And The ABC’s of Gathering is BACK! It’s been a little while since the last installment, but I promise, this series isn’t going anywhere – although I do know better than to make promises about posting frequency.
In each episode of The ABC’s of Gathering, we’ve looked at various ways to use different kinds of gathered finds in the home, from art to Chinoiserie to embroidery.
For the purpose of this series, “gathered” refers to vintage, thrifted, or found objects – a completely opposite approach to decorating than walking into a big box store and purchasing a “household-to-go”. For many of us, that’s just not financially feasible, but even more importantly, we love the thrill of the hunt and the creativity that is born out of serendipitous discoveries!
Whether almost everything in your home is a secondhand find with a story, or you’ve never set foot in a thrift store but you’re looking to add a little soul to your decorating (which is where I was just a few years ago), it is always my hope that the posts in this series will inspire you, encourage you, and empower you to have a home that you love NOW.
Today’s post is brought to you by the letter “F.”
F is for Furniture
I have been looking forward to this topic since the very beginning. There’s absolutely nothing I love more than a fantastic furniture find and a good accompanying story!
(You can browse all my past vintage furniture finds here.)
In today’s post, we’ll be looking at the homes of many talented gatherers, who were kind enough to share all sorts of details with us on how they decorate with found furniture in living, dining, and bedroom spaces!
I always love to hear background info on where things were found and even how much they cost (and we all love to brag about our great scores, right?), so I’m so excited to be able to include many of those details for you.
All photos not my own are used by the permission of my gracious friends. You can read more by clicking on each picture or the link in the caption below – if you want to pin one of the images for inspiration, please click through and pin from the original source.
*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!
Living Spaces:
From couches to chairs to storage furniture – it’s truly amazing how much character gathered furniture can add to a space, whether you’re bringing in just one unique piece, or putting together an entire gathered room.
I’m sharing my own living room first, two ways – in our old home and then in the new place – because I think it’s really fun to see the way the furniture pieces fit into two very different spaces:
Catch our first living room tour here.
Catch our current living room tour here.
Gathered furniture:
All of the furniture pieces pictured!
- Green velvet sofa: $150, thrift store
- Vintage brass chair: $15, Craigslist
- Lucite coffee table: $90, thrift store
- Ikea club chairs (with painted upholstery and DIY black trim): $100, Craigslist
- Antique French oak sideboard: $250, Craigslist
- 1980’s channel-back leather club chairs: $40, Craigslist
In all, that’s under $700 for everything and truly, even if I’d had a budget ten times that, I don’t think I could be any happier. The discipline and patience I’ve learned slowly gathering these finds and watching my style evolve over the years has been priceless.
via SG Style
via SG Style
Whose space?
The color-loving Shavonda from SG style, who just might love Craigslist as much as I do!
Gathered furniture:
- Sofa: Restoration Hardware, $1500, Craigslist
- Vintage burl coffee table: FREE, Offer Up
- Vintage Eames-style lounge chair: $300, Craigslist
The takeaway:
Oftentimes, new furniture is like a new car – once it leaves the lot/store, it dramatically dips in resale value. Buying secondhand can be an incredible way to find high-quality, high-end pieces at much more accessible prices!
Also, don’t skip the “free” section! You never know what someone just wants gone!
Whose space?
Dena from Hearts and Sharts, who has a great sense of humor and a flair for Mid Century Modern.
Gathered furniture:
- Mid Century gondola sofa: Craigslist
- Yellow chair (painted chair frame deets): $60, estate sale
The takeaway:
Be on the look out for statement pieces! Dena’s navy blue velvet gondola style sofa is so unique – definitely not a piece you can just walk into a store and purchase. It helps set the fun and relaxed retro vibe of the entire room.
via @dougfritock on Instagram
Whose space?
Denver thrifter and Etsy shop owner Doug Fritock, @doug_fritock on Instagram, Modern Geometry 101 on Etsy.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage Vatne Mobler lounge chair: $100, Craigslist
- Vintage wicker egg chair: $15, Craigslist
- Brass table: Consignment shop // Glass top: thrift store
The takeaway:
You don’t need to spend big bucks for killer vintage style! Patient and persistent searching can seriously pay off.
Whose space?
Self-proclaimed 80’s rock, cheap beer-lover, and freak flag flyer Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage Couch: Local vintage shop
- Mid Century coffee table: Yard sale
- Vintage bar: Thrift store
The takeaway:
If you love bold eclectic spaces, vintage and gathered furniture are your best resources for bringing in drama and attitude. I’m obsessed with Jenna’s curvaceous couch – it feels so very Scarface, which is just about the highest praise I can give!
via Swoon Worthy
Whose space?
Kimberly from Swoon Worthy, UK blogger and master of glam design.
Gathered furniture:
- Mid Century woven wicker hoop chairs: £45 via eBay
The takeaway:
eBay! I personally never remember to search eBay (or other online auctions) for furniture, but Kimberly has found many of her best vintage finds there. She has an entire post devoted to tips on how to become an eBay ninja that’s well worth the read!
Whose space?
Thrift Score Thursday cohost and entrepreneur-extraordinaire Cassie from Primitive and Proper.
Gathered furniture:
- Navy velvet sofa: found at Sweet Clover, the vintage home decor and handmade marketplace Cassie runs with her friend Sarah.
- Vintage Artedi glass waterfall coffee table: won in an online auction
- Leather chair: handed down from a friend
The takeaway:
Mix styles and eras! Cassie’s ornate antique sofa and sleek and modern glass table work together so well, but don’t have anything in common besides the fact that she loves them both.
Of course, there might be times when styles or colors are so incongruous they don’t mesh well, but I’m a big believer that when you buy individual pieces that you love, you can pull it all together into a space you will love too!
Whose space?
Eclectic decorating blogger Rachael from This Is Our Bliss.
Gathered furniture:
- Mid Century chest: $50 via a local consignment shop
- Vintage mirror: thrift store
The takeaway:
To paint or not to paint? Always a good question with furniture finds! This Mid Century chest sat in Rachael’s garage for almost a year while she debated its fate, but in the end she decided to leave the wood untouched and add a fun and unexpected leopard print pattern to the drawers inside. The mirror on top, on the other hand, got a glossy pink spray paint makeover.
So don’t rush straight into a paint job – I like to live with finds as-is for a while before deciding whether to permanently alter them or not. In the end, it’s only paint and what YOU want to do is the most important consideration, but you just mind end up falling in love with the original finish!
Living Room | via Scotch & Nonsense
Library | via Scotch & Nonsense
Whose space?
Arielle of Scotch & Nonsense, cocktail connoisseur and 150-year-old house dweller.
Gathered furniture:
- Leather and chrome chairs: FREE! Found in her husband’s parents’ basement
- Brass coffee tables: Craigslist
- Burl and brass table: $60, thrift store
The takeaway:
The straight lines and mixed metals of Arielle’s vintage furniture finds bring some modern edge to the stately and traditional details of her home.
Also, always check the basement! We don’t even have basements here in Texas, but it’s still a good reminder to check if friends and family have any hidden treasures they might be happy to rehome.
Whose space?
Boho decorator and Thrift Score Thursday cohost Corinna from A Designer At Home.
Gathered furniture:
Like me, just about everything in Corinna’s house is a secondhand score.
- Mid Century arm chair: $50 via Craigslist
- Bamboo chair
- Mid Century credenza: $95 via Craigslist
The takeaway:
Do you love Bohemian style? Vintage pieces are the perfect Boho starting point! Draped fabrics and layered pillows can completely change the feel of a piece of furniture and even substitute for reupholstery.
via PMQ for Two
via PMQ for Two
Whose space?
Ariel from PMQ for Two, military spouse, frequent mover, and pro at settling in and making housing feel like home!
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage caned sofa and chair: $100, thrift store
The takeaway:
Just because it’s not your forever home doesn’t mean you can’t have a stylish space you love! Ariel turns to Kijiji and thrift stores to furnish her PMQs on a budget, focusing on pieces that can fit into any space or be easily resold later.
via @ericareitman on Instagram
Whose space?
My design crush, L.A. based decorator Erica Reitman – @ericareitman on Instagram, ericareitman.com.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage pencil reed coffee table: Thrifted
The takeaway:
This shot is such a great example of how even one gathered piece can complete a space. Just imagine a more generic coffee table instead – the room would definitely be missing the sculptural, textural interest this remarkable vintage piece brings!
Dining Spaces:
via Cuckoo 4 Design
Whose space?
Julia from Cuckoo 4 Design, fellow cat lover and master of all things black and white and stylish.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage tulip chairs: $75, local auction
- Glass dining table: $25, local auction
- Antique velvet settee: $170, local auction
The takeaway:
Check your local auctions! This is a venue for gathering that I have not taken advantage of yet, but Julia is a pro at finding treasures (even though she doesn’t love stressful bidding situations). You can catch her best tips for decorating on a budget here.
via Arielle Goldman, @ariellesgoldman on Instagram
Whose space?
Arielle from Scotch & Nonsense.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage burl dining table: local vintage shop
- Dining chairs: handed down from her husband’s parents and re-covered with peacock blue velvet fabric.
The takeaway:
It’s worth waiting for the right piece! Arielle was using a loaner table from her in-laws that wasn’t quite her style and was actually shopping for a planter when she came across this burl beauty at a local Richmond vintage shop.
Also, dining chairs are typically super easy to re-cover, so that’s one of the quickest ways to change up your dining room style!
via 58 Water Street
Whose space?
Home decor blogger and vintage furniture lover Colleen from 58 Water Street.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage Richardson-Nemschoff chairs: $30 via Craigslist
- Oak pedestal table: Craigslist, refinished by Colleen
The takeaway:
The Mid Century Modern chairs and traditional oak pedestal table complement each other so well. Even though their styles are different, they share the same beautiful wood tone. Understated, yet classic.
Whose place?
Maggie from Maggie Overby Studios, Thrift Score Thursday host, collector of West German pottery, and dedicated chair junkie.
Gathered furniture:
- Mid Century Modern china cabinet: $225
- Mid Century Modern Dining set: $100, thrift store
The takeaway:
You just can’t go wrong with the beautiful lines of Mid Century Modern furniture! Fun fact: the china cabinet, table, and chairs are NOT a set. Maggie saved the china cabinet from a bad distressed paint finish at the hands of its former owner in Alabama and snagged the dining table and chairs at a thrift store in Germany.
The dining room in our first home.
Painted & re-covered faux bamboo chairs.
Whose space?
My former dining room.
Gathered furniture:
Mid Century burl patchwork dining table: $100, Craigslist
Vintage Dixie faux bamboo chairs: $125, Craigslist – painted and re-covered by me.
The takeaway:
You might have heard this story before, but I actually ended up spending nothing when we furnished our dining room!
The vintage burl patchwork dining table came with a set of six non-matching dining chairs that I was able to sell within 24 hours to cover the purchase price of the table. The vintage faux bamboo chairs had a matching dining table that sold for about $300, netting me $175 and more than covering the paint and fabric I used to transform them!
I love buying furniture sets and then selling a portion to cover my initial costs – it’s my dirty little free decorating secret!
Bedroom Spaces:
Whose space?
Jenna from Rain On A Tin Roof‘s daughter, affectionately nicknamed “The Circus.”
Gathered furniture:
Brass bed: thrift store
Nightstand: thrift store, repainted by Jenna
The takeaway:
The giant brass bed frame is a super fun addition to a kid’s bedroom, isn’t it? It’s the kind of over-the-top brass piece that could send you running screaming with 90’s flashbacks, but mixing it with bright colors and bold prints gives it a totally whimsical spin.
via @southlooploft on Instagram
Whose space?
Beth, @southlooploft on Instagram – vintage furniture hunter and owner of South Loop Loft, recently featured by Architectural Digest as one of “Ten Chicago Shops You Don’t Want to Miss”!
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage card catalog: Beth hauled this home in a rain storm, tied to the top of her Honda Accord! She refinished it and added hairpin legs.
The takeaway:
Some finds are just worth it! You might remember my similar story – how we drove hours for my dream leather Chesterfield sofa and brought it home in a torrential downpour. Certainly, it needs to be a very special piece if you’re going to go to such lengths to acquire it, but some things are absolutely worth the hassle.
Whose space?
Maggie from Maggie Overby Studios.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage Henredon faux bamboo bed: $225, local antique mall
- Campaign night stands: $250, local vintage store, painted and base added by Maggie
- Mid Century coffee table turned bench: $20 at a thrift store + $30 worth of supplies to turn it into a bench.
The takeaway:
Get creative with your furniture finds! I’m truly blown away at the way Maggie transformed the vintage campaign night stands and turned a laminate-topped coffee table in a beautiful upholstered bench. The vintage head board was a bit too short for a modern-sized bed, so she mounted it a few inches higher on the wall.
I’ll admit, I can easily get stuck considering a piece the way it is – cultivating the vision for what it can be is such a wonderful way to make the most of gathering!
The guest room in our first home.
Vintage post office box as a night stand.
Whose space?
The guest room in our previous home.
Gathered furniture:
- Bed frame: hand-me-down from my parents’ house
- Vintage post office box: $25, Craigslist
- Vintage bentwood chair: Free with a desk purchase on Craigslist
The takeaway:
The guest room really became a haven for misfit furniture in our house, but in the end I loved the way they all worked together. True to my earlier advice on painting, I held onto the vintage post office box as-is for quite a while, trying to decide where and how to use it, until I was absolutely certain that painting it would make me love it even more.
Whose space?
Cassie from Primitive and Proper.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage folding screen turned headboard: purchased at Sweet Clover
- Bench: The Old Lucketts Store, a vintage/antique store
- Vintage nightstands: Bought from a friend and painted
- Mid Century dresser: $30, Goodwill + new hardware and gel stain finish
The takeaway:
Let your space evolve over time! Cassie is a dear blogging friend, so I’ve had the privilege of watching her decor unfold over the past several years as she finds new pieces and shuffles old ones throughout her home. Her bedroom has a lovely mix of refinished and “as found” pieces.
via Britt Kingery
via Britt Kingery
Whose space?
The color-loving, risk-taking Britt Kingery with flawless design instincts and gorgeous painted floors.
Gathered furniture:
- Mid Century dresser pair: $350, Craigslist
- Mid Century Broyhill Brasilia night stands: $50 each, found separately at a flea market and an estate sale, a year apart!
The takeaway:
Sometimes gathering takes a little faith! I LOVE buying things in pairs, but sometimes you just have to scoop up a treasure and hope that its mate shows up later – which actually happens surprisingly often! I’ve found dining sets that were missing a chair only to spot the matching chair a month later on Craigslist, or visited two different thrift stores that have solo halves of a pair of chairs/tables/etc… And most often, I’m lamenting the fact that I didn’t pick up the first one!
Previous master bedroom tour
Previous master bedroom tour
Whose space?
The master bedroom in our first house.
Gathered furniture:
- Vintage brass bed: $100, Craigslist
- Burl cabinets, used as nighstands: $40, thrift store, with DIY marble tops using this marble contact paper + particle board.
The takeaway:
Go with your gut! When I bought this brass bed frame, friends and family thought I had lost my mind. I was totally second-guessing the purchase and worrying I had veered into bad-80’s territory with such a giant gaudy piece! But I really loved this bed frame, so it moved with us twice and really came into its own in the master bedroom in our first house, where feedback was overwhelmingly positive and I discovered that it really was quite the vintage find.
Most importantly, I learned to trust my own taste and instincts, because of course what really mattered the most is that I loved the bed frame all along!
All right!
That’s a wrap on the biggest ABC’s of Gathering post EVER (to date)!
But we don’t have be done talking about gathered furniture – tell me about your best furniture finds by commenting below or posting on Instagram using #ABCsofGathering #FisforFurniture!
And while you’re waiting for the next ABC’s of Gathering post, why not share this one with your friends?
Love this post! So many beautiful space so little money spent! A good eye can take you a long way even with a small wallet.
So true! As I was pulling this post together, I kept stopping to check Craigslist, it was all so inspiring! 😀
Wow, so wonderfully detailed and so many scores! Totally inspiring to see where everyone found their items–just goes to show great stuff is all around you! Really enjoyed this, Brynne!
I’m so glad, sweet friend! Thank you for participating! Craigslist is my go-to source, but after seeing all the various places everyone found their treasures, I am super inspired to step up my estate sale, flea market, and auction game!
i am absolutely drooling over all of these spaces! i really am honored that you included me with all of these (and i can’t stand when people get all “i’m so honored” so you know i REALLY mean it). awesome post- i love these gathering posts!
Aw, yay! Thank so much, Cassie! I really do love pulling these posts together because it’s so fun to see everyone’s gathered treasures en masse and get to focus in on the different pieces that make up a room! Plus, it was fun playing detective and digging through old blog and Instagram posts to search out sources and prices!
Great post!
Thank you so much, Ellen! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
Love, love, love these wonderful finds. I also noticed the great rugs in each room. Have you found places where these show up?
Thanks!
Yes! That’s also something that stuck out to me as I was pulling this post together! So much so that “R is for Rugs” will be coming down the pipeline eventually. 🙂 Until then, I’ve found some great rugs on Craigslist – I like to just search “rug” and browse visually – and my local Salvation Army always seems to have a decent rug selection.
i have been enjoying the series as well as tst very much xx
Thank you, Chris – I’m so glad! I really do enjoy pulling these posts together!
Best post to date! The photos are so inspiring.
My best finds: a $50 Drexel Heritage coffee table – has a 42″ sq. HEAVY glass top. Approximate value if purchasing new; $2500. Found on Craig’s List.
A gorgeous Hancock and Moore (!) sofa purchased from a friend’s estate sale for $350. Price when new (12 years ago) was $6500!! It still looks showroom new.
A 1960’s Henredon buffet for $400 which comes from the same collection (Artefacts) as a vitrine I inherited from my mom. Nice, simple lines and beautiful, solid pecan wood. A new Henredon buffet would be a minimum of $5000, no? And, can you even GET new pecan furniture today???
Oh yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Mollie! Wow, wow, wow – those sound like some seriously incredible finds and I just love comparing the price of “found” and new pieces. So inspiring! And like you said, you might not even be able to find such high quality solid wood pieces these days, at any price!
Love, love this article. They just don’t make furniture like they used to. Just a bought 8 shield back chairs and a matching double pedestal dining table. Can’t wait to redo them. I am not sure if I should use a dark gel stain or paint them black. Any thoughts?
I so agree, Debbie! That’s another reason why I love buying vintage furniture – the quality is just amazing compared to most furniture these days!
I’ve used gel stain before and I wasn’t a huge fan, but it’s because I re-did a table top indoors and that stuff is incredibly stinky and takes FOREVER to dry… If you’re able to work in the garage or on a porch or something and then give it enough drying time, it works a lot better! 🙂 I painted my dining chairs black and they’ve help up very well. It all depends on the final look you’re going for!
This is one of my fav blog posts ever. I am just so jealous that I rarely find such steals. 🙂 I will live vicariously through all of you…haha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Saher! It was so much fun to write – and all the finds kept me pausing and checking Craigslist every few minutes! 🙂
My favorite things about this post is the new blogs you’ve introduced me to! So many beautiful finds and inspiring space! I love these ABCs!
Oh yay! I’m so glad, Colleen! I really am always reminded of how talented my blogging friends are – that might be one of my favorite parts of pulling together posts in this series! And when I see a pin on my sister’s Pinterest board and go, “Hey – I know her!” Too much fun 😀
Thanks for letting me include your fabulous chair finds – I’d love to score a set just like them myself!
Wow, Brynne! This post was really something! So detailed, organized and filled with truly inspiring people and their finds! Thanks so much for including me! Wonderful job 😉 I better go and hop on Craig’s List now ha!
Thank you Rachael! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! I was wracking my brain for the best way to organize and present ALL the info I wanted to include!
Thank you for letting me share your adorable bar!
Hi Brynne,
Loving the blog.
I am a longtime gatherer/thrifter/bargain hunter but sadly with a large family and a small home this doesn’t always work out , doesn’t stop me though 🙂
My best find to date is a large buttoned leather chesterfield.You reminded me in your post . I’ve wanted one for years and finally got one last year. Bonus as well as it’s a bed settee.It’s definately vintage and I love it. It was on our local freecycle and as soon as I saw it I messaged the lady to say yes please, I didn’t even know whether it would fit anywhere (it did thankfully). My dh and son went to collect it from a 3rd floor flat(apartment) with no lift and narrow stairwells, then had to bring it in the house via the back garden. They also brought with them a matching captains chair. No matter what we do to the house now (a work in progress) this stays.
Lesley in the UK 🙂
Thank you so much, Lesley!
And oh my goodness – your leather Chesterfield sounds absolutely divine! Absolutely worth any trouble bring it home, I’m sure!