Sustainability In Interior Design Series - Week 6
Sourcing Second Hand has never been easier!
Sourcing Second Hand
Welcome to week 6 of our series exploring sustainable design in interiors. This week we are going to deep dive in to sourcing second hand preloved items, so grab a cuppa, get comfy on your sofa and lets dive in!
It’s our final edition in this sustainability series and this week we are focusing on sourcing second hand. There are so many reasons to consider buying second hand, the most obvious being the environmental benefits to reusing an item that already exists rather than producing new.
Adding an older item into your room adds interest and story that new pieces simply do not have.
Personally, I find sourcing second hand allows me the opportunity to make changes more easily. When you have only paid £50 for your dining room chairs, changing them for a different set of second-hand ones feels easier to justify as it is more of a circular economy.
Retro and antique pieces are often cheaper especially if you are buying away from current trends. They are often a better construction (just be careful to inspect for woodworm – this can be very easily treated but you don’t want to be unknowingly bringing an active infestation into your home).
Painting of furniture can be a bit marmite as the camp is split between those who believe it is sacrilege to ruin beautiful furniture and those who believe giving a new lease of life to an unused item to be more important.
If you don’t have the skills, confidence or time to try painting furniture yourself there are plenty of skilled artists around who can do this for you. I love the work of both Marcie K Designs & Dog Head Designs who are incredible artists with inspiring imaginations.
Charity shops
I find it amazing that anyone is able to walk past a charity shop without going in! I have so many wonderful items that I have bought from charity shops and I also love donating to them too!
They are great for vases, ornaments and fabrics (if you need curtains or a tablecloth always check out their fabric sections).
Many charity shops now have online shops for their higher end pieces and unique finds.
Online Selling sites
Facebook marketplace, gumtree and Vinted are excellent and you can often pick up amazing bargains.
There also many sites that will source for you or sell preloved finds making removing the hassle of the search from you. Obviously these pieces cost more but they save you time of looking. I love Retrovirus and for really special pieces Drew Pritchard
Auctions
Auctions are wonderful places, they now exist online as well as in person. I believe everyone should experience the thrill of bidding at an auction at least once in their lives!
One of my most prized possessions is a 2 seater chesterfield sofa that my nan bought me about 10 years ago from a charity auction for £100.
Carboot sales
The old adage the early bird catches the worm really is literally true when it comes to carboot sales as they start so bloody early! Although I have noticed the number of mid-week day time ones increasing which is good news for those of us who sometimes struggle to haul themselves out of bed before the cock crows at the weekend. The key to success at car boots is all in the rummage – you have to get in and search for the treasure!
Fairs
These are diarised and attended more religiously than church by fans. Again the items will be more expensive because you are paying someone else to source for you but the variety and uniqueness of items is amazing. The literal sweet shop for grown ups. I love the Frome Independent Market and The Country Brocante.
I’d love to hear about your favourite preloved finds, please do drop me a line and I’ll share the best ones with you Instagram!
Becky x