How to avoid a mish-mash and cluttered decorating result when you shop for secondhand decorative accessories without a plan.
In this post I’m going to share with you how to buy secondhand decorative accessories to create a designer styled home.
When you shop with no particular focus you can easily end up with a bunch of unrelated decorative accessories. To get the best results in sourcing, buying, and styling decorative accessories you need to know what you are looking for. Shopping randomly and impulse buying will result in a scrambled look and your home will quickly look like a thrift store. This is not what a sophisticated, designer-styled home should look like. Items need to be sourced intentionally.
Your decorative accessories shopping needs a strategy.
The best way to do this is to come up with a plan. Accordingly your plan should reference inspiration, specific rooms you are working on, and a budget. In contrast, keep in mind that part of the fun of shopping secondhand is that you should remain open to surprise pieces that capture your eye and heart.
You need a plan.
To know what you are looking for, you need to have a plan. This includes inspiration to use as a guide to help you identify what you are looking for. Yes, it is fun to go out and shop and just buy what you like. But guessing is expensive and time-consuming. Trust me and learn to slow down, do a little planning, and gather inspiration to help you find and buy the right pieces for your home.
How to make a plan so that you buy the right decorative accessories for your home:
1. Define your style. What do you want your home to look like? What colors? What style? What is your taste? I recommend coming up with a style statement that describes your home decor style. There is no right or wrong answer here. For example, I define my home decor style for my early 1970s condo as “Glamourous Collected Crumbling Garden Chic”.
2. Gather inspiration. This can be online, from magazines, your friend’s house, model home, favorite home decor store or interior designer, coffee table books, museums, etc. Gather the looks you like on a poster board or Pinterest. You will see your vision come to life, with colors, textures, and styles you like and admire.
3. Budget. Set a budget for all the rooms you are working on. Then work on one room at a time adhering to the budget allocated for that particular room.
4. Look at good design. Look at professionally designed homes and rooms. Notice how the rooms or home make you feel. Accordingly, think about how to style your rooms/ home to recreate a similar feeling or look.
5. Dimensions & measurements: Know your room dimensions and the dimensions of furniture pieces in the rooms you are working on. This will help you buy the correct sizes for all the decorative accessories and objects.
5. Shop: Buy the best quality you can find. Shopping second-hand is a great way to get nice quality for a good price. Learn the high end brand names. Use google image when you shop to learn about a brand, artist or style. Don’t forget to shop your closet, attic, basement, garage, etc.
6. Repurpose /Update: Do you have decorative objects that simply need a refresh? Meaning new paint or is there a way you could repurpose an item? Look for YouTube videos for how to redo similar items.
7. Know your limits. Are you a maximalist or a minimalist? Both decorating strategies are fabulous. Know what works for you. Follow brands, designers, and influencers whose style you like and wish to emulate.
If you follow these steps you will save time and money and have better results.
Resources for inspiration:
Influencers: Online, Video, Social Media, Magazines, Brands.
Interior Decorators: Find decorators whose style you like and follow them or subscribe to their social channels.
Magazines: Architectural Digest, House & Garden, Better Homes and Garden, Veranda and more! There are new magazines popping up and many feature gorgeous ideas no matter what your style is. Check out this list of of best interior decor magazines here.
Classic Films: Can you say Technicolor? Check out old musicals, classic films, and movies of eras that inspire and appeal to your taste.
Brands: Ralph Lauren, RH, etc. follow those brands to see how they mix things, place things, and style things. Try to source similar items and use their styling ideas to create your own look. Follow brands you like online or visit a store near you.
Brick and Mortar Retailers: In addition to checking out well known brands stores be sure and check out independent retailers too. Find the best vintage and antique stores near you. One of my local favorites is The Agoura Antique Mart in Agoura Hills, California. They and their vendors do a fabulous job showing what’s possible with vintage and antique decor. A very popular store is Olive Atelier, very on trend right now with their rustic, cozy vibes. There are also in person shows and events like The Great Junk Hunt. These are all great resources to learn more about your style, meet other buyers and sellers that specialize in decor that you like.
What tips do you have for curating the right secondhand decorative accessories for your home?
For tips on how to where to buy secondhand decor check out this post.
Decorate and live stylishly.
