Skilled Ideas for Thrift Flips and Repurposing

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In the event you come throughout a chessboard at a thrift retailer, you may choose it up, solely to place it again down after noticing a couple of scratches and an incomplete set.

For thrifting connoisseur Elizabeth Rooney, although, it’s a right away add to cart—not as a recreation board, and even as a espresso desk accent, however as a key hook. She’s additionally turned vases into countertop wine holders and classic brooches into fridge magnets (an ingenious technique to show these wedding ceremony invitations and vacation playing cards).

Because the creator behind lifewithliztoday, Elizabeth shares her ingenious “thrift flips” underneath the tagline Issues aren’t at all times as they appear. A video showcasing only a handful of those transformations has racked up over three million views—and that’s solely half one of many collection. Her feedback are sometimes full of individuals questioning two issues: How does she give you these items? And why doesn’t their native Goodwill ever appear like hers?

Elizabeth’s Chessboard Key Hook & Planter Lamp

She’s no stranger to the hunt, steadily posting full vlogs of her thrifting journeys and even shopping for thriller seize luggage from vintage shops. However one take a look at her residence, and also you’d by no means guess that a number of it’s secondhand. It doesn’t resemble a flea market stall or your grandma’s front room—it’s curated, cohesive, and effortlessly cool.

Picture by Elizabeth Rooney

Her fashion suits squarely into the rising ‘intentional muddle’ motion: a development all about layering significant, well-loved objects in a manner that feels collected over time moderately than completely styled.

So, is it simply luck when she finds these items? Or does she have an unbelievable eye? We caught up with Elizabeth to study extra about her course of, the place she appears, and her high 5 suggestions for thrifting residence decor.


What are a few of your favourite items in your house proper now?

A few of my favorites, presently, are those I’ve altered and flipped. For instance, I took a bust planter pot and transformed it right into a lamp, a chess board and adjusted it to a key rack, a photograph carousel and flipped it into an earring rotator.

A few of my different favourite non-altered gadgets in my residence are those that spark pleasure inside me. These embrace my brass duck lamp, ceramic swans and my uncommon candle stick holders.

How do you create a cohesive look when incorporating varied thrifted gadgets?

I have a tendency to stay to a color palette when thrifting gadgets to make it simpler to include in my residence, whereas embracing many textures and tones for layering these items. However, I additionally don’t let the color of an object cease me. If I like the form of an merchandise, I like utilizing spray paint, rub and buff and altering an merchandise to suit myspace.

I have a tendency to stay to a color palette when thrifting gadgets to make it simpler to include in my residence, whereas embracing many textures and tones for layering these items

Plenty of time I draw inspiration from Pinterest. I wish to problem myself after I see a design or photograph I like and actually dissect it and perceive what precisely on this photograph I’m excited about. Is it the color pallet? a sure object or mild fixture? This has turn into useful to me in thrift shops to raised prepare my eye to see gadgets on cabinets that will not look the best on the shelf, however see it for the imaginative and prescient and potential it might have in my residence.

Picture by Elizabeth Rooney

Why do you assume individuals are gravitating towards “dopamine decor” and away from minimalism?

I feel increasingly individuals wish to embrace private variations and individuality, which could be troublesome to precise in a minimalist type. I actually love strolling into somebody’s residence and figuring out a bit about who they’re and what they like by wanting round their home. With dopamine decor and intentional muddle, I wish to view them as a hidden that means to who an individual is, a group of who they’re and the place they’ve been. It’s fairly a stupendous factor.

I actually love strolling into somebody’s residence and figuring out a bit about who they’re and what they like by wanting round their home

Picture by Elizabeth Rooney

The place do you discover distinctive thrifted items, and the way can others do the identical?

I discover these items at many alternative thrift shops, vintage shops, classic shops and flea markets. A key factor to notice in case you are buying sustainably for these things is to take your time. These things weren’t all discovered without delay, it has been discovered and picked up over years and lots of journeys to many alternative thrift shops.

A few of Elizabeth’s finds & flips

Elizabeth’s High 5 thrifting tricks to discover the most effective residence decor

  1. Go Usually – Thrift Shops are continually including new gadgets and restocking stock, so the extra usually you go, the upper probability you’ll have of discovering nice gadgets.
  2. Look Excessive and Low – Most of the time, the most effective gadgets I discover are hidden on the again of cabinets, underneath gadgets, or on the backside. Don’t be afraid to get low and look behind gadgets on the shelf!
  3. Be Open Minded – Don’t set your intentions on discovering a particular merchandise (you possible gained’t discover that actual merchandise). I discover that the most effective finds are surprising. Be open to searching totally different sections and imagining methods you’ll be able to modify, repurpose, and create with this stuff.
  4. Verify for High quality – You will need to examine the gadgets you discover on the thrift retailer, as this stuff are secondhand. Fastidiously search for any harm, stains, and heavy put on. Search for high-quality supplies and perceive the value of things.
  5. Have a Plan & Price range – It’s simple to get overwhelmed within the thrift retailer with the limitless quantity of things and clothes, so have a plan on what areas you’d wish to browse (instance: I’m solely going to browse kitchenware and equipment right now). Moreover, it’s simple to wish to purchase every thing and something you want on the thrift retailer—it is a slippery slope to over-consumption. Having each a plan and finances will allow you to keep targeted and never get overwhelmed with each part of the thrift retailer.





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