2021 was a year filled with some amazing thrifted and vintage finds! It's also the year I started really sharing more about thrifting and the stories behind the pieces in my home.
When I started sharing my home, I thought people would mainly be interested in pretty, perfectly styled, finished spaces, but so many of you have told me how much you enjoy seeing how I thrift, what I find, how I transform pieces, and hearing whatever history I can find about the old junk I bring home. It's so good to know there's lots of other people out there who appreciate finding old, forgotten treasures and bringing them to life again with a little love so thank you for following along with what I do!
Since we're nearing the end of the year, I thought it'd be fun to share some of my favorite finds from thrift stores, garage sales, vintage and antique shops, and more with a list of 21 favorite thrift finds of 2021!
1.
We kicked things off with a bang when I found THE PERFECT vintage bedframe back in January. I'd been searching for one for the longest time and this beautiful frame couldn't be more perfect.
2.
One of my most recent finds is this tweed armchair. It was in amazing condition and I loved the shape and color, but I kind of have a problem with buying too many chairs so I didn't get it. I spent the rest of the day obsessing over whether or not I should have. I asked my mom and sisters who made a few jokes about it looking like a clam. I polled Instagram and TikTok who largely agreed that I did, in fact, need this chair so I called the shop and they held it for me until the next day. Once we got it home, I knew I'd made the right decision. The colors were beyond perfect and it's such a cozy space to curl up.
3.
I picked up these tiny prints in an antique shop while on vacationww and was so lucky they fit in my suitcase with all the other treasures I'd accumulated on that trip. They're the perfect color and vibe for Isla's room and they remind me a lot of Thumbelina.
4.
I debated grabbing this boat picture because I have far too many things hanging on my walls, but it was $8 so I did it. It ended up being the perfect piece to tie together a lot of the colors and elements in Emmitt's room and now I'm obsessed with it! Emmitt thinks it's pretty cool too because boats.
5.
My sister actually found this while we were antiquing. She was going to get it and I told her if she didn't, I wanted to. At the checkout she decided to let me buy it instead and it's a piece I've worn weekly since. She has a great eye!
6.
I saw this German Papa mug in an antique shop and it was totally my style! The only problem was I'm not a papa.... and I couldn't really see any of the Papas I know using this mug. I picked it up and set it down several times before deciding I was just going to get it. It ended up being 20% off which was a plus and I've just been using it for pens and things.
7.
This was a meant-to-be find if there ever was one. Emmitt had gotten really into space and would try to use my camera tripod as a telescope when he played. So much so that he would get mad at me when I needed to use it for taking pictures! I told him I would look for a real telescope and the very next time I went thrifting, I found this! He was SO excited and had us carry it around the house to whichever room he wanted to play in for about a week after!
8.
I found not one, but THREE vintage dollhouses this year! (I only have a picture of one, the rest are in storage.) I'd been wanting to find one to fix up for Isla and I was able to track down a beautiful Tudor. Months later I came across this gorgeous victorian at an unbelievable price so I got that one too. Then a neighbor was throwing away a ranch style dollhouse that needed a lot of work. I asked if I could take it home and they were happy to let it go to another family. I've been too busy with the real house to make any progress with the dollhouses, but I plan to fix up the first two and transform the last into a log cabin for Emmitt.
9.
I knew I would get in trouble for buying these, but I just couldn't leave them behind. We have way too many drinking glasses, but these roses captured my heart and now they're my favorite in our cabinet and my most asked about online.
10.
These little cuties were a garage sale find and another set I couldn't resist. I have one more coming that was found after the garage sale (luckily Nathan's coworker was the one who hosted the sale). I love that just one is white and the rest are yellow, it makes it a little more unique. (Still have some rust stains I need to remove.)
11.
I grabbed this retro radio from a thrift shop and later that day saw a DIY from a friend where she painted an old radio white. Her's looked amazing so I had to turn mine white too!
12.
I got more into thrifted fashion this year and found a lot of amazing bags! Here are two of my favorite. Both are leather and in pristine condition.
13.
I haven't show this piece much just because it's in a tricky space to photograph, but it's probably one of the finds I'm most proud of this year. I saw this vintage display case on Facebook Marketplace for $50. Nathan was wonderful and brought it home for me and turns out it's the absolute heaviest thing in the world! But even better than I expected. First of all, it lights up! How cool is that?? It's got big drawers in the back that are amazing storage for us and it even has outlets underneath to connect to other display cases and things in a shop so it makes an awesome spot for our TV and other devices. The designs on it are actually all hand painted and I've loved styling it for the different seasons. I'll show more of it soon and give a tour of my little Christmas village inside.
14.
This sweet little butterfly necklace is one I wear often. I found it at an antique shop and loved the whimsical 70's vibe. They had a similar one in blue I wish I'd grabbed too.
15.
What decided the hit family Halloween costume this year? A thrift trip of course! I saw this legit, Disney Store 101 Dalmatians coat at Goodwill and sent a. picture to Nathan as a joke. It was $20 and even though it's a good price for what it is, I wasn't going to spend that on a giant Dalmatian coat I didn't need. Well Nathan thumbs up-ed the text and said I should get it because "it's only $20" and the rest is history. I couldn't have asked for a better Halloween find and the rest of the family costume came together beautifully with other thrifted and homemade pieces.
16.
I have found several floral serving dishes this year and they've got me so excited for spring and Easter tables! This one is my favorite.
17.
This is something I haven't shared yet just because we've had some delays with getting them installed where and how we want them. I found two gorgeous, white chandeliers on Facebook Marketplace and knew they would be perfect in my home! They ended up being a little bigger than expected so maybe not so perfect, but I still love them and am determined to make them work. Here's a peek at one of them, better pictures coming soon!
18.
In addition to floral dishes, I found some lovely blue pieces as well. The little one is definitely antique and I love the French look it brings to my table. The floral isn't old, but I love it.
19.
I found a lot of fun vintage fashion pieces this year. A couple of the most memorable being these plaid numbers. EVERYONE loved the long, green coat and I take any opportunity to wear it! My mom said she had a maternity dress very similar to the white one when she was pregnant with me. I wish I had better pictures of each to share with you, these are just stills from a Reel and they don't do the outfits justice. I'm going to have to start photographing my vintage fashion finds more.
20.
A favorite vintage fashion find I brought home is this fantastic jumpsuit. I told myself on this thrift trip I was only going to look at decor. But wouldn't ya know it, someone had put this jumpsuit back near the linens! (which is next to the fitting rooms) It was too good to pass up and I was going to buy it without even trying it on. I did try it on and instantly fell in love! If we want to get picky, it's a little snug, but I love it so much I don't care. The pattern, the sleeves, the cut, the little tie in the front, it's perfection. Did I mention it has pockets?? Better pictures of this one coming soon, it deserves it.
21.
You MIGHT have caught this find in my stories, but if you missed it, I don't blame you. These doors are stunning and we have a plan for them that I'm so excited about, but for now they're sitting in storage waiting for us to start our project. We want to open up a wall in our living room and install these doors leading into what will be a dining room, but what is now an office/storage room. We talk about this plan ALL THE TIME, but haven't made any steps to start is aside from these doors. It's a hard thing to take on in such a high traffic area with little ones, but I hope it'll maybe get done in 2022.
And there you have it! 21 of my favorite finds from 2021. This list was meant to be just pictures and maybe some titles, but once I started putting it together, I couldn't leave out all the stories I'd accumulated with these treasures. The stories are one of the best parts about vintage pieces after all and I hope to find lots of new old stories in the coming year.