For me, there’s something so exciting about finding just the right piece in a secondhand shop vs. looking in a catalogue or branded store. Maybe it’s because you’re finding one-of-a-kind pieces? Or because you have to work so much harder to find something. Or, I find, sometimes secondhand pieces have so much more character.
There are a handful of secondhand pieces we own that every time I look at I think to myself, I’m so glad I found you // brought you home // loved you like a James Blunt song. So on this lazy and very sunny Friday, I thought I’d share the pieces I’m eternally glad I found …
1. BAR CART, €10 from Debra Ireland charity shop
It wasn’t even for sale the day I went into Debra Ireland charity shop and asked about our bar cart. I love our bar cart. I’m not a particularly outgoing person when it comes to people I don’t know or potentially awkward situations, so asking about buying our bar cart was a big deal at the time. Nowadays I think to myself, what would be worse? Doing something and it being a little awkward for 5 minutes, or not doing that thing and regretting it forever? I’m going for the former more and more these days. If you’d like, you can see my original bar cart blog post here!
.2. MOZART BUST, €15 from Second Abbey
He wears a less these days as I find I don’t wear necklaces very often anymore, but my Mozart bust is still one of my favourite pieces in our bedroom. Mozart was also my very first Instagram! If you’d like to see what Mozart looked like before and his little story, check it out here.
3. STOKKE SLEEPI CRIB, €200 on adverts.ie
I know going by the price we paid, it doesn’t seem like we got a good deal. But considering these cribs cost 4-figures brand new, can transform and last for 10+ years and is just straight up a beautiful crib, it was an investment we were happy to make. If you’d like to know more, you can read about our Stokke crib’s longevity here.
p.s. Cora knows a good deal when she sees it.
4. BEDSIDE TABLES, €16 for the pair on adverts.ie
They were such cheap and rickety bedside tables, but when I took the drawers apart to repaint them, I found they had been put together wrong. A few coats of paint, some faux marble painting on the top and some new handles, I still love our bedside tables. And the paint has held up perfectly even since. You can see their transformation here.
5. CURIO CABINET, €20 from Mac’s Warehouse
My curio cabinet was gifted to me by my parents for my 30th birthdayafter they asked and I hinted towards what I’d like. I love my cabinet, but … I’ve never really filled it. Welp + guilt. I’ve tried styling a few things in it, but nothing looks right. I think only a collection of one type of thing will work. I have a healthy collection of feathers and I’d love to display them, but I don’t know how. Tape them up? Put them in little jars? I’m really useless and get stuck with the silliest design problems.
You are so good with your thrifty finds! That barcart was such a bargain, and in the perfect champagne colour to go with everything! The transformation of your bedside tables is brilliant and I'm still mega impressed with your faux marbling!
I'm trying to think of a solution to the curio cabinet – the feathers would look great in there, but I'm not sure how you could display them. The little jars idea might work – you could try to attach the stalky bit of the feathers to the middle of the bottom of the jar lid, so the feather hangs down in the jar. Not quite sure how, or if that makes any sense?! xx
No, no, that makes perfect sense! I know exactly what you mean. I had never thought of displaying them like that. I actually saw a piece the other day where in the background someone had a piece of paper taped to the outside of a frame (on the glass vs. being under it), and I was thinking that might be neat. Which makes it seem like I'm shunning your idea – I'm not! I just don't know yet how I'd like to display them 😅 But I can feel I'm getting closer. Kind of. Or maybe all my feathers will just stay in their box for another few years x