Thrift Store Art Gallery Wall
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I have a little secret…a secret obsession with thrift store art.
It’s just one of those things that happened when we were trying to decorate our last home.
When we lived in Illinois, the land of amazing estate sales and thrift stores, I’d look around for inexpensive art pieces for our (then) new home.
On one trip to a favorite local thrift store, a small, framed watercolor caught my eye. For $1.50 I just couldn’t pass it up, so I bought it, took it home and hung it up.
Since then, it’s something I always search for when thrifting.
My collection has grown some since that day but we still have a small space, with limited storage, so I try to be a little choosy with my purchases.
What’s my criteria?
Nothing scientific really.
It just has to be pretty, to me anyway, and it must be under $10.
As you can tell, I’m usually drawn to certain colors and scenes but I don’t put a ton of thought into it. If it catches my eye and I love it, I buy it.
I don’t find something every time we go out thrifting. I’ve actually gone months without finding anything.
It’s all in the thrill of the hunt, though. Don’t you think?
My little collection has grown to 8, with some great finds in the past few months.
So what have I done with all of my thrift store art?
When we moved into the cottage, I needed to fill a wall in our master bedroom.
I tried a couple of store bought pictures and a mirror, but nothing seemed right.
We’d been unpacking my thrift store art from our moving boxes when it hit me. I could make a gallery wall in our bedroom with all my finds.
I’d never had all my pieces together so I wasn’t sure how it would look, but somehow it all works.
I did have to paint one frame gold, it was too dark, but other than that, all the paintings that I’ve found look the same as they did when I bought them.
Well, they may all be a little cleaner. 😉
There’s been no change since I hung the gallery and I’m loving the result.
The best part is that it’s all pieces that I love. I mean, that’s what our homes should be all about, right? Y
ou should fill it with pieces you truly love. It shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks because you live there.
Your home is your sanctuary so fill it with things that mean something to you.
Speaking of pieces you love…
My latest acquisition was found at an estate sale about a month ago. I’m guessing that the person that lived in the house was a painter.
I found this little painting all alone, laying face down in a windowsill, and rescued it for $1.50. It’s in the colors I love and it fits perfectly in our cottage.
Have you ever found a great piece of thrift store art?
That little barn photo is awesome! I need a complete overhaul on most of my frames. Time hasn’t been kind to them. Maybe over winter.
I love that little barn picture. I can’t believe no one else scooped it up. Thanks so much for visiting!
This is definitely my kind of thrift store art…love it all! The chunky gold frames are truly my favorite. Love it all together.
Thanks Kristi! I’m always drawn to chunky gold frames. And when it has pretty artwork in it that’s a major score. 😉
Oddly enough I rarely find art while out thrifting, but I’m going to have to look a little harder, because I ADORE your gallery wall!
Thanks so much Pam! It wasn’t on my radar either until I found that first piece and now I’m hooked. 🙂
You have found some amazingly beautiful pieces. I love love love them. You are right it is definitely the thrill of the hunt. But then at the end we have something very unique to fill our homes with. I love that we both shared our thrifted paintings today.
Thanks so much Jessica! It’s so funny that we shared similar finds. Great minds, right?
There’s nothing like finding that perfect piece, and being able to display it in our home. I’m definitely hooked. 🙂
Hi: I love the barn painting you bought for 1.50. Is it in oils? I have a wall in the guest room that I have hung some of my own paintings on. I might try this idea behind the sofa, I have always had a single large painting. Boring!
We were lucky in this area of Florida to escape major Irma damage. It was a close call. I had torn screens on the lanai and yard debris. Oh, the power of prayer. Some electricity out yet. A terrifying experience. Our beloved Keys are trashed.
Thanks Brenda. I love the barn painting too. I couldn’t believe it was still there, all by itself, for $1.50. It is in oils and it has a beautiful wood frame. I love the look of oil paintings. They are my favorite. What do you paint?
Glad to hear you are ok. We lived in Florida (and lived though Jeanne and Francis) and have friends and family there so we were glued to the tv. So much devastation in the Keys and Naples area. So sad. Take care Brenda!
I certainly have bought paintings in a thrift store, there have been some good ones too, just like yours. I love your wall.
Thanks Marlene! Isn’t it the best when you spot those good thrift store pieces? Love when that happens. 🙂
Thanks for stopping in and sharing.
Kristi, Your Thrifted Art is stunning. You have a great taste and that is real gift. You have given me a great idea for our family room. I just can’t seem to find the right wall art. AND, this might be just right. Thanks, Kristi. Happy Fall.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Meegan. It’s funny that I had all of this found art but I was trying to use store bought art to decorate that wall. I’m just glad it worked.
I hope that you can find the right art for your family room. 🙂
Your collection look wonderful because you have such great taste!
Awww, that means so much coming from you. Thank you!
GORGEOUS and classy! Love it. I need to find a spot I can do this too.
Thanks so much Deborah! I love that I can see them all together.
This looks great! I love the landscape scenes too. I have always love that old burnished gold. It is coming back in style, but it is a classic in my book. Old things give a space character and personality that new just can’t quite mimic. I did something similar in my living room. I stacked three old prints all above an old chair on a narrow wall. I love it! Glad you found a home for your treasures.
Thanks so much, Julie! I’m glad I found a home for my treasures, too.
I’ve been loving that burnished gold for a while now. I fought the urge to use it early on, thinking it would quickly go out of style, but I love it so I add it in with my decor. 🙂
Kristi, I love your gallery wall. It’s amazing how all the art fits together so well!
Your links to others with fall decorations reminds that I have to get going on my fall decorations. I’ve been preoccupied with the spare room, getting it ready for the grand-boys. They are excited to have their own room at Nana’s house.
Thanks MJ!
Sounds like a fun project and I’m sure your grand-boys are going to have an awesome room.
Hope you have a great day!
Your art gallery is beautiful, Kristi! My post today is about my thrift store finds from Chicago….they do have the best for sure!
Thanks Mary Beth. There’s not a lot I miss about Chicago, but the estate sales and thrift stores…miss them terribly. 😉
Love these, we seem to have the same taste in so many things. I have to ( embarrassing-ly) confess here, and it sounds a little odd, but I don’t know how to thrift shop. Do you look in the paper for estate sales? Go to the goodwill store? Yard sales? ok, I said it. I need to try this, I think I could find room for a cute gallery wall like this.
Great minds, Jillian. 😉
Not an odd question at all. I actually do all of those things. I look online at estatesales.net to find sales in my area, I go to Goodwill, ReStore, thrift stores and yard sales (although we don’t have many of those in our area). Any time I hear about a great place to thrift, I check it out. I’d rather do that than go to a mall or store. Looking is the fun part. 🙂
Kristi I really think the key to this is having a great eye and you definitely have that!! These pieces are absolutely beautiful and look so amazing as a gallery. I love it!
Awww, thanks so much Vanessa, I appreciate it. I never bought them with the intention of hanging them all together, but I’m thrilled that it worked out that way.
I too love the thrill of the hunt!! These are beautiful!
The thrill of the hunt is what it’s all about. 😉 Thanks Cindy!
Kristi, I LOVE your gallery wall with the thrifted pieces of art! I am fortunate to live very close to an auction house, and I have found several pieces there for about $5. Currently one is hanging in our den. The trouble is that I want to rescue all of the pieces that I see but have NO space for them!
Thanks so much Jane! I have to be very careful about rescuing too many pieces too. It can get out of hand pretty quickly.
Very cute! My husband just grabbed a few pieces from the trash. I can’t believe what treasures people throw away!
It is crazy to see what people throw away. Your husband gets the thrifty award for best find. 😉
Hi Kristi, I like the painting in the top center the most but the barn picture is a close second. I found a wonderful painting of an oriental fishing village in a thrift store years ago that I hung onto for years. I don’t know what happened to it. It must have gotten sent to the thrift store again when we down sized. I don’t think I have ever purchased a thrift store painting for $1.50 though. I think Florida thrift stores are much higher on their pricing. Have a great week. Debbie
It’s funny how prices differ at thrift stores from state to state. We went to Myrtle Beach last May and went in several and the prices were totally ridiculous. Of course, it’s a tourist area but it was crazy expensive.
I’m so happy to hear from you. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. 🙂
Kristi, I love your gallery wall. Great idea and it looks fabulous!