Today I’m bringing you some thrift store inspirations to help spark your own creativity. Thrifting is a fun and inexpensive way to find the perfect treasures for your home.
Worried that you have no idea what you like or what you’d do with what you buy? That’s where this article comes in, where shoppers just like you share their pre-loved finds and what they did with them.
My hope is that they inspire you to get your own thrift on and find your creative magic, using new-to-you treasures.
One of my lifelong dreams was to own a store with friends. That dream came true last August when my friends Myrna and Arlene and I opened a cosy shop in downtown Smiths Falls called Curated Finds Inspired For You.
We scour the Ottawa area for unique finds. Our philosophy is if we love a piece and have to have it, we know our customers will feel the same way. We do all the legwork and bring all those treasures into one spot for you.
We have been amazed at the response by the community and our customers. They love everything about us, especially how we are always changing up the store, getting in new treasures, and how we style our shop with vignettes that provide them with inspiration.
The mainstay in our shop is pre-loved, unique, vintage and new-to-us treasures that we curate for our customers. Every time a customer comes in, they truly never know what they will find. It’s like one big treasure hunt. And you get to take home your very own treasure.
Each treasure has its own story, just like our customers have their own stories and we love to hear them.
Pre-loved is re-loved
As soon as Michele saw these flat baskets, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with them. She hung them on her wall in the family room and they look fabulous. They make unique wall art and she loves it.
Kathy had this lovely large feature wall and it was missing something special. She knew she wanted a large clock and luckily she found it in our shop. We posted a photo of the clock on Facebook and right away she bought it and took it home. Now the wall is complete.
We also offer unique workshops at the thrift store. Peggy attended the lampshade making workshop and was amazed at the beautiful lampshade she created. She wanted to have it in her bedroom and she loves how it looks on the table.
Yes, we even have furniture and chairs in the shop. Judith saw these beautiful upholstered matching chairs and knew they would be the perfect addition to her home.
When you collect something, you just never know when you will find pieces to add to your collection. One of our regular customers saw these Amberina glassware pieces and snapped them up. Look how she styled them in her home on the shelves. They look fabulous and we love the addition of the flowers and royal blue accent pieces.
Margo had been searching for an Arts & Crafts style wooden plant stand and was thrilled to find exactly what she was looking for at the shop. She had the perfect plant for it and the perfect place to put it. Her search was over.
Pre-loved treasures can even be gifts. This small pot with a handle was just the perfect container for a little live arrangement for a friend.
While many customers have an idea of what they are looking for before they step in the shop, you’d be surprised at how you can be inspired by simply browsing. Often, you don’t know what it is you’re looking for until you stumble upon it.
I hope these real-life customer examples of how they used their pre-loved pieces inspire you to do a little thrift store shopping of your own.
We invite you to visit us at our shop:
Curated Finds Inspired For You
13 William St. E., Smiths Falls
Open Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
