FOCAL POINT STYLING: St Vincent de Paul Thrift

Days are starting to get shorter which means less daylight and darker décor. A simple shift and incorporating thrift can help transition the home for Fall. While doing weekend cleaning Saturday, I did just that in our living room. I started to remove & relocate some of the summery items - shifting them upstairs to the loft and also back downstairs to the guest room. Although I didn't add in any pumpkins or branches (it's too soon for that!) I did start to transition my living room for Fall. I started by switching blues for blacks, shifting baskets of shells to the guest den and I swapped cool silver lamps with warmer brass lamps I had upstairs. Just the small change in colors and metal mix is creating a change in the mood for Fall - most of the items I've gotten from thrift. Here's a peek and a few thrift tips...

Love the magnifying glass I picked up for only $8 from HomeGoods earlier this year...

Thrift Books

The art books were a MAJOR thrift score I made earlier this year. Thrifting for books is an excellent way to add layers into your vignette styling. Buying new books can be expensive - I usually buy books used, but finding them at thrift stores is even better. new books can easily cost $35 - $100 each. Buying used books can be 50% - 70% less -- and thrift hardcover books (from Goodwill) can be $2 - $5 each -- but sometimes, thrift stores have a magnificent sale. I stumbled upon one such sale at a local thrift store that was emptying their warehouse and scored a "Box Of Books" for only $5!

When I learned of the sale, I combed every single pile and aisle, specifically looking for art, architecture, interior design and New York City books I could find. From book colors to titles, books help add layers to your vignette style plus also help to tell your style story...

Snapped this in the garage when I took the frame apart to clean...

Thrift Wall Art

Another way to help tell your style story in your vignettes is thru wall decor, art, or framed photographs. Most of the wall decor I tend to use is black & white photography, so imagine how excited I was when I spotted this Rothko at Goodwill for only $8! Making it an even sweeter deal, I found it during a half off sale at the Goodwill up in Scottsdale, so it was only $4! If you know me, you know I LOVE black, so this is a great addition and simple way to layer interest into our homes wall decor...

Another Super Saturday find - 50% off at Goodwill...

Thrift Lamps

Another find I scored earlier this year at a Goodwill ReDesign Store was a pair of brass lamps. I've been slowly layering in hints of painted gold pieces and brass accents into our decor since 2010. Spotting these lamps was probably my first major brass purchase. If you've picked up a shelter magazine (like Elle Decor or House Beautiful) this year, you've seen brass being the on trend metal to mix into today's decor. Once upon a time it was frowned upon to be mixed with silver (as well as to even still have hanging around from the 80s!) but brass accents really help to warm a space. And something as simple as changing a lamp shade from pleated to cylinder (or drum) can make a world of difference in a thrifted lamp find...

I've found some of the best deals on lamp shades at HomeGoods to pair with my thrift lamps.

Originally I had used the brass lamps upstairs in the loft, but now shifted them downstairs to the living room buffet for fall - replacing the silver lamps. The silver lamps with white shades were refreshing and cool for Spring /Summer -- but now the brass and grey lamp shades (I picked up at HomeGoods a few years back) work great to transition into Fall....

Lighting, colors, and accessories play a huge part in changing the mood of a seasonal vignette style...

Do you do seasonal styling to your home?

Have you started to think about redecorating for Fall?

It can truly come from a simple shift to shopping thrift!

Thanks for stopping by,

Note: This post is sponsored by HomeGoods and the Happy By Design project. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Praise God! I finally found a thrift shop in AZ with vintage finds! Back in South Florida, two of my fave spots to shop thrift for furniture wasn't the Salvation Army or even Goodwill - it was church thrift (See tab: Let's Thrift!). They aren't large chains, so they aren't raising the prices too much and usually, the donations to a church thrift store are (sorry to say) from a generation who have past away. Since this generation is known to hold-onto pieces (for decades) you can find good quality furnishings at a church thrift shop. Many of the pieces are right on trend with what vintage rehab stores (like Room Service - which is now called ModShop) sell to designers today. This particular shop (called Lutheran Thrift Shop) I just happened to wonder into - after doing an about-face while looking for another Goodwill to hit in Mesa. I seriously need a bumper sticker that says: 'WARNING - I brake for thrift shops' because that's just what I did, and happy in doing so...

Above is an image of a pair of end tables I know "I shoulda bought it when I saw it!" Fantastic color, style - AND brass hardware!!

Even Pantone's Color of the Year made an appearance at the church thrift!

Not one but TWO distinctive high-back | tufted back chairs!

Can you see these in high-gloss white? And re-upholstered in emerald or fuchsia for color or for print, in empire trellis. Thrift Tip: To get an UBER high-gloss finish on your furnishings, check out your local paint & body shop to paint it for you.

Not from church thrift, but from the Goodwill I was looking for when I wandered in here... GREAT shades of green!

GORGEOUS lines and fantastic hardware...

Considering it's thrift, this piece was (IMO) over priced at $650 + end table at $49, but maybe a little negotiating good get it down :)

Great Scandi or Mad-men style!

Although brass is HOT right now, this light fixture could also be fabulous in a color (red, hot pink, turq - or even black)

Upholstered legs are making their way back again - This was a great petite love seat...

The iris paintings are perfect for Spring - but even if the colors don't work - the frame itself is fabulous! (could cover canvas with you fave fabric - like maybe something from the

NEW Nate Berkus line at Calico Corners)

Another unique & petite seat - LOVE the over-sized tufted pillow back!

I nearly fell to knees when I saw the tambor doors on this piece!

(aaaahhhhhhhh - angels sing)

I think I may have to pass by The Lutheran Thrift Shop again today on my way up to Scottsdale to check a few last local spots before buying some pieces online for a project... I'll also need to add this to my list of thrift shops up above in the tab called "Let's Thrift!"

"A charming little thrift store that is operated by volunteers."