30 Mind-Blowing Upcycled Thrift Store Decor Transformations

Looking for some inspiration for your next upcycling project? Look no further! This article features 30 mind-blowing upcycled thrift store decor transformations. From old furniture to outdated accessories, these projects will show you how to transform thrift store finds into one-of-a-kind pieces that will add personality to your home.

30 Mind Blowing thrift Store Transformations

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Thrift Store Transformations: Furniture

Do you like vintage apothecary cabinets or card catalogs? Anything with little drawers will capture my attention. However, they are hard to find and, therefore, very expensive.So, when I see a cheap piece of furniture while thrifting, my first thought is, ‘How can I transform it to work within my home?’

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite Thrift Store Furniture Transformations.

Amazing Thrift Store Transformation – Before & After

Wait until you see the $40.00 Thrift Store Chest. Even before the transformation, this was a great-quality chest and a great find.

Take a look at all the details in this before-and-after post.

amazing thrift store furniture make with faux industrial drawers

DIY Kitchen Island

We decided to use a thrifted sideboard as a kitchen island, which prompted us to find a piece of furniture to achieve the desired island size.

After thrifting in Wilmington, NC, we found what we thought we needed. You can read all about the process of transforming two different-sized pieces of furniture into our unique farmhouse kitchen island.

Farmhouse kitchen island upcycle project with two sideboards.

DIY Faux Apothecary IKEA HACK

After building our greenhouse, we finally found a spot for this IKEA 16 Cube Storage Unit. However, it needed a little update. It now appears to be two pieces with a 32-drawer Apothecary cabinet.

Don’t miss the before-and-after results in this step-by-step tutorial.

IKEA HACK - Thrift Store Transformation apothecary cabinet in greenhouse

Insider Tip

While shopping at thrift stores, look for high-quality furniture that is priced reasonably.

Consider what the piece will look like with new paint, hardware, or a complete overhaul.

Avoid purchasing furniture made of particleboard or other inexpensive materials, as they are not easily upcycled.

The Real Truth About Deconstructing A Chair

When I shared the real truth about deconstructing a chair, I realized it was harder than I had imagined. That’s why I have three chairs waiting to be deconstructed. Maybe one day. LOL

Upcycled Thrift Store Chair.  How to Deconstruct a thrift chair.

Cozy Industrial Loft Ideas

The industrial loft is our personal hang-out space, filled with DIY projects.

The first project was the bar area, which includes a nesting box to hold extra supplies. However, the bar itself was made from two thrifted hospital carts. A single top was added, and the original cart tops provided shelving between them.

Additionally, a thrifted commercial cart was repurposed into a TV cart. Shelving was added to provide extra storage below the TV. See more cozy industrial loft ideas.


Home Decor Dupes

Have you ever been drawn to a new home decor trend or accessory only to discover that the hefty price tag wasn’t within your budget? Take a look at these thrift-store finds that have been transformed into Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, or high-end-boutique dupes.

Thrift Store Lamp Makeovers

I love finding old lamps and transforming them into stylish home decor. The first lamp was an Anthropologie Dupe. I specifically looked for a lamp of this shape and size. You can see all the details on Easy Thrifted Lamp Makeover.

A $1.00 lamp is completely transformed, and you can see the step-by-step tutorial on How to Make A Distressed Napkin Decoupage Lamp.

Insider Tip

When shopping for used lamps, ensure the wiring is still good unless you plan to rewire the lamp.

Look for trending lamp shapes to create a successful transformation.


Pottery Barn Dupes

These coastal-inspired candleholders were an easy Pottery Barn Dupe. The thrifted vases were wrapped with inexpensive raffia, and the sand was free. See the super easy DIY instructions here.

A $4.00 Thrift Store vase is easily and inexpensively upcycled into an Earthenware Vessel Pottery Barn Dupe.

Pottery Barn Dupe - Earthenware Vessel from thrift store find

Expensive Boutique Dupe

I found a decorative box at a high-end boutique, but the price tag was too high. The same store had some paper napkins with a similar design, so I purchased those instead. I then found a thrift store wood box to recreate the design. I was able to save over $50.00 by using this napkin decoupage technique. See easy decorative box tutorial.

Napkin Decoupage Decorative box with blue and white napkins

Another fun wooden box transformation uses a thrifted silverware box. This upcycled thrift store box decor is a handy spot to store remote controls next to the sofa in our living room.

remote control holder repurposed silverware box

Outdoor Thrift Store Transformations

One of our biggest thrifted projects was our DIY Greenhouse/She Shed. Repurposed French doors provide all the light necessary for the fun space. Wait until you read the whole story of how we were able to build the greenhouse during the Covid lockdown.

Additionally, several upcycling projects are underway within the greenhouse.

The $10.00 chandelier was upcycled with fresh paint and Dollar Tree Solar Lights for the she shed. This tutorial for the thrifted vintage chandelier is available here.

Additionally, old windows and porch posts were repurposed into a simple potting table as part of a thrift store transformation.


Upcycled Thrift Store Decor

While thrifting with the girls, I always look for high-quality wooden items, such as old wall shelves, pegboards, shutters, and architectural salvage, for future projects.

Here are a few more budget-friendly upcycled Thrift Store Decor projects.

The large wooden wall shelf was an easy upcycle project. It was transformed into a peg board and included in the DIY Accent Wall for the beach cottage.

In addition, the nautical mirror was also a DIY project. Every single item used was found while thrifting. Wait until you see the before and after.

Accent wall includes upcycled thrift store decor shelf.

Another old shelf was transformed into a Peg Rail Shelf Thrift Store Flip for the beach house kitchen.


When You Can’t Find What You Are Looking For!

I used thrift store shutters next to our front doors for several years. When I couldn’t find tall door shutters we had been searching for, we decided to upcycle the existing window shutters. See How to Make Door Shutters that are tall enough for the front doors.

Upcycled thrift store shuttered repurposed into tall Door Shutters.

More wooden upcycle projects include the Corn Hole Score Board made from a $4.00 TV Tray Stand and the DIY Wall Plate Rack, finished with two thrifted wooden porch spindles.

Another Upcycled Thrift Store Decor is a vintage champagne crate repurposed as the beach cottage coffee table. See more about this find and how we repurposed it on Dirt Road Adventures.

Vintage Champagne Crate upcycled for a coffee table in beach cottage

Repurposed Thrift Store Transformations

Sometimes you need to rethink the purpose of your thrifted finds. For example, a wooden flower box display is now used as a plate rack for our screened-in porch.

A library card catalog was updated with a new base, fresh paint, and hardware. Tucked under the staircase, it serves as a wine bar in our dining area.

Additionally, we didn’t have a suitable space for our thrifted mantel in our new farmhouse. Instead of selling it, we flipped it and used it as a shelf above the bed. Can you guess what we did with the mantel legs?


Repurposed Vintage Home Decor

Here are some additional repurposed vintage items that are part of our home decor.

A vintage funnel serves as a light fixture on the screen porch. A set of 8 thrifted glass jars was added to hold flowers and other seasonal decor. Another fun find was this coffee table made from reclaimed barn wood and old industrial metal.

Additionally, this unique upcycled project features a vintage gas can repurposed as a decorative lamp.

Believe it or not, all 30 of these projects are in our farmhouse or tiny beach cottage. When I started writing, I began with 15 projects and then realized my whole house was decorated with repurposed thrift-store finds. Plus, I didn’t share them all. Can you believe it? My mind was blown as well.

If you are budget-minded and love a deal, I hope these projects have inspired you to look for the good in second-hand shopping. Let me know what upcycle projects and ideas you are working on.

Thrifting with the Gals

Now it’s time to see what all the thrifting gals have been up to this month. Next up is Ann at Dabbling & Decorating with her old-fashioned bargains. Be sure to click on each link below to follow along.

Ann at Dabbling & Decorating / Robyn at Robyn’s French Nest

Kristin at White Arrows Home / Bree at Little Black and White House

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I look forward to sharing my next adventures with you.

Pin It To Remember It

Did you find some great ideas you’d like to save for future reference? Hover over the images you’d like to save and pin to your favorite Pinterest Boards when you see the PIN button.

30 Mind Blowing Upcycled thrift Store Transformations. Farmhouse Style decor.

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26 Comments

  1. You guys always find the most amazing things! I love how you take thrifted finds and make them your own. It really gives a custom feel to your home and makes it extra special. Can’t wait to see what you find next! Hugs, CoCo

  2. You are the queen of DIY’s Rachel. From thst amazing greenhouse to the apothecary. So many great finds and flips🙌🏻

  3. Wow! When you told us about this article I knew what a few of the projects would be, but your creativity is so inspiring. That IKEA apothecary cabinet hack in your greenhouse is still one of my favs. Sharing this in Simply Stated this week!

  4. I love wyou do..I also create new pieces from old thrift store finds…I would love to one day open my own business

  5. Enjoyed seeing this post again today. It’s funny how when you’re in a new mindset different things pop out and interest you. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do in 2024! BTW, I wasn’t able to pin anything today. I’ll try back again later.

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