At the beginning of the year, I asked my Instagram followers what they’d like to see from me this year on the blog. One of the common responses was: “Where you get your home decor!”
It’s been kind of like a game and kind of like a part-time job these last 6 months since we moved to Louisville. John and I spent every night and every weekend looking for the perfect furniture pieces for our house for several months. We’d lay on the couch sending each other listings we’d find and talking about whether we could make them work.
Best of all, we did this on a budget! While there were a few must-have items that we may have broken the rules on slightly, most of the furnishings for our home fit into our monthly budget. Only one piece of furniture in our home was more than $200. Can you believe it?!
Where We Shop
I love shopping. I really do. Home shopping, now that we have the room in our budget for it, has been such a fun adventure. Below are the main places where we find our home furnishings.
Target– for furniture, kitchen items, miscellaneous decor
We especially like these brands: Project 62 (has great mid-century pieces), Threshold, Christopher Knight Home, Hearth & Hand
World Market– for decor
RugsUSA– for almost all of our rugs
Amazon– for decor, miscellaneous items, and our dining room chairs
At Home– for decor (especially pillows!)
Aluminyze- our amazing metal photo prints
Homemade- most of our artwork
Now, there’s a very important topic I want to talk about. While I love Target and World Market, I LOVE finding vintage furniture even more. Not all, but most of our new furniture is vintage from the 40’s-60’s.
Where We Shop for Vintage Furniture
We found all the items shown here in the following places:
- Facebook Marketplace
- Craigslist
- Flea Malls/ Antiques Stores
Tips for Vintage Shopping
Research Prices
This is a big one. It’s easy to overpay for something pretty when you’re not sure what it’s going for. Look up the furniture with whatever information you have about it, and even ask for more information when necessary.
Ask for Help Identifying
If not for help finding a price, ask the internet for help identifying furniture so you can learn more about what you own. We’ve loved getting to know more about mid-century furniture makers and the different types of designs.
Find a Cheap Way to Move Furniture
If you don’t own a truck, moving furniture can be difficult. We were able to fit most of this furniture in one of our cars, but for one we had to rent a truck. Do some research about the rental agencies in your area. If you’re sticking to a budget, don’t forget to take into consideration what it will cost to fill the tank back up
Be Willing to Haggle on Prices
Haggling is the name of the game on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and some antique stores. After doing some research and deciding what you’d be willing to pay, kindly ask the seller if they would accept your offer. It can be awkward, especially if you’re offering much less than the asking price, but you never know how desperate they are to sell something. We found a dresser set and offered FAR below asking price. To our surprise, she responded quickly that she was fine with it!
Set up Search Notifications
Looking for a specific vintage piece of furniture but it’s not available anywhere online? No worries! Set up search notifications on most shopping sites like Craigslist and eBay. When your item is for sale, you’ll get a notification right away and can snag it before others have the chance!
Try New Places
One of our favorite weekend hobbies is visiting thrift shops. While it can take some extra time and effort, every once in a while you can find a gold mine of beautiful, vintage furniture. We have a favorite shopping spot in Louisville where we’ve found some special things. Try it this weekend!
Thanks for reading! If you’re looking to redo a room and need some help, feel free to message me on IG @heyhaleyblog.
