15 Things You Should Always Buy at the Thrift Store, According to Design Insiders

If you aren’t thrifting, you are missing out! We asked the experts what treasures to be on the lookout for.

Thrift stores are the ultimate in sustainability—they are a way to reuse and repurpose someone’s cast-offs and save them from the landfill. But thrifting is also undeniably fun. It’s a treasure hunt for grown-ups where you can find rare and useful items that will make your home unique and personality-filled, allowing your décor to stand apart from the pack.

"I’m the kind of person who doesn't even go to a regular store; I just go to thrift stores," says Willow Wright, owner of Urban Redeux. "You can pick up so much stuff, and almost anything you need you can buy at a thrift store." Wright typically sources punch bowls, barware, crystal, champagne glasses, and more from thrift stores.

Thrift stores can also be overwhelming, so it’s often helpful to have a strategy when you step through the front door. We spoke to a group of in-the-know experts—vintage shop owners and thrift-obsessed interior designers across the country—who shared their best tips for what to hunt for the next time you do a thrift run.

Related: How to Identify an Antique When You See One

Lamps

Vintage lamps add instant character to your home but are often an overlooked purchase in thrift stores mostly because people assume they are broken, Wright says. "I have picked up antique lamps, mid-century modern lamps, floor lamps, and people don't know how easy it is, or how inexpensive, to rewire a lamp yourself," she says. "And so when I'm out looking for items, I don't care if it works. If it looks interesting, I know I can fix it in 10 minutes." If you're going to do as Wright suggests and rewire an antique lamp, use your phone to record the process so you can be sure you put everything back in the correct place.

Artwork

You can find paintings, prints, and a host of other original works of art at thrift stores, says Leah Ashley, an interior stylist and vintage expert. "It’s a wonderful way to set yourself apart and add these wonderful conversation starters," she says. Ashley also likes to research the artist to find out the backstory behind a work of art.

Silver Plate

Finding sterling silver can be challenging, but silver-plated champagne buckets, trophy urns, and punch bowls that can be filled with flowers, collections, or ornaments during the holidays are superbly multipurpose. "I think they're fun, and the patina is really beautiful," says Wright. "You don’t get that character from a newer piece."

Pottery

Jennifer Sams, the owner of the mid-century modern vintage store City Issue, loves to hunt for signed vintage pottery at thrift stores. She has occasionally unearthed treasures like a piece from Kentucky potter Charles Counts, whose pottery is collected by museums.

"It doesn't matter if I know who made a piece of pottery, if I can tell it was handcrafted, thrown on the wheel, hand-built, and it has a signature, that to me is what I get excited about when I go into a thrift store," Sams says. Like Ashley, Sams also enjoys doing a little detective work and trying to find out something about the maker when she purchases a unique piece of pottery.

But you don't have to seek out just signed pieces—there is plenty of anonymous pottery worthy of purchasing.

Related: Want to Start Antiquing, but Don't Know Where to Begin? We Asked Collecting Experts to Share Their 7 Best Tips

Mirrors

New Hampshire interior designer Debbe Daley loves vintage mirrors for their unique patina. "I specifically look for Venetian mirrors, or the aged mirrors, the ones that have the bubbles in them, or the wavy glass, and a really intricate frame," says Daley. "Anything that could add charm or character or personality to a space.”

Architectural Details

When you’re looking to add a dose of charm to your home, you can’t go wrong with architectural elements, says Daley. She loves to pick up vintage mantels to use on an existing fireplace, crystal and marble doorknobs to display in groups, and corbels, all of which "add some character and detail," she says.

Vintage Dansk

The Dansk housewares company debuted in 1954, bringing clean, modern Scandinavian design to America. The company’s enamelware, glassware, flatware, and sculptural wood pieces were popular wedding gifts in the '50s and '60s and can still be found in thrift stores today, according to Sams. Pieces from Danish designer Jens Quistgaard, who was the lead designer for Dansk, are especially coveted and are typically marked with Dansk or IHQ. "They are super iconic mid-century modern, have good value to them, and are super cool design," Sams says.

Wood Furniture

Debbe Daley finds Italian or French nesting tables are especially versatile in home decor. "Those are great for entertaining if you have a small space and want a little vintage style," she says. Antique sideboards are another favorite find and are ideal for storage, says Daley.

Hardcover Books

Books are a favorite thrift store treasure for designers and vintage fans alike. Coffee table books, especially design books, are a great find, says Daley, who leaves the cover on the book if the jacket is in good shape but will often discard it if the book is a pretty color that goes with her décor.

Daley also looks for vintage magazines with appealing images or covers that she can frame for her clients' homes. Ashley likes to use hardcover books in styling and has picked some up for as little as a quarter. "I have found the most beautiful books that people have gotten rid of that are now on my coffee table," says Ashley.

Baskets

Instead of spending a fortune on organizing containers at a big box store, baskets are "a great way to hide all of your junk and clutter," says Ashley. She uses them for harvesting vegetables, as Easter baskets for her kids, or to create a decorative tableau on top of tall bookcases "to add this lived-in, homey vibe to your space," she says. To spruce up baskets she finds at thrift stores, Ashley uses a portable vacuum cleaner, compressed air, or a damp cloth to wipe them down.

Related: These Are the 9 Antique Trends New—and Experienced—Collectors Need to Know About in 2023

Outdoor Furniture and Décor

Daley has used both vintage wicker furniture and iron patio furniture indoors and out. Iron furniture is inexpensive and incredibly durable. "That’s something I always look for, even if it’s an individual chair that I can spray paint to work as an accent chair in a sitting room or even outside," she says.

Daley also likes to use wicker on a porch or as an accent chair in the living room or bedroom. Additionally, she likes to pick up heavy concrete planters, inexpensive garden benches, bird baths, and metal planters, all of which are great for creating unique garden arrangements.

Chenille Bedspreads

"I fell in love with these when I was growing up," says Daley, who often seeks chenille bedspreads when she is in North Carolina for the annual High Point Market. Whether white or featuring pastel floral designs, these bedspreads are extremely soft, cozy, and add instant charm to a bedroom.

Copper

Copper buckets, copper pots, and colanders are favorites of Wright for their natural patina and "pretty, warm color." She uses them for kitchen décor, places orchids in copper colanders, and houses her houseplants in copper buckets.

Colored Glass Bottles

Daley covets vintage medicine bottles in cobalt blue, amber, or deep purple. "The ones that are worth some money actually have the embossed name of the company on them," she says. Daley likes to group them together for a dinner party and use them as bud vases.

Picture Frames

If you find a beautiful frame at a thrift store, it might be worth removing the not-so-pretty art that comes with it and keeping the frame to use for a mirror, another piece of art, or to display along with some vintage books and potted plants for a lovely antique vignette in your home.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.