Recent Thrift Store, Marketplace, and Roadside Finds

I’ve been on such a roll with finding secondhand furniture and decorative pieces lately!  It’s always been a passion of mine and the majority of our home decor and furniture has been thrifted, but my excitement for a good deal has been reignited now that we’re living in the DC area.  3 years in Hawaii with thrift stores that left much to be desired was perhaps the one downside to living in paradise.  Anyway, thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace are no strangers to me (my tips on finding the best things are in this recent post), but I’ve also had shockingly good luck on the side of the road on the way to my kids’ school.  One person’s trash is another person’s treasure seems to be my motto.  Apparently Arlington, Virginia with all of the homes that are being renovated is the place to be if you love a good roadside find!  I always share this sort of stuff on Instagram but thought it would be fun to share my recent finds here on the blog too.  I’ll share what I do with these pieces (and how I update them, if need be) once I get them in their refinished and in their proper homes!

I will say that I’ve been on a bit of a rattan and wicker kick lately after reading the coffee table book Rattan: A World of Elegance and Charm.  It was fascinating learning the history of this style and seeing ways it can be incorporated into any type of decor.  If you’re into decorating I highly recommend the book, as it’s a wealth of inspiration and it was a fun bedtime read too.  It’s also incredibly beautiful on a bookcase or table because the spine and cover and so unique!

Wicker Chair

I’ll get a cushion made (or find a pre-made one) at some point, but for now I’ve layered two pretty pillow cases over the existing cushion and it looks pretty good!  I’m actually really loving it on our front porch in this spot to the right of the front door that had previously been empty.  Now I’m regretting not grabbing the little wicker table that was on the street next to the chair.

Wicker Trunk

I got a nice, large wicker trunk on Facebook Marketplace for $40!  I found the same one online for around $500, so I’d say that’s a steal!  I’ve actually wanted one of these since I let one get away a few years ago in Hawaii.  I saw it in a thrift store and then passed on it and when I went back a day later it was gone.  It’s been haunting me ever since!  I finally found one recently and couldn’t let it get away.  It’s now the kids’ toy chest in our living room and I love that it hides all the clutter without looking like a traditional toy chest.  (Sorry for the not perfect photo, this is real life in a 100 year old house with 3 little kids, for ya!)  I love how Maggie of @margaretofyork styled her’s here on Instagram, so I’ll probably do something like that one day once we move into a forever house with a better layout:

Wicker Storage Bench

This wicker bench required a bit of a drive and then Tate cried looking at it cramping her space in the back seat once I got it in the van.  I imagine it as an entryway bench or at the landing below stairs and it has so much storage!  The straight back and arms remind me of this exorbitantly expensive one from McGee and Co. and this one from Serena and Lily. I got it for $125 which I think was a great deal!  It’s currently living on our second floor on the landing between the girls’ rooms.

Blue and White Lamps

These were such an exciting Facebook Marketplace find!  I got the pair for $100 and they are incredibly heavy and very nice, though I don’t know who made them.  The blue and white chinoiserie print is stunning and all I did was replace the lampshades and now they’re on the two nightstands in our bedroom.  I’ve never had a nice pair of matching lamps for our bedroom and now we finally do!

Marble Top Victorian Era Dresser

I shared this find in this previous blog post, but I couldn’t not share it again because it’s such a beautiful piece.  Once I removed the outdated mirror that was screwed to the back and polished up the marble it totally transformed the piece!

Metal Outdoor Chairs

How fun are these metal outdoor chairs?  I found them on the side of the road and immediately did a u-turn.  My kids thought I was crazy but I couldn’t pass them up!  I’ll paint them perhaps a fun shade of blue and will find some cushions for them.

Wooden Desk

Another roadside find on the way to school!  This solid wooden desk was a beast to load into the van on my own, but I did it because I’m stubborn and couldn’t pass on this.  I plan on painting it either a dark green or dark blue (Hale Blue by Benjamin Moore, perhaps?) and I’ll put it in Jack’s room.  I think it’s the perfect little masculine boy’s desk and I know Jack will enjoy having his own space to work, especially as he starts kindergarten in the fall.

Wicker Lamp

I got a little wicker lamp for around $4.99 but it’s down in the basement and I forgot to take a picture.  It looks to be the same one my Instagram friend Maggie of @margaretofyork styled in this post with an updated lampshade:

Faux Bamboo Bedroom Set

This vintage faux bamboo bedroom set was such a jackpot of a find!  I found it at Goodwill in Beaufort, SC during spring break and the nightstand was $12.99, the dresser was $28.99 and the queen sized headboard was $24.99.  I couldn’t believe it!  I won’t use the pieces all in one place but I plan to fix them up with new paint and polished hardware and then I’ll possibly use the nightstand and dresser in Caroline’s room and may swap out the headboard we currently have in our bedroom.  We have a queen sized mattress but the headboard we have in our bedroom (a Facebook Marketplace find) is a king, so this new one may fit a little better.  I plan on paint it as well.

White Ginger Jar Lamp

I haven’t decided if I’ll attempt to paint this ginger jar shaped lamp or if I’ll just get a new shade for it, but at $5.99 I couldn’t pass it up at Goodwill last week!

Green Ginger Jar Lamp

I found this lamp for $12.99 at a thrift store in Arlington and wasn’t sure if it would work but I actually think it’s pretty grand millennial and I’m a big fan now.  Tom likes that I brought in a little green, which is a departure from my normal blue and white.  I replaced the lampshade and lowered the adjustable neck of the lamp and that made a big difference.  Above is how we are currently using it in our living room.  It’s on an old parlor table I found at a thrift store in Kansas for under $10.

Wicker Breakfast Tray

I think I’ll paint this fun wicker breakfast tray French blue and possibly use it as my desk when I work on the computer or in bed or on the sofa.  I also need to convince Tom to fix me breakfast in bed so it can be used as it was intended to be used 🙂  I’ve found a similar one online for about $200 and I got mine for $5.99!  My Instagram friend Mary of @maryandcrew on Instagram (a must follow if you aren’t already) has the same one and I’d actually been thinking about hers earlier the morning that I found it and then I stumbled upon the same one at Goodwill just hours later.  I think I must have manifested it to show up!  (Ok not really, but it was quite the coincidence.)  Here is how she painted and styled hers, isn’t it dreamy?

Blue and White Vase and Rattan Wrapped Hurricane

I found these sweet pieces at the thrift store one morning and the blue and white vase is now on top of our bookcase, the finishing touch to my ginger jar/blue and white vase collection.  The rattan wrapped hurricane is now holding a candle and it’s on our favorite (and affordable) bistro table on the front porch.

Have you found anything good at a thrift store, on Facebook Marketplace or on the side of the road lately?  I always love it when you share your finds with me by tagging me on Instagram!