Home decorator Lara Winter is one of Ideal Home’s Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on revamping a 200-year-old cottage to make it suitable for modern family life. Check out the rest of his articles here.
There are two types of people in a charity shop. For those who go through an old cabinet and think “absolutely not”. And those who lean towards it slightly and think, “You can be really nice, you know”. Surprisingly, I am the second type.
I love filling our home with thrifty finds. Not just because it’s cheap, but because it makes the home feel personal. The trick is to learn to look past what something is now and see what it could become.
1. Try to picture it in your home
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Charity shops can be visually overwhelming. Nothing looks appealing between a bare pine wardrobe and someone’s abandoned treadmill.
I always try to mentally remove the piece from the chaos around it and picture it in our home instead. Sometimes I’ll even take photos of the room I’m shopping for before I go out, so I can compare colors and proportions. It actually stopped me from buying things that looked “weird” in the store but would look completely ridiculous once I got home.
Once I can picture something in a room, I stop focusing on the flaws and start seeing the potential instead.
2. Don’t panic about expiration
(Image credit: Lara Winter)
Some of my favorites Furniture Search looked awful when I first bought it. Orange varnish. Scratches. A very questionable shiny lacquer.
But I have learned to be afraid, because there is often beautiful wood hidden beneath. Sanding and stripping furniture can change it completely. Yes, there’s usually dust everywhere and a point halfway through where I regret all my life choices, but it’s always worth it in the end.
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3. Sometimes you just need to paint it
Of course, sometimes stripping furniture reveals wood that isn’t really worth saving. that when color becomes your best friend.
I really think that second hand furniture is the perfect excuse to be brave with color because it looks a lot less intimidating than painting something new and expensive. A coat of paint can completely change the feel of a piece. I painted old dark cabinets in soft muted shades and suddenly they look charming instead of heavy.
And honestly, if it costs £20, I’m more relaxed to experiment.
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4. Fabric fixes almost everything
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Fabric is one of my favorite ways to make a thrifted piece feel softer and more personal. Got a gorgeous lamp base but hate the shade? Recover it. Got a beautiful glass cabinet? Add some fabric curtains.
I’ve done simple no-sew cabinet curtains before and they instantly make a piece feel more relaxed and cottage-y. Even a small piece of fabric can completely change how something feels in a room.
5. Stop using things the “proper” way
This is probably the biggest thing I’ve learned with frugality: stop thinking literally.
Some of my favorite things in our home are used in completely different ways than intended. A vintage drinks cabinet now resides on our kitchen counter for storage. An old basket hangs on the laundry room wall. A wooden staircase works brilliantly as a towel rail. I’ve made tea towels and scarves before, and even used leftover tiles as coasters.
Once you stop asking “What does this mean?” You start seeing possibilities everywhere. I think that’s why thrift homes feel so special. They don’t feel copied or overly perfect – they feel collected, personal and full of real life.
