Thrift Store Finds
For a while I avoided bringing many new items into the house. I focused on clearing out things I no longer wanted, finishing the kitchen, installing wood floors and painting so our home would feel more like ours. I prefer to remove clutter first, then add only pieces I truly love or that hold meaning.
My style is still evolving — rooms often go through tweaks until they feel right — but I knew I wanted to bring more of the vintage cottage character I adore by adding older, well-loved pieces. I like mixing new and old, natural and painted finishes to create a casual, collected look. The goal is charming touches that set the tone without creating clutter.
Luckily we have a surprisingly good flea market nearby, which is a rare find given our location on a small Puget Sound peninsula. I’d almost given up hunting for unique vintage items until I discovered this spot. It’s become a favorite source for treasures—like the green wire crate I found there earlier.
Last week my daughter and I spotted a charming small dresser that immediately felt right for our entry. Bringing it in changed the whole mood of the main floor. It wasn’t overly worn, featured vintage metal hardware and a softly rounded front, and best of all it was already finished in a color I loved, so no painting was required. A perfect score.
If you love natural wood, don’t worry — I do too and have plenty of it around the house. But this painted piece simply felt adorable in place.
The new entry dresser complements other painted items on the main floor: our powder room vanity, the dining table and two white-painted rattan chairs in the kitchen. Having several “white or nearly white” painted pieces creates a cohesive cottage vibe without steering the house too far from the mixed-style aesthetic I prefer. With white planked walls across the entry, the space feels bright, airy and welcoming.
We also found an amazing painting at that same thrift store. It caught my eye immediately — a nautical scene with sea and a boat that felt just right for the entry. Thrift and flea market shopping can be unpredictable, but lately I’ve had good luck. I picked up a few other small finds I’ll share later. The blue planter you see was a recent purchase from a favorite retailer, and it ties in nicely with the painting’s tones.
One of my favorite flea market discoveries was an old water jug I transformed into a working lamp. I surprised myself—lamp-making was easier than I expected and only took a few minutes to assemble safely. I’ll describe the process in a follow-up post, but making that first lamp has me hooked. It’s a quick, satisfying way to turn a thrifted object into a functional piece.
In the next post I share step-by-step details on how to make a bottle lamp, including the simple supplies and basic safety tips. It’s a fun and approachable DIY for anyone who wants to personalize thrifted finds.
So can you believe it? I made my own lamp!