TL;DR
Designers interviewed by House Beautiful say affordable secondhand objects can make a home feel more personal than buying decor for its monetary value. Their nine suggested finds include inherited pieces, artwork, ceramics, everyday kitchen objects, mirrors, table lamps and small tabletop decor.
Designers interviewed by House Beautiful say shoppers do not need expensive antiques to give a home a collected, personal feel: inherited objects, secondhand artwork, pottery and everyday household pieces can add texture and character at relatively low cost. Their recommendations offer practical guidance for thrift-store and antique-shop visits, though the article does not provide prices or establish how widely available each item is.
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The advice centers on choosing objects for their story, appearance and usefulness rather than their resale value. Lauren Sullivan of Well by Design told House Beautiful that rooms can be more interesting when not every item is perfect or selected for its price. She says less precious pieces often give a room its personality. Sullivan uses her great-grandmother’s vanity set and bedside clock at home, valuing their family history rather than their monetary worth.
The designers’ suggestions include inherited heirlooms, artwork and pottery or ceramics. Sullivan and Becca Meyer of BB Meyer Design recommend looking for art at flea markets and antique shops, including prints, small paintings and silhouettes. Meyer says some of her favorite pieces came from such shops for little money, and prefers them to mass-produced prints. The article also points to handmade ceramics, whose irregular shapes, varied glazes and signs of use can provide contrast with newer finishes. Meyer says suitable pieces can hold utensils, branches or flowers, provided they are safe for the intended use.
Other recommendations are everyday objects, mirrors, table lamps and small tabletop decor. Designer Joe Waroquier suggests displaying vintage plates, copper pots, baskets and crocks as decor, while Brooke Snyder of Design Hutch recommends looking for distinctive mirrors and table lamps. Ryann Swan Hackett of Ryann Swan Design names candleholders, trays and vintage coffee-table books as useful layering pieces. The article’s ninth category is inherited heirlooms; the other eight are artwork, pottery and ceramics, everyday objects, mirrors, table lamps, and tabletop decor, which the article divides into several kinds of small finds rather than separate numbered recommendations.
Find character in humble secondhand pieces
Designers say a home can feel more personal when objects are chosen for their story, appearance and usefulness rather than their resale value.
Nine humble finds
Look for pieces that add meaning, texture or practical use to a room.
Inherited heirlooms
A vanity set or clock can bring a personal story into the home.
Secondhand artwork
Explore flea markets and antique shops for prints, small paintings and silhouettes.
Pottery and ceramics
Irregular shapes, varied glazes and signs of use can add contrast.
Useful pieces as decor
Vintage plates, copper pots, baskets and crocks can be displayed.
Distinctive mirrors
A secondhand mirror can add another shape and character to a room.
Table lamps
They provide light without the hardwiring needed for antique sconces.
Small details build layers
Designers also recommend tabletop pieces that can bring texture and a story to shelves or tables.
Choose with care
Consider how each find fits your space and how you plan to use it.
- Check condition, price and fit with existing furnishings.
- Use ceramics only when they are safe for their intended purpose.
- Availability and cost vary by store and market.
Small Finds, More Personal Rooms
The recommendations matter to shoppers who want a home to feel individual without treating every purchase as an investment. Designers interviewed for the article argue that age, use and visible imperfections can give objects visual interest, even when those objects are not rare or costly. That shifts the focus from hunting for a valuable find to noticing pieces that suit a room and have a story or practical purpose.
The advice also suggests a lower-commitment way to introduce contrast into a space. A used lamp can add light without electrical installation, while a framed print, old pot or woven basket can bring in another texture or shape. Mixing these objects with contemporary furnishings, as Waroquier recommends, can help a room feel assembled over time rather than bought as a matching set. These are design judgments from the cited professionals, not measured outcomes or guarantees that any secondhand purchase will improve a room.
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The Designers’ Thrifting Checklist
The source is a House Beautiful article featuring recommendations from designers Lauren Sullivan, Becca Meyer, Brooke Snyder, Joe Waroquier and Ryann Swan Hackett. It presents nine categories of humble finds as alternatives to focusing only on rare or expensive antiques. The examples range from objects with family connections to items that shoppers may encounter in antique shops, flea markets or vintage stores.
Several suggestions are tied to specific uses: small art can go in a guest room, ceramics can hold kitchen utensils or flowers, and lamps can sit on a table or bookshelf. The article describes table lamps as an alternative to antique sconces that do not require hardwiring. It does not give a shopping survey, price comparison, sourcing data or detailed instructions for checking an item’s condition, age or safety.
“Often, it’s the less precious pieces that give a room its personality.”
— Lauren Sullivan, Well by Design, as quoted by House Beautiful
Prices, Condition and Availability Vary
The source does not identify specific shops, locations, publication date or typical prices, and it gives no data showing how frequently shoppers find the recommended objects. Availability and cost will vary by store and market. The designers’ views are attributed opinions and examples, not evidence that every secondhand piece is inexpensive or suitable for every home.
The article also does not provide detailed checks for authenticity, condition or safe use. In particular, it says ceramics should be used only when safe but does not explain how to assess that. Shoppers may need to check an item’s materials, damage and intended use before putting it into service; the source does not offer product-specific safety guidance.
How Shoppers Can Use the Advice
The recommendations amount to a checklist for a future thrift or antique-shop visit: look for small art, ceramics, mirrors, lamps and useful objects with appealing wear, as well as pieces with personal or family meaning. The designers advise considering how an item might work with existing furnishings, rather than buying solely because it appears old or potentially valuable.
No follow-up survey, shopping guide or further development is specified in the supplied source. For readers, the practical next step is to assess each find individually for condition, price, fit and safe use. The article’s advice does not establish that any particular item will be available or that a secondhand purchase will cost less than a new equivalent.
Key Questions
What are the nine types of finds designers recommend?
The article highlights inherited heirlooms, artwork, pottery and ceramics, everyday objects used as decor, mirrors, table lamps and small tabletop decor such as candleholders, trays and vintage books. Its nine-find framing treats the suggestions as individual humble objects across these broader categories.
Do the designers say these items are valuable antiques?
No. Their point is that an item can add character without having a high monetary value. Sullivan specifically describes inherited pieces she loves for their family history rather than their price.
Where do the designers suggest looking for secondhand art?
Sullivan and Meyer mention flea markets and antique shops. They recommend considering prints, smaller paintings and silhouettes, while noting that the source does not give a list of shops or current prices.
Can old pottery be used in a kitchen?
The article says ceramics can be functional for holding utensils, branches or flowers, but qualifies kitchen use with the condition that the item is safe for that purpose. It does not provide specific safety tests or guidance.
Do vintage table lamps need to be wired into a wall?
The article presents table lamps as movable alternatives to antique sconces and says they do not need to be hardwired into a wall. It does not address electrical inspection or repair of a particular lamp.
Source: housebeautiful.com
