I have become disillusioned with the throwaway mentality of society. The wasteful attitude is really upsetting. There is an obsession with buying new and this attitude has increased our waste and obviously increased our drain on energy and natural resources. But in the not so distant past quality items of furniture were passed down from generation to generation and new purchases were expected to last.
In fact good quality furniture made from good quality materials has the potential to improve with age like a fine wine.
I try and combine sustainability, great design and frugality in equal measures in my interiors. It’s much easier to create interiors when you have a bottomless budget but most people I know, don’t and I truly feel there is much more skill and creativity in coming up with fabulous designs on a shoe-string budget!
From the antique bought at auction to the chair missing a leg in the builders skip, second-hand furniture comes at every price point and if you don’t have the time or desire to trawl the flea markets or streets , there are so many options online to find a bargain.
Here are some of my favourite hunting grounds:
- Auctions
- Antique and Fleamarkets
- Carboots , Vide Greniers (as they are called in France) and
- Architectural Salvage yards
- Charity Furniture Shops e.g BHF, Pilgrims Hospice etc
- House clearance and second-hand furniture shops
- Ebay
- Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace and Swap groups
- The street and skips
- Friends and family
I have put together a separate ‘ furniture resource list’ of all our favourite places to get good quality second-hand furniture. Sign up to our newsletter to receive this invaluable contact list and other healthy home tips direct into your inbox every month.
This is a lifestyle choice and a passion. You have to constantly be learning about better ways to do things and better choices to create a sustainable living space from furniture to air quality; but it’s not going to be 100 percent achievable all the time. You just have to make the best choices you can and try and improve each time. Little changes or ‘poco a poco’ as they say in Spain.
0 Comments