Want to embrace secondhand shopping without your home turning into a storage unit? This guide reveals practical tips, like the "one in, one out" method, to seamlessly integrate vintage and thrifted items into even the smallest spaces. Click for clutter-free thrifting!

How to Welcome Secondhand Finds Into Your Home (Without Cluttering up Your Space)

As an avid secondhand shopper who also happens to live in a very small space (a one-bedroom New York City apartment, to be exact), people often ask me just how I manage to store everything I find without my space looking like it’s something out of the TV show Hoarders. 

One In, One Out Rule

The key, I always tell them, is to follow the “one in, one out rule”—essentially, you want to be donating old items almost as frequently as you’re bringing new ones in. This rule is nothing new; professional organizers swear by it all the time. For example, if I thrift an amazing vase at the flea market, I’ll try to look through my existing collection of vases to see if there’s one I’m willing to part ways with, and into my thrift store donation bin this goes. Same thing with jackets—if I score an incredible vintage find, I’ll see if there’s another jacket that I can sell or donate so that my hallway closet doesn’t become totally jammed up. 

Of course, this process is oftentimes easier said than done. While I try to live by the one in, one out rule, the fact is that this isn’t always such a no-brainer. Sometimes, I have an incredibly difficult time thinking about letting an old jacket go solely because I purchased a new one. In these instances, I will usually give myself a few more months to think about the old item. If I still haven’t reached for it in six months to a year, I’ll feel much more confident in parting with it for good. 

Invest in Fewer, but Higher Quality Items

Another tactic that has worked well for me is to switch gears and invest in fewer yet higher quality items while secondhand shopping. I’ve made an effort to stop (to the best of my abilities!) bringing things home with me solely because they’re a good deal and instead have focused on picking up things that will last me for the long haul. This past winter, I thrifted an incredible wool Burberry scarf that was a bit pricier but will surely last for multiple seasons. Finding this piece made it easier to say no to other trendy, not as nicely made scarves that probably would have ended up falling out of style after just a year or so anyway. 

Lastly, I have tried to visualize my current storage options while out shopping—if I love a set of wine glasses but know that my bar cabinet is already bursting at the seams, I’ll leave them behind. On the other hand, if I know that I’ve recently pared down my sweaters and have some extra room in that drawer, I won’t be afraid to pick up a couple of new-to-me knits while at an estate sale. Let’s face it: thrifting is fun until it comes time to put everything away and you’re finding yourself stressed out about where, exactly, everything will go. 

By no means am I perfect—I still have drawers filled with more pairs of candlesticks than one person truly needs—but practicing frequent cleanouts and a bit of mindfulness has definitely made a difference in my life over the past year.

Written by:

Sarah Lyon

March 28, 2025     Updated 10:04 AM

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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