How To Give Kitchen Countertops A New Look With Thrifted Decor

Do you want to give your kitchen countertops a makeover without breaking the bank? If so, you’re in luck! There are plenty of ways to decorate your kitchen countertops with thrifted decor. Today, I will share some of my favorite ideas and why thrift store shopping helps to create a curated, unique decor style that’s budget-minded. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite pieces and how to use them to decorate the kitchen.

Decorating Kitchen Countertops with Thrifted Finds

Y’all know I love a deal, and shopping in thrift stores and consignment shops is my favorite pastime. If you make a habit of checking in at resale shops, you will find many second-hand and vintage pieces at a fraction of the original cost.

How To Give Kitchen Countertops A New Look With Thrifted Decor, budget vintage collections and art.

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Thrifting with the Gals

Today’s post is part of our monthly series, Thrifting with the Gals. If you are new to our series, we are friends who share a love for vintage and thrifted decorating. We all live in different parts of the country, but we come together once a month to share thrift store shopping ideas and tips on decorating with your treasures.

Here are the Gals:

  • Ann from Dabbling and Decorating finds her treasures as she travels between Vermont and Maine. She decorates both homes with so many vintage treasures.
  • Robyn from Robyn’s French Nest loves to travel and bring her vintage treasure to her lovely Florida Home.
  • Lora from Lora Bloomquist Create and Ponder is thrifting and picking up amazing roadside finds to decorate her home in Minnesota.
  • I am from North Carolina and love filling my farmhouse and beach cottage with thrift store finds. I focus on budget-friendly decorating and DIY projects.
    Kitchen Countertops with brass spice rack and DIY pantry Door.

    Budget Thrifted Countertop Decor

    First, let’s discuss thrifted countertop decor that you can find on a budget. I have a list of kitchen items I always look for while out thrifting with the gals. I also have seasonal items that I’ve seen in high-end boutiques or online, which I’d like to replicate.

    Insider Tip: What To Shop For

    First, here are some things to look for while out thrifting.

    • Vintage Wooden Pieces such as rolling pins, breadboards, wooden bowls, smashers, wooden spoons, trays, etc
    • Vintage dishes
    • Ironstone platters, pitchers, tureens, dishes, etc.
    • Vintage Silverware
    • Old Bowls
    • Copper Pots and Pans
    • Old Baskets
    • Brass Candlesticks
    • Silver Vases, Bowls, etc.
    • Vintage Prints and Artwork

    You can see more thrift store shopping tips on Top Ten Tips for Successful Thrift Store Shopping.

    Budget Thrifted Decor Art on Kitchen Countertops with vintage bowl filled with fruit.

    Decorate Countertops with Collectibles

    One way to elevate the value of your thrifted decor collectibles is to group them into charming vignettes. Although all the ironstone tureens are inexpensive thrift store finds, they had style and value to the open shelves when grouped.

    Open shelving filled with budget thrift store decor and vintage collectibles of ironstone and breadboards

    Below the shelving, I added a stack of breadboards to serve as risers for an ironstone pitcher filled with fresh-picked hydrangeas.

    Ironstone pitcher filled with fresh hydrangeas on stacks of breadboards.

    I added a few more wooden and vintage pieces to enhance the vintage charm of the open shelves and kitchen countertops’ thrifted decor. My ever-growing collection of vintage rolling pins is overflowing the old toolbox. The combination of woods and whites is one of my favorite decorating aesthetics.

    Open Kitchen Shelving with ironstone, breadboards, vintage rolling pins and old scales on countertops.

    How To Display Vintage Copper

    Don’t you love the warmth copper brings to a country kitchen? I’m always on the lookout for great deals on copper cookware at thrift stores. I have several copper kettles and other unique pieces displayed in the kitchen as well.

    Farmhouse Kitchen Sink with concrete countertops and brick back splash  and DIY Pantry Door.

    Thrifted Decor – Copper Pot Collection

    Once my collection of thrifted copper exceeded the space on my plate rack, we added a DIY Copper Pot Hanging Rack over the kitchen sink.

    I never dreamed how much I’d love this addition to the farmhouse kitchen. Although it’s not on the countertops, I thought I’d share how we made it. It’s such a simple project that added so much to our farmhouse kitchen.

    Farmhouse Kitchen Sink with concrete countertops and brick back splash  and DIY Pantry Door & Copper Pots

    Copper Spice Rack and Display

    In addition to the pot rack, thrifted vintage spice jars with copper lids inspired another stylish DIY copper project.

    Decorating Kitchen Countertops with Vintage Thrifted Decor. and decorating above kitchen cabinets

    Although the spice rack was intended for the spice jars, an additional bar allows for vintage copper measuring cups and a cute measuring scoop, scored for only 50 cents. The DIY Copper Spice Rack adds warmth to the kitchen countertop’s decor.

    DIY Copper Spice Rack behind kitchen stove on Farmhouse Style Kitchen Counertops

    Add Thrifted Decor Art To Kitchen Countertops

    Although wall space is limited in our country-style kitchen, I love to pick up art at thrift stores. This is a numbered print from Bob Timberlake, a North Carolina artist. It was a steal for only $5.00 at a local thrift store. The print serves as a perfect backdrop, propped up against the wall behind a vintage, fruit-filled bowl.

    Budget Thrift Store Decor Art, woven basket tray and vintage bowl filled with fruit on kitchen countertops.

    A $2.00 thrifted canvas painting was completely transformed with this vintage makeover. Adding the updated painting to the open shelves adds a touch of vintage charm to the kitchen.

    DIY Vintage Wall Art: Apples in Bowl on open shelf in kitchen

    Pro Tip – Display Artwork

    If you have limited wall space, consider adding art to countertops, open shelves, and inside cupboards.

    Art is a clever way to add color and create interest in decor.

    Give Kitchen Countertops A New Look – Mix and Match

    Don’t be afraid to mix and match new kitchen decor items and vintage pieces. Mix in some new pieces with your vintage collections to add a curated and unique touch to your kitchen countertops. You will find many items that can be updated to work within your decor style and give your kitchen a trendy update.

    Pro Tip: How Do I Know If It’s A Good Deal?

    First, educate yourself before shopping for thrifted decor. Not every $5.00 item is a good deal. Know what you are looking for, and before you purchase, ask yourself these questions.

    • Is this price a good deal?
    • Can it be painted to work with my decor?
    • Is this something that can be repurposed or repaired?
    • Can the tarnished be shined?
    • Is this a vintage piece or a reproduction? Look for manufacturer markings.
    • If the price is a little high, do you still love it?
    Kitchen Island Centerpiece with repurpose budget thrift store finds and wooden tray.

    Can It Be Updated With Paint?

    Do you check out the latest trends at Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, and other high-end decor shops? I always find a few items I’d love to add to my kitchen countertops’ decor, but the budget doesn’t allow it. So, I made a list of things I could transform to resemble the new, trendy, and expensive decor of my dreams.

    I saw this gorgeous vase at a favorite idea shop in Wilmington. The $220.00 price tag was a shocker. However, taking note of the shape, I began a search for a similar vase.

    For only $4.00, this was a good quality heavy vase, but it needed some freshening up.

    A little gold paint and ta-da!

    Budget Thrift Store Vase painted gold to look like high end vase.

    In addition, a Syers Browning Artichoke Final caught my eye, but the $167.00 price tag stopped me in my tracks. However, this thrifted decor artichoke looks somewhat similar after a blast of white spray paint.

    Brass and Silver Kitchen Countertops Decor Finds – Don’t Overlook The Tarnished

    I love finding vintage brass and silver pieces. My favorites are candlesticks, vases, cutlery, bowls, sconces, and some figurines.

    Kitchen Countertops with thrift store decor decorations.  DIY Pantry Door.

    I’ve recently been searching for silver pieces. While thrifting in Wilmington over the winter, I spied a couple of great silver pieces. And although very tarnished, the price was right.

    Tarnished Silver Vase and bowl with copper molds from Thrift store.

    They polish up nicely and add a bright touch to the kitchen countertops decor for Summer.

    Budget Thrifted Decor to decorate kitchen countertops made of concrete.

    More vintage bowls and wooden kitchenware add a rustic country kitchen vibe to the other side of the stove. Mixing and matching the shiny with the rustic adds a unique style that feels curated over time.

    Vintage Thrift Store Bowls decorate concrete countertops.

    Decorating the kitchen countertops with thrift store decor allows you to trade out pieces and stay within a tight budget. You can update your kitchen countertops with trendy, rustic, or elegant styles if you are in for the thrill of the hunt.

    Kitchen Countertops decorated with budget Thrifted Decor.  Farmhouse kitchen island with DIY reclaimed wood top.

    Other Budget Kitchen Decorating and DIY Ideas

    Here are some other Budget kitchen decor ideas you don’t want to miss.

    More Thrifting with the Gals

    Next, let’s hop over and see how Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm has decorated her office with vintage finds.

    Renae – How to Create A Home Office With Vintage Decor / Ann – Timeless Desert Rose Table Setting

    Robyn – Mantel Styling Ideas with Summer Decor / Kristin – Recent Vintage Finds Perfect for Cottage or Cabin

    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.

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    28 Comments

    1. Your kitchen looks amazing! So many great finds. and the hunt is always so much fun. Thank you so much for including me today. Hugs to you.

      1. @Rachel So many great ideas, thank you for sharing. I would like to
        know how to do the copper spice rack behind the stove. Could you please share info on that. Love seeing what you find and how you use
        the items.

    2. I absolutely love your kitchen, Rachel! So many cute finds, and you use them all so well. That copper spice rack is darling. You’r decorating never fails to inspire me!

    3. Oh my gosh I LOVE This post!! My heart was aflutter with all of the pretty thrifted and vintage decor finds. It’s my absolute favorite thing to do. Your kitchen looks so lovely with all of those collected finds. Pinned!!

    4. Just popping back in to say I was so inspired by your fantastic countertop decor that I did my kitchen too. Not at the farmhouse. I’ll tackle that when I get back there but I love the look in our everyday house. Thank you for in a roundabout way telling me to get off my butt and just do it.

    5. You always find the coolest pieces, Rachel! I love all your thrifted treasures and how you’ve displayed them too. Hugs, CoCo

    6. I always love seeing your kitchen, Rachel. You have done so many DIYs here. Thanks for the great ideas.

    7. Rachel, you find the best stuff! No kidding. So many great ideas and I love the dresser incorporated into your counter. Just brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

    8. You continue to inspire me. I’m on my way to Goodwill by the pound. I hope I’m lucky and find some things that I can be creative like you. Hope you are well. Sending positive thoughts.

      Patty

      1. Patty,
        Thank you for your kind words. We don’t have a goodwill by the pound. That sounds amazing. Good luck with your treasure hunting.

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