This Second Hand September try these five tips and transform your home with pre-loved furniture and home decor.
It’s Second Hand September – the month when global charity Oxfam encourages people to shop second hand to reduce waste and take a stand against climate change.
While Oxfam’s goal is to inspire shoppers to embrace second hand fashion, all the benefits of scouring the shops or the internet for pre-owned clothes also apply to furniture and home décor.
Here are our tips to help you become second hand savvy so you can transform your home with pre-loved pieces.
- Seek inspiration
Before hitting the second hand market, spend time researching the styles and themes you want to incorporate in your décor. Magazines, websites and platforms like Pinterest are great places to find inspiration and start to hone your eye.
- Be patient
Shopping second hand won’t necessarily give you the instant gratification that can come from buying items brand-new. You might sometimes get lucky and find exactly what need as soon as you start looking for it, but finding the perfect pre-loved piece usually takes time, so be prepared to play the long game.
Keep an eye on local charity shops, garage sale and car boot listings and online marketplaces and your persistence should pay off!
- Inspect finds carefully
Give any items you’re thinking of buying a thorough check-over before you part with your money. Some signs of wear are to be expected, depending on the age of the piece, but you don’t want to find structural damage or missing parts once you get it home.
If you’re shopping online, don’t be afraid to ask the seller for additional photos or close-ups of details – and don’t forget to ask for measurements to make sure the item fits your space. If you’re shopping in person, always have a tape measure with you!
- Embrace DIY
One of the pleasures of decorating with second hand furniture is the chance to get creative. A piece you love that needs some TLC can be the perfect project, whether it’s a fresh coat of paint on a bookcase, new handles on a cabinet or replacement upholstery on a chair.
You don’t need to be a DIY expert to breathe new life into an older item – YouTube is a great place to start for how-to videos.
- Look out for opportunities to repurpose
Take upcycling a step further by using second hand items in a completely new way. For example, a beautiful old wooden door could become a unique coffee table, while vintage crates can have a new life as lamp tables or wall shelves.
Repurposing doesn’t have to be restricted to furniture. For example, one-of-a-kind artwork can be created using the frames from old prints to showcase other pre-loved items like patterned tea-towels or vintage postcards.
Charity shops, online marketplaces, flea markets, car boot sales and apps like Freecycle are all potential treasure troves of affordable and environmentally-friendly furniture.
With patience, care and some basic DIY skills you can incorporate second hand items into your décor to create a unique living space that truly reflects your taste and style.
