We’ve heard it before - shopping secondhand is one of the most sustainable things you can do. In Jamaica though, we don’t have a plethora of thrift stores available and accessibility to reliable secondhand items is limited. In the last few years however I have been seeing more secondhand vendors pop up who are trustworthy and who conduct good business. While I’m still working on how I feel about thrifting clothes, I am 100% all-in for buying secondhand, used, vintage and antique furniture and home decor.
My first few secondhand pieces were from my very kind parents who let me leave with certain items when I moved out. My first official score was a free roadside pick up. A neighbour had put out an old bedhead and bed-end and I just knew I could reimagine it. Lots of sanding and a can of stain later, it was repurposed into a wall-mounted tv console to sit under my tv. It sits in my living room even now.
I ventured into other areas for second-hand finds and while I have made a few mistakes, for the most part, I have found a good rhythm and secondhand shopping for furniture and decor is one of my favourite things to do. I’ll share here some general guidelines I follow when shopping:
Can I use it now? (I can talk myself into making almost anything useful, so the now is really the clincher. I legit will daydream about a piece and craft up in my imagination the perfect space that does not exist and then buy it to store it until my imagination comes to life. So, I desperately cling to that ‘now’.)
Can it fit? ( For me it’s not just a matter of the piece being able to physically fit in the space but also what kind of weight the piece adds to a room. if the room has heavier pieces and I’m trying to make it feel airy, a piece low to the ground or with chunky elements is the opposite of what I’d need)
Can I clean it? (I ask this for every single thing I bring into my home. As a love or all things woven, I need to know how to clean something. Some people are happy with just a professional clean, but if something is in my home I need to be able to clean it myself - I like having that reassurance.)
Is it the vibe? (I am not a matcher. I won’t have a matching bedroom set, I don’t want my living room furniture to be all one set and I don’t want my woods to match. I think of spaces like a feeling or mood and I think of moods as layered feelings. So if I think an arm chair is masculine and the vibe of the room is ‘grandpa’s library’ then chances are the arm chair will fit the vibe.)
Is it in good condition? (I’m game to repair what I can, but the condition of the piece should determine the price you pay. This also speaks to whether the piece is vintage or antique. A well-made vintage/antique piece should be of good enough quality that it can live through your home without you treating it like its glass. Unless you are a collector, if you bring a piece into your home you should be able to use it.)
I am always on the hunt for new pieces - whether it’s something that I can use right away or something that needs to be reimagined. Buying secondhand offers affordability, the option to layer/mix more modern styles with older ones, the opportunity to own pieces that were made to outlast its builder and it’s a great excuse to shop with intention. I personally, am hooked.
Have I convinced you yet? Let me know if you want some tips on how to weed out secondhand seller scams online.
til next time,
Jan