We've lived in a lot of different places. In fact, since Ben and I got married seven years ago, we've moved a total of 10 times. This is the sole reason why, when people ask if we are flipping the house we are currently living in and renovating, I laugh hysterically. With two kids, a new business and our moving record? Not a chance. Despite the many moves, I've always made the effort to make our house a home, and we've often heared the same sentence from friends and visitors passing through, " I love that ___ ! where did you get it?"
I'm not sure when it happened really, this love for finding unique and beautiful items. I'm sure
somewhere along the line it started with my most
favourite trait my mom passed down to me: a serious passion for garage sales. I can think of no greater way to pass a Saturday morning, and at one point I could have credited almost half the furniture and accessories in my house to garage sale purchases.
Life has gotten busy, and unfortunately my kids aren't at the age where garage sale-ing with them is something I want to do anytime soon, but here are a few tips to finding (and purchasing) those awesome, one-of-a-kind pieces.
1. Don't Think Too Hard
I would say that it's not very often I buy I piece knowing exactly where it's going to go. More often than not I see something that's cool, I pick it up, and I imagine all the places it could go (Can this
hang on my wall? Macrame it from the ceiling? Put it on a tray on my coffee table? Use it as a paper weight in my office?) If I have no clue where or how I might use it, but love it to death, I usually get it. Knowing exactly where something might go isn't the point, but having an object that is beautiful, unique, and helps make your space YOURS, is.
2. Look Often
The trick to amazing finds isn't looking long and hard, it's looking often. Garage sales and thrift stores never take more than a few minutes to wander through, but every week there are new items to be seen. If you're only going to go Garage Sale-ing a few times in a season, find out when different neighborhood are having their 'Parade of Garage Sales' and plan to go out when your favourite areas are having theirs. Less driving in between the houses means efficiency, which is key, and believe me, I've been taught by the best!
Stores like Winners or Homesense in Canada (Ross in the US) also get new product weekly. It usually takes me a bit longer to walk through their stores, because they have so much great stuff, but I often find a few things for a fraction of the cost of what I would pay elsewhere. The key again though, is to go often! Be the first to scoop up the awesome deal!
3. Prioritize
Though Ben and I moved a billion times in seven years, it has always been important to me to have an inspiring home. Even when we moved across an ocean, I packed up decor and photo frames and paid extra for the added luggage, simply because making our
spaces ours was worth the hassle. We spend SO MUCH TIME in our houses and, in my opinion, they need to be places that inspire and rejuvenate and excite and heal- no matter what. So how do you fill your home with all kinds of beautiful pieces? You find them, and then you actually buy them. You prioritize your home, and do whatever you need to do, so that when you see a throw pillow that you can't live without, you can just buy it, no sweat.
**Just a little note to be clear, I'm not advocating that you buy all of the things and then make your family eat Mac N' Cheese for the rest of the month. I am advocating however, to prioritize your home because to me, it's so important and worth it!
4. Be On The Lookout
You never know where your new favourite vase might be hiding! Stores benefit from appealing to many different people, at least on some level, so its not uncommon to see greeting cards perfect for a photo frame sold at building supply stores, or cute succulents at gas stations. I'm not sure which rock I've been under, but did you know that Lowe's has a great decor section? Ben knows that if there is a cute section I'm gonna find it, and I'm gonna take a peak. Sometimes I find nothing, and sometimes I find the wall hanging I never knew I needed. Either way, it's always fun to look.
5. Support an Artist
One of the BEST ways to have unique and awesome items in your home is to purchase them directly from an artist. Places like Etsy, local art exhibits, or Artist Markets are the easiest way to source original art, and more often than not, artists love the chance to work with you to create custom pieces. I picked up these surf/ beach photos from a photographer I found on Etsy for my son's room, and though they, like most art, were an investment, knowing I was supporting a fellow creative just feels right.
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