With more of us working from home, we’re paying closer attention to our interior spaces. Our surroundings affect how we feel day-to-day, so creating a cozy living space is valuable for our well-being. Further, styling our home with secondhand decor is beneficial for the planet.
When looking for inspiration, we often find examples of complete and even extreme makeovers that encourage us to throw out the old and buy all new. But this isn’t an ethical option for our planet or people.
When it comes to consciously styling your home, using what you already have is the most sustainable option, as you’re extending the lifetime of that item. But when you do feel the need to purchase something, buying secondhand is a great alternative.
Why Buy Secondhand Decor?
IT’S SUSTAINABLE
Buying pre-loved decor is an excellent way to reduce your impact on the planet when adding items to your home. By going for secondhand, you give items a second life and keep them out of the landfill. If more of us did this, we could collectively reduce the number of new items produced, cutting down the resources used, emissions produced, and other negative environmental impacts.
IT’S AFFORDABLE
Secondhand furniture and decor are often a lot more affordable than buying new. Thrift stores don’t aim to make a significant profit and usually have a social mission, so the prices are fairer. Similarly, when buying from other people on online marketplaces, they’re often just looking to get rid of a piece, and get a little something for it in return.
YOU CAN FIND UNIQUE PIECES
When you shop secondhand, it’s not like going to a trendy interior decorating store where you’ll end up with the same furniture as thousands of other people. Instead, you’ll be able to find unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that make your home feel personal. The real gems are those with a fantastic backstory that even become a conversation starter.
YOU CAN FIND QUALITY PIECES
Furniture and decor produced these days are only made to last a few years at best. Instead, older furniture pieces were made to last decades and be passed down from generation to generation. You can often find these high-quality pieces secondhand. Not only is it far better for our planet, but it will also save you a lot of money by investing in a single piece that doesn’t need to be replaced every few years.
Strategies for Shopping Secondhand Decor
CREATE A MOOD BOARD AND START SHOPPING
I always say the most important part of successfully shopping secondhand is knowing what you like and what you’re looking for. I always recommend that clients create a mood board and ideally a design plan and shopping list. This will help guide your search and help eliminate the feeling of overwhelm triggered by all the products.
SEARCH FOR SECONDHAND LOOK-A-LIKES
Another way to narrow down your search is by gathering examples of furniture and decor pieces from conventional interior decorating stores and searching for look-a-likes. Pay attention to the colour, shape, and material. Find similar pieces that reflect the details of those three areas. But try to be creative too. Think about how you could adjust a piece to look more like what you have in mind, for example, by painting it a different colour.
KEEP AN ONGOING SHOPPING LIST
If you’re not on the hunt for specific items you need right away, it’s helpful to keep an ongoing shopping list of things you want. That way, when you’re scrolling through an online marketplace or browsing through a thrift shop, you can keep an eye out for the exact pieces you have in mind. This is my favourite way to shop secondhand because by taking it slow, you’re able to find the real gems.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Buying secondhand decor is often skipped as an option because it can be more time-consuming to find the right items. I think this only adds to the value of shopping secondhand because it encourages us to slow down, find the gems that genuinely make us happy, and invest in the pieces that will last.
Author Bio
Nina is an advocate for sustainable living and a lover of all things interior. She started Homebody to show how to intentionally style beautiful and cozy homes that encourage us to slow down, let go of stuff, and make conscious decisions. When she’s not in front of her laptop, she’s walking her greyhound, drawing, or playing video games.
Website: www.thisishomebody.com Instagram: @thisishomebody_
