Design a Family Room with Thrifted Finds

by

family room living room

Do you want to learn how to design a family room with thrifted finds? It’s easier than you might think. Find the thrift stores near you. If you can make stopping in and taking a look around a regular part of your week you’re sure to discover some treasure.

Getting the look and feel I want from a room on a tight budget is one of my favorite things to do. I think it all started when Jeremy and I bought our first home, a great little 2 bedroom condo. We were so excited to change out the old dated carpeting and paint the walls, which showcased the high ceilings, and a clean neutral palette, however this investment left us with no money for furnishings!

I remember having $20 a month to spend on décor items, admittedly my only choice was to buy second hand. That was the year Salvation Army became my very best design friend.

Make Thrift Shopping Your Normal

Yes, thrift stores and I go way back, and I’m grateful for understanding then and now that beautiful design does not mean financial ruin. Although I have a larger décor budget these days, as a rule, I still shop second hand and thrift stores first. It’s not just about saving money, moreover it’s a sustainable earth practice and my attempt to balance my consumption. Pottery has been very popular lately and is on the top of my list when thrift shopping.

Know Your Style When Thrift Shopping and Get Creative

If you’re out thrift shopping search for bowls, planters, and vases that catch your eye. You know what you like and if you could see it in your own home. Look for objects in shapes you ae drawn to keeping in mind that they can always be painted to suit your color palette. When styling your home a glass vases can be transformed with paint to look like terracotta or stone. Always keep your creative mind at work when shopping.

 

Our Thrifted Family Room Cost Breakdown

You can design your home on a budget by using thrift store finds big and small. Let’s take our Family Room as an example. It’s filled with thrifted treasure collected over time.

When looking at it, what amount do you think was spent on this room? There are big ticket items in every family room and ours is no different. Usually the average family room has a couch, coffee table, rugs, curtains, art and décor items. It all can easily add up to thousands and thousands of dollars.

Here’s the financial rundown of our family room. I’ll break it up into Thrifted and New items.

 

10 THRIFTED ITEMS:

1. Couch -perfect condition, down feathers, high-end brand, vintage $185 

2. 4 Pillow inserts -down-filled, donated their covers back to store $14

3.1 Pillow cover -Ralph Lauren $2

4. Black Pottery Vase -hand thrown $8

5. Art Canvas & Frame -I painted over it with my abstract art $12

6. Cream Wool Rug -we’ve invested in a carpet cleaner $100

7.New Sofa Table -was donated to a thrift store by Target $45

8.Candle -someone must not have liked the smell of sandalwood $3

9.Faux Greenery $1

10.Glass Vase -you can always find these $0.50

Total Thrifted $370.50

 

NEW ITEMS:

Sisal Carpet $200

Curtain & Rod -one window out of the four in this room $55

Planter -Lowes $40

Pillow Cases -three from HomeGoods $30

Plant -now a tree $8

Small copper tray -bought it specifically for this space $7

Total New $340


TOTAL THRIFTED $370.50

TOTAL NEW $340

GRAND TOTAL $710.50

 

Great Style and Thrifting Go Together

The amount you spend on a certain thing, space, or item is all very personal and specific to circumstances. Looking at the grand total for the items in this photo, I’m comfortable with the cost. A similar look could even be done for much less! A welcoming space that gives you the feeling you want when you walk in it can absolutely be created on a tight budget.

How about you guys, do you shop Thrift stores? If not, after reading this post would you try? If you thrift, I’d love to hear your best finds in the comments below!

xo Maria

8 Comments

    • Maria Kamara

      I appreciate it Leslie, thank you! It’s so much fun to find a piece that speaks to me, and then find just the right place for it in our home.

      Reply
  1. Victoria Prasad

    Such a beautiful room. Thrifting is definitely fun and the possibilities are endless! Thanks for sharing your finds!

    Reply
    • Maria Kamara

      Thank you Victoria! You’re so right with thrifting the possibilities are endless.

      Reply
  2. julie

    Just finished screening in our sun porch what a great way to finish with the decor, great finds!

    Reply
    • Maria Kamara

      Thrifting really is a smart and fun way to add decor to your home.

      Reply
  3. julie

    Hey! just thought, can I link your post to my Screened in Sun Porch post? ….great way for me to decorate a sun porch using Thrift Stores

    Reply
    • Maria Kamara

      Absolutely go ahead! Thanks for asking Julie.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Pure Happy Home! A home design and DIY blog encouraging and helping you to design spaces you love. Here you’ll find budget makeovers, design tips and creative ideas you can apply to your home. Follow along as our family of 7 works to make our home more beautiful and our relationships closer.

CATEGORIES

TAGS

RECENT POSTS

Life As Art #27

Life As Art #27

It's Saturday which means it's time for Life As Art #27. Living life artfully take intension. On Saturdays at Pure Happy Home I love to share great ideas from the design world, inspirational quotes, positive news and of course the best budget-friendly deals I've found...

Adding Thrift Store Finds to a Classic Modern Home

Adding Thrift Store Finds to a Classic Modern Home

If you want to bring a warm and rustic feel to a space, adding thrift store finds to a classic modern home is one of your first steps. Today I'm so excited to take part in a blog series called Thrifted Goodies. My blogging friends Rachel from The Antiqued Journey and...

Pottery Barn Arched Mirror Hack

Pottery Barn Arched Mirror Hack

So excited to show you this Pottery Barn arched mirror hack. Almost a year ago while strolling through a thrift store I scored this huge mirror. Here's what I did to transform it. Pottery Barn Dream Mirror This Pottery Barn mirror is one of my dream mirrors. The...

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE

5 Easy Home Tips for Hosting Guests

Recent Posts

Saving and Upcycling a Small Shelf

Saving and Upcycling a Small Shelf

It felt really good saving and upcycling a small shelf we've had for many years. It would have been easy to donate it to Goodwill or Salvation Army, but instead I spruced it up and gave it a new purpose. A Little History This piece of furniture was made for us many...

Life As Art #27

Life As Art #27

It's Saturday which means it's time for Life As Art #27. Living life artfully take intension. On Saturdays at Pure Happy Home I love to share great ideas from the design world, inspirational quotes, positive news and of course the best budget-friendly deals I've found...

Adding Thrift Store Finds to a Classic Modern Home

Adding Thrift Store Finds to a Classic Modern Home

If you want to bring a warm and rustic feel to a space, adding thrift store finds to a classic modern home is one of your first steps. Today I'm so excited to take part in a blog series called Thrifted Goodies. My blogging friends Rachel from The Antiqued Journey and...