I recently had the privilege of styling a set of built-ins in my sweet friend Paige’s home.
Paige wanted to achieve a cohesive, updated style and wanted to do it using second hand items. Sourcing second hand items allowed us to do more with the budget range and really customize her built-ins.
Paige’s built-ins are now full of beautiful pieces that work together to elevate her space and highlight the things she cares about the most.
Check out what can be done with items sourced second hand - it really is something! And look out for a price comparison/break down on this shelf styling project.
Here is a before of the built-ins:
Paige's shelves were cleared and some items were left out to be used again.
The shelves were filled with items sourced from different second hand and thrift stores as well as some great pieces Paige already had on hand.
Using a variety of textures and sizes allows for a lot of visual interest. It also allows for visual balance to be achieved in each shelf.
Paige's family had recently taken family photos, so we were able to incorporate those sweet images as well as other photos of friends and loved ones into her shelves. Personalizing styled space with items like these strengthens the connection to the updated space.
Side-by-side comparison of each side of the built-ins, before and after:
Left Side
Right Side
This was a really fun project to work on, and I was so happy to help someone has warm, kind, and generous as Paige! Special thank you to my DA (Design Assistant) who helped with this project: Mittens (Paige's cat)
What sort of spaces have you decorated with second hand items? If you haven’t, do you think it’s possible after this? If you have questions - I’d be happy to help!