Whether you’re shopping on a tight budget or you love the challenge of hunting for the perfect item to bring a room or outfit together, thrift stores are a great place to start. You can find some wonderful treasures, even though they might need a little TLC to reveal their full potential.
Here are a few ways to give new life to some of the most common items you may buy at a thrift store.
Give Lighting An Elegant Upgrade
Sometimes the lamp you find at a thrift store fits your home and your individual style perfectly and there is nothing you need to change about it. It’s likely, however, that you’ll fall in love with a lamp base and not the shade. Older lamp shades are often stained, sun bleached, frayed, or ripped.
If you’ve found the lamp of your dreams, but the lampshade is a nightmare, consider upgrading its look. Silk lampshades are just the right addition to give your thrifty lamp a classy look. Silk has a sheen and inherent visual appeal that naturally draws the eye — perfect if you want to show off your latest find!
Unique and retro lighting fixtures are all the rage, and chandeliers are no exception. As with standing lamps, however, you may be looking at lampshades that are obviously worn. Don’t be disheartened. There are replacement chandelier lampshades you can get to give your chandelier a stylish look. Available in different styles, shapes, and material, new chandelier lampshades will instantly elevate the look of your lamp making it a beautiful focal point in your room.
You might have to adjust your lamps to better fit the lampshades you want to use. Lampshade extenders can create more visual separation between the lamp base and shade. If you’re going for a cozy feel, you may have to replace the socket adapter for something shorter. This is usually as simple as a squeeze and a lift, and it can truly change the look and feel of your lamp for the better.
These lamp adjusters are easily found at many online stores, but you can also mix and match at a thrift store. Being able to see how each adjustment changes the lamp’s feel will allow you to choose the setup that looks best.
Give Furniture a Paint Job
Furniture thrifting is one of the best ways to style your home on a budget, but not every piece you find will fit seamlessly with your style. Painting these items is by far the most popular way to make furniture such as dressers, tables, and chairs fit into your home. This is not without good reason: a simple paint job can make a piece almost unrecognizable, but there are a few steps you’ll want to take to be sure your paint job holds up.
First, if the original paint or varnish is peeling or chipping on your furniture, you’ll want to sand these areas smooth before applying any paint. Second, if your furniture was finished with a high gloss, you’ll want to keep on sanding. By removing this finish, you’ll have a surface that the paint can more easily adhere to. This can be a lot of work, especially if the piece has a lot of nooks and crannies, but the final product will be well worth the extra effort.
When choosing your paintbrush for your project, it’s important to remember that no project is one size fits all. You’ll want a few different brush widths and angles to help you tackle the harder to reach places. By using the right size brush for the project, you’ll avoid unsightly paint drips.
Once you’ve finished painting, be sure to apply a sealant that will keep your paint from chipping before moving it into its new home!
We hope these tips give you the information you need to upcycle your thrift store finds successfully! Happy shopping and creating!