TL;DR
Designers interviewed by House Beautiful say affordable secondhand objects can give a home personality and a collected feel. Their suggested finds include small artworks, pottery, mirrors, lamps and everyday items, though the article offers design advice rather than new market data or a tested measure of impact.
Designers interviewed by House Beautiful say inexpensive thrift-store and vintage finds can make a home feel more distinctive, even when the objects have little monetary value. Their recommendations range from small artworks and handmade pottery to old lamps and everyday kitchen items, offering homeowners lower-cost ways to add texture and personal history.
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Lauren Sullivan of Well by Design said a home feels more interesting when its objects are not all perfect or selected for their price. “Often, it’s the less precious pieces that give a room its personality,” she told House Beautiful. Sullivan described displaying a great-grandmother’s vanity set and bedside clock, saying she values their family history even though they are not particularly valuable financially.
Artwork is another suggested category. Becca Meyer of BB Meyer Design said some of her favorite pieces came from flea markets or antique shops at low prices, and that she prefers them to mass-produced prints. Sullivan said small paintings, prints and silhouettes can add character without requiring a large investment; her example was an inexpensive print of “The Skating Minister” in a vintage frame.
The designers also pointed to pottery and ceramics, mirrors, table lamps and small tabletop pieces such as candleholders, trays and old coffee-table books. Joe Waroquier recommended displaying ordinary objects—including vintage plates, copper pots and woven baskets—as decor. The article’s examples describe design preferences and individual finds, not a guarantee that every secondhand item will be affordable, safe to use or suitable for every home.
Affordable finds, distinctive rooms
Designers say secondhand objects can add personality and a collected feel. Their examples are design advice, not measured results.
What to look for
Small, everyday pieces can bring texture and personal history into a room.
Small prints and paintings
Flea-market art can add character without a large investment.
Pottery with character
Irregular shapes and worn finishes can add warmth.
Mirrors and lamps
Designers suggest antique mirrors and movable table lamps.
Objects with a story
Try vintage plates, trays, baskets or books with inscriptions.
Why mix old and new?
Contrast can make a room feel personal rather than overly designed.
- Visible wear and patina
- Family history or inscriptions
- Individual shapes and details
- Adds contrast and texture
- Creates a collected feel
- Reflects the owner’s taste
Shop with purpose
Use the designers’ examples as inspiration, then judge each piece for your home.
Consider the space, your needs and the item’s intended use.
Bargains and suitability vary by shop, location and item.
Use ceramics for food only if they are safe for that purpose.
Low-Cost Finds, More Personal Rooms
The advice matters to readers who want rooms to feel individual without relying on expensive statement pieces or buying a coordinated set of new decor. A small print, an old lamp or a group of mismatched plates may bring texture, variation and a sense of history into a space. The designers’ broader point is that a room’s character can come from how objects are chosen and combined, not from their resale value.
These are recommendations, not measured findings: the source supplies no pricing survey, comparison of decorating costs or evidence that secondhand items increase a home’s value. Still, the examples offer practical starting points for shoppers. They also suggest looking beyond items marketed as rare or precious, since useful, ordinary objects may be easier to incorporate into daily life.
There are practical limits. Condition, authenticity, price and suitability vary from one item to another. Pottery and ceramics intended for food use need to be safe for that purpose, as the article itself qualifies. And a distinctive object only helps a room if it fits the space and the owner’s needs; the designers’ examples are inspiration, not a rule to buy more.
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What Designers Recommend Hunting For
The House Beautiful article frames thrift shopping as more than a search for valuable antiques. Sullivan’s examples focus on family heirlooms with sentimental meaning, including a vanity set and clock handed down from her great-grandmother. Their role in her home comes from their personal history and contrast with contemporary materials, rather than their price.
Other suggestions center on visible signs of age and individual craftsmanship. Sullivan and Meyer favor artwork found at flea markets or antique shops; Brooke Snyder of Design Hutch sees irregular forms and glaze in older ceramics as qualities that can add warmth. Waroquier said he likes patina, worn finishes and imperfect glaze, particularly when such pieces are mixed with newer furnishings.
Snyder also recommended antique mirrors and table lamps. The article notes that table lamps can be moved between surfaces and do not require the wall wiring needed for sconces. Ryann Swan Hackett of Ryann Swan Design suggested smaller tabletop items and vintage books, which may carry inscriptions that add a personal story. These examples describe designers’ own approaches; the source does not provide a ranked list or a shopping guide with specific prices.
“Often, it’s the less precious pieces that give a room its personality.”
— Lauren Sullivan, Well by Design
Prices and Practical Fit Vary
The source does not report how much shoppers typically spend, whether prices have changed, or how often inexpensive finds are available. It also does not independently verify the history or age of the objects shown in its examples. Availability and value will depend on the shop, location and item, so the designers’ experiences should not be read as a promise of bargains.
The article gives no formal safety checks for vintage goods. Its brief qualification on ceramics is that they should be safe if used in a kitchen. Buyers would need to judge each item’s condition and intended use; the source does not offer testing guidance or establish that older pieces are suitable for food, lighting or other functional uses.
How Readers Can Apply the Advice
The article does not announce a product launch, event or follow-up date. Its immediate takeaway is for shoppers to consider a wider range of objects on their next visit to a thrift shop, flea market or antique store: small artwork, ceramics, mirrors, lamps, trays and everyday items with visible wear or personal history.
Readers can use the designers’ examples as a starting point, then check an object’s condition, price and intended use before buying. Whether these finds make a particular home feel more distinctive will depend on the pieces and how they are displayed; the source provides design opinions and examples, not a measured outcome.
Key Questions
What inexpensive items do the designers recommend?
They mention small artworks, pottery, ceramics, mirrors, table lamps and tabletop objects such as candleholders, trays and vintage books. Waroquier also suggests displaying everyday items, including old plates, copper pots and woven baskets.
Do the designers say valuable antiques are necessary?
No. Sullivan said a room can gain personality from less precious objects, including family pieces that are not especially valuable financially. The article emphasizes character and personal meaning over price.
Why mix vintage objects with newer furnishings?
Waroquier said the contrast can make a room feel collected and personal rather than overly designed. Sullivan also described combining inherited objects with contemporary materials in her home.
Can vintage ceramics be used in the kitchen?
The article says older ceramics can be functional, but qualifies that they should be used only if they are safe. It does not provide a testing method or certify any specific item.
Does the article show that thrifted decor always costs less?
No. Designers shared examples of inexpensive finds, but the article includes no price survey or guarantee of availability. Costs will vary by object, shop and location.
Source: housebeautiful.com
