Love unique furniture but hate the high prices? Get ready to be inspired! We're revealing six incredible, stylish secondhand furniture and estate sale finds that transformed our space—and all cost less than $100! Learn how to score amazing deals and add character to your home without breaking the bank.
(above photo by Allie Provost)
Discover Incredible Budget Furniture Finds
I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, and most of the furniture and decorative items in my apartment are pieces that I’ve sourced secondhand. There’s nothing I love more than coming across a special item that’s not only stylish but also doesn’t break the bank. That treasure that isn’t something you’ll find in everyone else’s place – all contributing to affordable home decor.
Below, I’m sharing six of the many incredible thrifted items that I’ve thrifted for my apartments over the years. If you're passionate about decorating on a budget and finding unique pieces, you'll love these finds. Keep your eye out for finds like these the next time you’re visiting an estate sale or secondhand store.
1) Score an Oversized Planter Pot for Less – $100
I’ve always loved the look of an oversized plant pot tucked into the corner of a room; it just adds so much dimension and texture. But let’s be real: Planters, especially extra large ones, can cost a pretty penny. So when a fellow thrift-loving friend came across a set of two of these plaster planters for $100 each and offered me one, I was sold.
This pot is so big that I could stand inside of it if I wanted to. While moving it into my walk-up apartment required the help of a pro, it’s a piece I’ll never want to part with because I truly love it so much. If you, too, love this look but don’t have a green thumb, fear not—the tree that I’ve placed inside of it is actually faux!
An over-sized beige plaster plant pot with a faux tree inside, positioned in the corner of a room, showcasing affordable home decor. Photo by Allie Provost.
2) Affordable Accent Chair: Striped Thrift Store Gem – $100
No living room is complete without a cozy accent chair, and this striped number is one of the comfiest chairs I’ve ever sat in, hands down. I scored it for $100, which is an incredible deal for a freshly upholstered piece.
The stripes add a fun, whimsical touch to my space, and I like that they can complement a range of aesthetics, should I switch up my design scheme down the line. Friends always compliment this piece when they come over!
A cozy living room features a striped upholstered accent chair, demonstrating a stylish secondhand furniture find. Photo by Allie Provost.
3) Stylish Brass Trunk: Storage and Glamour on a Budget – $100
This trunk served as a coffee table in an upstairs reading nook in my former Washington, D.C. apartment. I loved the glam look it added to the space as well as the extra storage it provided.
You can stuff the inside full with everything from books to puzzles to blankets depending on your specific needs. The trunk had a little bit of patina to it when I bought it, but that didn’t bother me—the more storied a piece like this one appears, the better!
A shiny brass trunk serves as a unique coffee table, offering extra storage in a Washington D.C. apartment. Photo by Kimberly Graydon.
4) Vintage Cane Barrel Chairs: A Steal – $10 Each
I actually scooped up a few of these cane barrel chairs for just $10 each. Thesevintage furniture chairs were a steal! This was also back in D.C. before I’d gotten into re-upholstery.
Nowadays, I’d definitely cover the seats with a fun, bold fabric—but the black leather didn’t bother me too much, and the price simply couldn't be beat. These chairs were nice and plush and always came in handy when friends stopped by.
A close-up of a vintage cane barrel chair with black leather upholstery, a successful thrift store furniture score. Photo by Kimberly Graydon.
5) Unique Wicker Chair: Character for Under 50 Bucks – $35
I do not remember the exact price of this wicker chair. I’d put it at around $35 if I had to guess. I was drawn to it immediately due to its eye-catching shape and apartment-friendly size.
This sat next to my campaign dresser (also thrifted!) in my D.C. apartment, and I loved how the white popped against the classic exposed brick walls. While I wouldn’t say this chair was ultra comfortable, it served as a useful spot on which to lay out outfits, bags, and the like.
A uniquely shaped white wicker chair sits next to a dresser in an apartment with exposed brick walls, highlighting this charming secondhand decor piece. Photo by Heather Bien.
I purchased this bamboo chest, and a matching nightstand, while I was living in Philadelphia during grad school. I believe I paid $100 for the chest, which I’d bought first, before realizing that I wanted the set of two pieces.
When I graduated and came home for the summer, my mom and I spray painted both the chest and nightstand, which were originally a boring, beige wood color, using the peppy blue hue you see here. This project showcases how DIY furniture ideas can transform even basic pieces. The dresser held up nicely in my first D.C. apartment and played to the grandmillennial look (which we didn’t even have a name for back then!) that I loved at the time.
A bright blue spray-painted faux bamboo chest of drawers, showcasing a DIY furniture transformation and affordable bedroom decor. Photo by Ryan Hicks.
It is truly exciting to see how much character and style you can bring into your home without overspending. By embracing the thrill of the hunt at secondhand store finds and keeping an eye out for hidden gems, you too can discover incredible affordable furniture that reflects your unique taste. These cheap furniture scores prove that achieving beautiful home decor on a budget isn't just possible—it's incredibly rewarding.
Sarah Lyon is a Washington, DC, native living in New York City. As a freelancer, she frequently covers pieces pertaining to interior design, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her pieces have appeared in outlets including Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and more. When she isn't writing, Sarah works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots (and can't stop rearranging and redecorating her own apartment, either!). She has a penchant for shopping secondhand and loves giving preloved pieces new life. Sarah’s own spaces have appeared on Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, Houzz, and Washingtonian.com. Her Dupont Circle apartment was featured in both the spring 2019 print edition of Small Space Decorating and the January 2019 print edition of Washingtonian Magazine.
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