What I Thrifted & How I Styled It

What activities do you and your partner enjoy doing together? I believe couples need activities and hobbies they share, some individual hobbies, and some that you might do together to support and hang out with each other. Thrifting is one of those things that I love and that my hubby will do with me, although he tires of it quickly and sometimes gets sent to the car to nap while I finish perusing. This past weekend we drove over the mountain to another town to do a little thrifting, wandering, and to have lunch. 

I didn't find anything major or big, and some of the thrift and junk shops have closed since I last shopped there, but we did find some wonderful vintage items at great prices. One such item I bought was this ornate wall shelf (and the creepy, vintage Steiff hedgehog).

When I buy items at a thrift store I am not always sure if I am keeping them to use in my own home or will be reselling them when I get my occasional shop up and running. Often times, I use the items in my home and then decide it is time to pass them on.

The shelf is hand-carved and maybe walnut, definitely vintage (at least 30 years old) and maybe antique (at least 100 years old). The bottom part reminds me a bit of an eagle's tail. I like the black painted parts that add more interest and detail. So, for this thrift store find I decided to use it to fill a spot on my great room gallery wall. I will "sit with it" for a few months and then if I decide it isn't me, I will use it somewhere else or resell it.

To the small shelf I added a brass vase that I bought at the same place as the shelf and a newly planted succulent in a sunny, bright yellow planter that I also thrifted.

This wall space is to the right of my TV. On the left side I have a picture hung lower. On this side I thought I would add a draping, hanging plant to the octagon planter. But, I haven't found one I like so to my eye, there has been a hole in the wall above this chair.

Hanging something with dimension that isn't a flat art piece creates more visual interest. 

The dark wood tone is also eye catching. The shelf style is Victorian so putting a bright yellow pot on it keeps it informal and playful. I love playing and mixing styles like this. Something boho and bright with something Victorian is unexpected.

Everything else you see here is thrifted, except the live plants and the walnut buffet the TV sits on (that was sitting in my garage with a vise grip attached to it). The chair, the fabric the chair is covered in, the pillow, the octagon planter and basket I added to it, the bird screen print above the door, the light, the candlestick, the rug, and the hanging light, and the bench you can spy in the entry, and the art you see are all thrifted! 

There are so many wonderful second-hand finds out there. Take the time to curate objects that you love and try them out in your home. Play with your decor, break the rules, mix styles, and most importantly, have fun!