a small dollar amount and still get an inviting and fashionable look for your home.
Ashley got this great old Zephyr AM/FM radio from her aunt, which she used as her focal point, and then picked up pieces she liked that would look great with it. From the Salvation Army, she found the lantern for $3.00, and the yellow bike (which originally held a candle) for $2.45. She found the yellow flower at Goodwill for $1.49 which she put in the bike and then looked for some books that matched her color scheme. The three books on the right were purchased at Goodwill for 50 cents each (a really cheap way to add a little something to an area) and then she actually used brown construction paper to cover some books she already owned. She also got the zebra ball at Goodwill for $2.00, which looks great with the zebra pillow that she got from her mom. The plant was on sale at Ross for $3.99 and the fabulous bench that holds everything was picked up at Kohl’s at an end of the season sale for $8.00!
I love how Ashley added a frame she liked to the pictures already on her wall, without putting a picture in it. She found the frame at Kohl’s for $3.00 on clearance because the glass was broken. I actually saw (in a home decorating magazine) a wall decorated with six different frames picked up at garage sales and arranged without anything in them. Just empty frames that were interesting and looked great grouped together. And the fabulous wall clock was $19.00 at Salvation Army. The entire price of this area cost Ashley $44.43.
Ashley said that from time to time she rearranges pieces throughout the house to keep it fresh and by doing so, it also suppresses her “need” to shop. Of course at these prices, shopping doesn’t really put much of a dent in her pocketbook!
This dresser is something that Ashley has had since high school. She decided to put it in her office, where she can keep paperwork in the drawers and keep everything tidy. Love the huge picture she found at a garage sale for $1.00. The “place mat” on the dresser is actually a small rug she bought at Ikea for $5.00. There was a lamp she saw at Pottery Barn that she really liked and wanted but she didn’t want to pay the price it was marked. Instead, she took a picture of it and then hunted for something similar looking at a lower price. She got this lamp, which was on clearance at Target, for $10.50…a lot cheaper than the original piece she wanted and she’s happy with it. I really like what Ashley did with this birdcage she picked up at Salvation Army for $8.00, adding a couple of books from Goodwill for 50 cents each and then the bird she found, also at Goodwill, for 50 cents. The dog came from Glenwood Springs Consignment and was priced at $8.00 but because there was a small chip on the bottom, she got it for $5.00. And the frame was a clearance item at Kohl’s for $4.00. This entire look cost $35.00….
This dresser is in Ashley’s bedroom. They have their TV mounted on the wall above it so she just wanted a non-functioning, yet decorative display. I love how she mixes animal prints and porcelain animals throughout her house. The mirror tray cost $2.99 at Goodwill and the zebra candle holders are something she already owned (from her wedding.) The black vase/urn holds matches that she collects, which she found at a consignment store for $8.oo. And the elephant cost a whopping $1.39 at the Salvation Army!
Ashley said this shell is one of the coolest pieces she’s purchased at a thrift store. It was $2.50 and she keeps it in her bathroom where she tosses her bracelets in it at the end of the day. Just another idea of picking up a piece you like and using it to keep things handy and neat. Love all the different ways she uses items.
Ashley was shopping at the Salvation Army with a friend who is military. They were shopping on a day where her friend got a 25% discount because she was military (they offer military discounts once a week), so she got this cabinet for $1.04! Love how she uses it…perfumes on top, her most often worn earrings hanging for easy access and bracelets and watches on the shelves. Very clever.
Look how great Ashley’s desk looks in her office. The brown tray holding her monitor cost her $3.00 from Goodwill and adds interest to her desk. Again, love how she uses items for different purposes. The white mail holder and glass pen holder were each $2.00 at Goodwill and she got the lamp at Salvation Army for $5.00. My favorite item on her desk is the zebra print magazine holder that she picked up at Kohl’s on clearance for $5.00.
I think that these are great examples of how you can create fun, stylish and unique areas in your home without spending a ton of money. Everything was bought on clearance from retail stores or at thrift/consignment stores.
Ashley has a friend who just (along with her husband) bought a house and had a baby. She’s decided to stay at home instead of going back to work so now she’s on a tighter budget. She wants to decorate their kitchen/dining area so we got some “before” pictures and over the next month, we’ll do some thrift store shopping and help her get it decorated on the dollar amount she has set aside….stay tuned.