by Connor R Sullivan
If you are interested in turning your home into a comfortable living space, consider shopping for great finds at a discount. Many homeowners would rather build their house slowly and purchase only brand new, off the showroom floor furniture items. While this may work for some, it leaves you with a lot of empty space and a lot of temporary pieces you know you do not intend to keep. Not to mention if you shop directly from a showroom floor, your rooms will look as if that is exactly where they belong.
Well, you Yankees and your holy principle about savin’ the Union. You’re plunderin’ pirates that’s what. Well, you think there’s no Confederate army where you’re goin’. You think our boys are asleep down here. Well, they’ll catch up to you and they’ll cut you to pieces you, you nameless, fatherless scum. I wish I could be there to see it.
—John Lee Mahin (1902–1984)
While it may be considered stylish and put together, it will feel sterile and lack the homey quality other rooms have. Furthermore, it will not be unique. If you are looking to make the rooms in your home one of a kind, consider using a combination of second hand pieces to create inviting, unique spaces. This will take a bit more work than showroom floor shopping, but it will be far more rewarding in the long run. You can add personal touches to even the most neutral and mundane pieces, and you will feel good doing things to second hand furniture you would not risk with newer pieces. You are not going to go buy a new living room set and spray paint it cherry red, but you might consider a design risk like this on a few pieces you pick up at a rummage sale. Even if it does not work out, you have only wasted a few dollars.
You can also mix and match items to create a completely unique space. If you lack space in your washroom, you can purchase items that can be used for small bathroom storage. Consider a medicine cabinet without mirror that you can paint or refinish to suit your specific style.
A few pieces of fat pine were a great treasure. It is interesting to remember how much of this food for fire is still concealed in the bowels of the earth.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
In addition to painting, there are numerous other things you can do to second hand finds that will make them stylish and comfortable. If you find seating pieces that have good bones but just need some freshening up, this is a great project that will not take a lot of time and money. The important thing is to choose colors and fabrics that suit your style and that you enjoy sitting on, seeing, and touching. Regardless of what the design "rules" might be, you need to make sure you love the pieces in your home. Take your time when refinishing pieces and you may be surprised by what you are able to accomplish, even if you do not have a lot of experience with redesigning furniture.
Another option you have when furnishing your home with second hand pieces is to combine pieces in interesting ways. A shelf and a table may work together to create a one of a kind hutch. If you are handy with tools, you can take an existing piece and alter it to suit your needs. For instance, a bookshelf with only two shelves can be flipped on its side and altered with additional wood to create a sideboard. If you are looking for affordable, unique furnishings, browse the second hand market. Connor Sullivan recently sent his son to college so he bought a couple of small bathroom storage units for his dorm room. His wife installed a medicine cabinet without mirror for their remodeled bathroom.