THE 7 BEST HOUSTON THRIFT SHOPS FOR FURNITURE & HOME DECOR & 6 TIPS FOR THRIFTING

This post is all about the Best Home Decor Thrift Shops in Houston, Texas plus some lessons and tips I have learned for thrifting.

Ever since I can remember, I have spent my weekends in antique shops, consignment shops, second hand, thrift shops, estate sales, etc. It’s a tradition my grandmother started with my family since I was a little girl.

And while I love my occasional trip to HomeGoods, second hand / thrifting is one of my absolute favorite hobbies. Some people can’t stand it, for me it’s absolutely thrilling to find a treasure. Not only is it a way to help support the environment through reusing furniture versus dumping it in the trash, it also can help your home feel more curated and personalized. You can see some of my recent thrifting finds here.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY SECOND HAND FOR YOUR HOME?

First of all, it can be really fun. Finding something that is absolutely a treasure can give you the most positive feelings which has you feeling happier about your home.

Also, instead of letting pre-loved items end up in landfills or incinerators — where they can release harmful greenhouse gases, heavy metals and other pollutants — purchasing secondhand puts those things back into circulation, reducing their overall environmental footprint.

Hot tip: If you feel uncomfortable about someone previously owning something that you find, you can always cleanse it. One thing I’ve learned about bringing pre-loved things home from my studies in Feng Shui…whenever I find something I like and MUST bring home, I will always sage it. I do believe that when something is pre-owned, it holds energy from the previous owner and I don’t want to bring that energy into my space. Just keep that in mind when shopping.

THE BEST THRIFT SHOPS IN HOUSTON, TX

01 | The Guild Shop | 2009 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006

This is one of my favorite shops in Houston, especially when it comes to Home Decor. I find the most gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces for my own home and I just have to tell you all about it. They also have the most gorgeous jewelry.

This is a consignment thrift shop, which means that the longer an items sits there, the more it discounts. Because of this, you want to shop this place pretty frequently. Also, designers are always shopping here and they are quick to grab the best items.

I found this gorgeous vintage brass and glass coffee table for just about $125 at The Guild Shop and it might just be my favorite thing in my living room.

What to shop for here:

• Antique/Second Hand Jewelry

• Oversized artwork + rugs

• Antique/Vintage/SecondHand Furniture

• Gorgeous dishes, vases, blown glass

beautiful Chinoiserie table accents

large gold and jade ornate ring

neutral wishbone rattan counter stools

colorful vintage glass

02 | The Charity Guild | 1203 Lovett Blvd, Houston, TX 77006

Now, this shop is probably my favorite place to shop for fashion, bags and shoes. I found the most gorgeous pair of olive green Louis Vuitton military booties, one of my favorite pairs of boots I own.

Having said that, they also have a great selection of furniture and home decor. They have a great collection of art, dish collections and great dressers if you are looking for more home storage.
What to shop for here:

• Fashion, bags and shoes

• Dishware collections

• Kitchen wares

• Art

• furniture

pink and gold seashell plate collection

Pre-Loved Louis Vuitton green military booties

03 | The Salvation Army Thrift | 2208 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007

This Salvation Army location has always been a go-to spot for me when it comes to furniture. I have helped countless people find and shop for sofas and bed frames/headboards here. I’ve found some of my favorite pieces in my own home here.

What to shop for here:

• furniture / home decor

• artwork

• mirrors

• bed frames

• sofas

• dressers

04 | Blue Bird Circle Shop | 615 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77006

This darling little shop has a wide variety of home decor and a really great selection of lighting. I seem to always find something small when I go here that I am very happy to leave with. They have the best tea cups I have ever seen, something I love to collect.

What to shop for here:

• Antique furniture + large artwork

• Antique dishes, tea cups, vases

• Cool lighting

05 | Goodwill Memorial | 10521 Katy Fwy Houston, TX 77024

Out of all the Goodwill’s in the city, this one is my absolute favorite to go to for furniture, the clothing is also pretty good. Every time I go to this location, I find something pretty stellar or I find myself calling a friend who has been looking for that very thing. This is a bit of a drive for some but always worth it!

What to shop for here:

• Furniture + large artwork

• Home Decor & lighting

• fashion

06 | The Cottage Shop Monstrose | 811 Westheimer Rd

This shop is actually a dime in the rough, while its mostly fashion and accessories, I have found some incredible dishes and artwork. I think they have great prices, sales almost daily and the staff is so helpful!

What to shop for here:

• Shoes & belts

• Home Decor & lighting

• jewelry

07 | Shopping Houston Estate Sales | EstateSales.Net

There is nothing more fun that going to an estate sale on the weekend and Houston really has some incredible ones to go to. You can go to Estatesales.net/Houston to find really good ones. The best part is they give you a preview in photos of what will be at the sale so you can determine if it is worth your time to actually go. I appreciate the efficiency of the preview.

If you aren’t a regular thrifter, I made a checklist to help remind you of things you may find thrifting that could work in your home, ‘what to look for at the thrift store”.

6 THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM THRIFTING:

1. You’ve got to go at the right time. When you go to any of these shops you want to find out when they put out their inventory. On those days, you want to arrive as early in the day as possible because designers will always go first thing on those days.

2. If you see it and you like it, GRAB IT! I can’t tell you how many times I saw something and sat on it but when I went back for it, it was gone. Even if you are going to put it back because you decide NOT to buy it, you will regret not grabbing it when you first saw it. Just grab it!

3. Research the item. There have been times when I found something much cheaper online. Or the opposite could happen, you could find something that is completely underpriced and you could actually sell it for more.

4. Keep a running list of things you are looking for. I do this in my phone because you never know if you just happen to stumble across something you like and forgot that you might even need it. I also like to keep photos of my home so I can look and imagine that item in the space. Planning helps you not make purchases that you will regret later. Hot tip: Also keep measurements of spaces in your home where you are looking for something. For example, if you are looking for a bench for your entryway, measure the space and have that written in the notes app on your phone.

5. Bring a bag of things to donate. I live by the perspective that something has to go out before something comes in. I keep a running box/basket in my living room of things that we are ready to donate. So, every time I thrift, I have a pile of things waiting to find a new home. It feels so much better to donate than to throw away.

6. Only buy it you absolutely love it. Don’t think about if it’s a ‘good deal’. This is how most stores will get you. Thinking you are getting a good deal is probably always going to end in you eventually regretting that purchase. The best reason to buy something is if you absolutely LOVE and adore the thing.

Hope you found this post about thrifting to be helpful. Let me know if you want more posts on the best places in Houston, I am always happy to share what I find.

You may also like:

🖤 7 reasons thrifting is always a good idea

🖤 A few of my favorite thrifting finds

HOW TO CURATE A CHARMING GALLERY WALL | THRIFTED + VINTAGE ART TIPS + TRICKS

Looking to learn how to set up a curated and charming gallery wall? Look no further, this post will guide you on exactly what you need to know.

When I moved into my new home and began to decorate my main living room wall, the inspiration images I pulled together that I felt most drawn to were always curated thrifted + vintage gallery walls. Something about an interesting art wall has always felt more special to me because typically behind each work of art there is a story. You can get to know a lot about me by my art wall.

I have been collecting second-hard artwork for probably over 10 years. Shopping for thrifted treasures is quite possibly my favorite weekend ritual. So, I had plenty of art pieces when I decided to create a thrifted gallery wall in my home. However, if you are starting from scratch, I am going to show you how you can build your own gorgeous thrifted gallery wall and share some inspiration so that you can create your own at home, too.

Related Reading: Best Thrift + Consignment Home Decor Shops in Houston, Tx.

Why decorating your home with thrifted artwork matters:

In 2018 alone, Americans threw out more than 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Every time I read statistics like this, it breaks my heart.

Not only that, curating a gallery wall is a form of art.

According to the National Library of Medictine, Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviours, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life.

Whether you are curating a gallery wall or creating your very own art DIY, you are engaging in a very healing process.

Tips and Tricks for Curating a Thrifted Gallery Wall

Here’s what you need to know before you shop

🖤 You will need to choose a theme and/or color palette. My personal theme is always ‘art that makes me happy’ but I have a set few colors that I like to keep my artwork in. I also typically stick with gold or soft wood frames so the art wall stays cohesive.

DIY Gallery Wall Theme Ideas:

Here are some other gallery wall ideas that you could easily assemble from thrift store finds: 

• Coastal chic: beach scenes or sailboat paintings in white frames for a sunroom

• French country: vintage-style herb, fruit, and vegetable illustrations in distressed wood frames for a kitchen or dinette

• Masculine decor: waterfowl oil paintings for a library or office

• Contemporary: gold mirrors for an entryway

• Boho: songbird paintings and prints for a nursery or guest room

• Eclectic traveler: oil paintings of cityscapes for a bedroom or office

• Romantic decor: florals, greenery, birds, roses, nude women

The best part of possibilities and combinations are truly endless when creating a gallery wall! You can even grab a done-for-you gallery wall art set and just thrift the frames, this would help things go much faster.

🖤 You will want to measure the space you have in mind. This will help you to have a good idea of the art you need to fill the intended space. I also think it is important to choose a hanging style so you can be on the look out for specific frames and sizes.

I created a guide for you to help identify what layout might be best for your style and your home.

🖤 When thrifting, shopping for frames is just as important as shopping for art. In fact, many times, I have purchased an art piece simply because the frame was gorgeous and I knew if I can was going to by that frame at a frame store, it would be more expensive. So if you find a good deal on a frame, grab it!

I tend to keep frames I love around just incase I find a piece of art and need a frame for it. I have also been known to repaint over old paintings in beautiful frames to fit my overall theme of the art wall or room.

🖤 Don’t limit yourself to traditional art. On this art wall specifically I have collected and used art from so many different sources. But I always thrift my frames!

A few ways to curate art for your art wall:

• create your own painting on an old thrifted frame

• rip out pages from thrifted art books

• maps or menus from travels

• paintings/drawings from your children

• frame wrapping paper or wallpaper (I sometimes use this in place of a mat)

• use magazine cut outs

• I love to print out old masterpieces from Wikiart.org (I got this tip from TikTok and it has been so helpful)

• Shop art at auctions, on Etsy or hit up your local estate sales.

🖤 You should try to keep things mixed versus matched. I like to make sure that I have a good mix of different art styles. For example, I have a tapestry, paintings, prints, photos, digital artwork, etc. Do your best to use various mediums so your art wall has dimension.

You can also have mixed mattings. I especially love the look of oval mat boards.

🖤 You don’t have to limit the wall to art only. One of my favorite pieces on my art wall is a small gold mirror I thrifted at the Brooklyn Flea Market. It was 5$. I found this similar ornate gold 12” mirror for only $20.

I also recently added a gold plug-in wall mounted light that looks so good right next to my art. This is incredibly functional because we needed some brighter light in the dark corner of this room. Not only does it help give us adequate reading light, it also blends perfectly into the aesthetic of my thrifted art wall.

I framed the ends of my art wall with non art items. For example, my light bookends one side, while a thrifted ornate gold mirror adorns the other side.

How to Create the Perfect Thrifted Gallery Wall – What You’ll Need:

• Frames – My first stop is ALWAYS Goodwill and a few other thrift stores to look for frames – you can find some affordable and beautiful one-of-a-kind options!

• Art – You can source art from anywhere.

• Picture hanging kit

• A quirky item or two

• The ability to not take yourself or this project too seriously. ;)

SHOP A FEW OF MY FAVORITE ONLINE THRIFTED ART WALL PICKS:

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