Vintage items add character and interest to a room. It’s fairly simple to go to a store and buy everything brand new. However, it’s not as fun as adding your favorite “old” pieces to a new space.
Check out how I used (and transformed) five vintage items for our guest bedroom. After reading these strategies, you can certainly apply these low-cost principles to your room as well!
5 wonderful vintage finds from the guest bedroom
Candlestick holder
Let’s start with the nearly free project first! I scored this candle holder for free from a neighborhood garage sale! (I kinda showed up when the sale was almost over and the sellers wanted to just get rid of stuff.) Intrigued by its trumpet shape, I knew that this candle holder could look modern with a makeover.
My solution? Spray paint!
I had some leftover matte black spray paint from numerous other projects on hand. I simply cleaned the already scuffed up candle holder and gave it two coats of paint! As a result, it looks like I bought it brand new!
The matte black finish is so modern and on trend right now. The black paint also smoothed out the uneven surface of the old candle holder. Lastly, it balances out the black touches in the room. The black in the striped curtains are now on the opposite side of the room in the candle holder as well!
Vintage radio
This cute radio was a vintage score from my travels in Arkansas. I love peeking into small vintage shops and thrift stores when I travel. Most of the time, I find much more interesting stuff on the road than when I am at home!
This is a portable Motorola transmitter radio from 1961. Its genuine leather case caught my eye. I haven’t tested it to see if it works yet. It’s not worth a lot of money, but I don’t care. Truly, I bought it because it looked cool.
Brass hanging planter
I clearly have a thing for brass — vintage brass at that. I understand why many have an adverse reaction to brass though, especially if you survived the era of 90s brass! However, old brass is good! It’s solid and not too yellow and cheap looking (looking at you, 90s faucets and door knobs).
Last year, I scored this brass hanging planter from a garage sale. I think I paid $3. Of course, I struck up a little conversation with the sellers. They were a wife and husband from Louisiana who had been married over 35 years. The brass planter was a wedding gift. Aww!
Need to see these thrift makeovers in action? I showed my candle holder and hanging planter projects for the One Room Challenge here!
For the guest bedroom, I cleaned out the pot and cut off the old rusty chains that used to hang it. Next, I added some faux ferns. After that, I used some string I had in my crafting stash and tied up the pot once again. The ceiling hook was in my DIY stash as well.
In the end, the most expensive part of the project were the ferns.
Vintage wool blanket
This wool blanket is one of my all time favorite purchases EVER! It’s thick and warm — perfect for my always-cold dad. Additionally, I love the rich and vibrant red color! Blankets of this quality can easily cost you $100 nowadays. I scored this bad boy for $5. Say it with me: GARAGE SALES REMAIN UNDEFEATED!
To freshen the blanket up for my home, I washed the blanket in two cycles of laundry detergent and vinegar in cold water. For the first cycle, I set my washer to do a soak before agitating. I usually don’t use fabric softener, but I added just a little bit for the second cycle. Lastly, I tossed the blanket in the dryer on high with a couple of dryer sheets. Only then did I feel comfortable enough to bring it into the house. That wool blanket is my dad’s favorite now!
Geometric euro shams
Now hear me out on this one. Yes, I am indeed counting these euro shams from West Elm as vintage as they are no longer sold in stores. I sourced from an oldie but goodie: eBay!
First, I purchased these 24×24 shams for $15 a piece. After that, I purchased the pillow inserts are from IKEA. Seriously, IKEA has the best pillow insert for throw pillows! Cost-wise, there is no competition in my area. Therefore, I simply ordered them online and selected the drive up option to avoid the madness of the IKEA maze!
No IKEA in your area? Check eBay for IKEA pillows inserts! They should come rolled up in plastic. So, all you have to do is take them out of the plastic and fluff them out.
Conclusion
In conclusion, don’t overlook garage sales, thrift shops, and even eBay for solid vintage scores. If necessary, you can do simple thrift makeovers to make your vintage scores work for your space.
If you are already a vintage maven, spill in the comments your favorite place to score vintage items!
Sincerely,
Felicia.
You know I love a good vintage find, and that blanket is a SPECTACULAR score! It’s amazing!
Thank you, Carly!
Great finds for this room.. I really love how you styled them and the vintage radio… cool nostalgic piece.
Thank you! I need to add batteries and crank the radio up!