7 Dining Room Items You Should Always Thrift, According To Designers

Plus, tips for finding the perfect vintage pieces for your space.

Today’s dining rooms aren’t necessarily ultra formal spaces, but they should still be equipped with the essentials: a sturdy, sizable table and corresponding chairs; a hutch and/or buffet, and plenty of dishware and serving supplies. The good news is that all of these pieces are items that you can score secondhand—in fact, you can furnish your entire dining room without buying anything brand new.

“Every piece of furniture in my dining room—my table, chairs, sideboard, and barley twist bar cart—are all second hand finds from estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, and local thrift stores,” shares Jess Ziomek, the founder of Thrills of the Hunt in Nashville, Tennessee. “I think it's much more interesting to slowly amass an amalgam of vintage treasures, especially ones with evidence that they've lived a past life, rather than having everything matchy matchy.”

Here, Ziomek and other vintage enthusiasts share some of their personal favorite categories of dining room pieces to buy preloved and offer tips on how you can do the same.

Wooden Tables

Kristin Keyes, the founder of Kristin Keyes Interiors also in Nashville, loves incorporating antique wooden tables into dining rooms. “People sometimes feel nervous about using an antique in a hardworking dining room for daily meals, kid art projects, etc., but they're actually very durable.” Don’t be afraid of an older piece being too precious to actually use. “Think about it,” Keyes says. “The table is already 100 years old.  It's probably made it through many wine spills and paint splatters already.  It will make it through whatever your family has to throw at it, too!”

Head Chairs

After purchasing a table, you’ll need a set of chairs, and Keyes likes to use matching chairs on both sides of the table and then make a statement with her head chairs. “It’s relatively easy to thrift a set of two interesting chairs, whereas six or eight can be tricky,” she says. “You can play with pattern, color, and scale.”

China Cabinets

Storage is paramount in the dining room, and Keyes likes the concept of pairing a vintage cabinet with a modern dining table. “All cabinet styles can be thrifted, and they're often priced quite low,” she says.

Rugs

If you’re in the market for a dining room rug, Keyes suggests going the secondhand route there, too, opting for a Persian or Turkish hand-knotted piece. “There aren't a lot of opportunities to add color and pattern to a dining rooms since tables and chairs are often wood or a solid color, so don't sleep on the opportunity to add some pizazz to the floor,” she says.

China

Rather than purchasing a contemporary set of dinnerware, pay homage to the glamorous dinner parties of yesteryear with a vintage china set. “Vintage China can bring timeless elegance to your dining space, and if you ask me, it's a prime thrift store treasure,” says Cheryl Luckett, the founder of Dwell by Cheryl in Charlotte, North Carolina. Luckett likes to keep her eyes peeled for intricate, patterned pieces. “Don’t be afraid to mix and match different patterns for an eclectic look,” she adds.

It’s fun to imagine the life your vintage china pieces once led, too! “When I pull out my China, I often wonder what special meals were served on the plates and if they only broke out the ‘good stuff’ on certain occasions,” Ziomek shares.

Serviceware

Once you’ve sourced a dinnerware collection, it’s time to move onto serving dishes and trays. “From silver-plated serving trays to ornate candelabras, thrift stores often offer a host of stylish and functional pieces,” Luckett says. She enjoys sourcing tiered servers, pitchers, and trays to use while entertaining, noting, “With a keen eye and a bit of patience, you can uncover unique pieces at a fraction of the cost of buying new.” 

Lily Barfield, the Houston,Texas-based founder of Lily’s Vintage Finds, appreciates looking for silverplate pieces in particular.” Silver serving trays, utensils, and bowls instantly elevate your dining room, and give it that timeless, elegant feeling,” she says. “I like that a silver serving tray can be used decoratively on a buffet or sideboard but is totally functional when it comes time to dine.” If a piece needs a little TLC, just grab some polish or silver wipes!

Lamps

Lighting is a key component of any room of the home, and Luckett finds that the right lamps can truly transform a dining space. “A matching pair can add symmetry and a significant dose of ambiance,” she notes. Even if you have to swap out a lamp’s shade or finial, buying secondhand is the way to go, Luckett says. “You not only save money but also infuse your space with character and charm.”

Related: 14 Things Every Southern Dining Room Should Have, According To Designers

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.