Thrift stores are home to the loveliest of treasures that will help keep your home tidy, and your guests organized and comfortable during hosting season at a fraction of the usual cost.
With extra bodies in the house, you'll need more of everything including storage and multi-functional seating. These six gems are the ones professional organizers and interior designers keep an eye out for ahead of a celebration, event or hosting season.
It can be easy to become overwhelmed in a thrift store as so many items will be surrounding you, but try to avoiding over-shopping there, make a list ahead of going and think about the smaller details that make a big impact for you and guests.
1. A luggage rack
Accounting for extra luggage including coats and shoes from your house guests is a priceless holiday hosting tip from our pros.
Luggage racks are super handy if your guests have traveled far and have cases to unpack in your home. This thoughtful addition to a guest room will help them feel welcome, and help keep them things tidy during their stay.
'I love finding well made luggage racks for guests to unpack during their visit,' says Taryn McLean, CEO and founder of Help You Dwell organizing and relocation services. 'They bring a sense of elegance for the guest.' An elegance often felt in a fancy hotel.
Alleviating the need to work off the floor to unpack will also help your guests physically, whatever their age or health. It will negate the need to put a potentially dirty suitcase onto your fresh guest bedroom linen and make the space look more expensive.
All prices correct at time of publication.
A simple luggage rack like this one would be a fabulous find in your local thrift. It has two tiers, ideal for storing all sorts of items. Whilst we've seen it on a limited time deal for $59.49, the price point is the perfect reason to lookout for similar items when thrifting. If you're on the hunt for something more luxurious, keep an eye out for racks inspired by the Faison Wood Luggage Rack at Wayfair which is made of birch and woven leather.
2. Multi-functional seating
If the more the merrier is a sentiment you live by, it will never go amiss to keep extra seating on hand in your home. It can make a home cozy for Thanksgiving, giving everyone a place to curl up and watch movies together for down time, and ensures there are enough chairs to fit around the dining table.
Whether you store them in the basement, attic or garage, your future self will be thanking you when days before your guests are due to arrive, you can just calmly take out some more seating and rearrange furniture before hosting a crowd.
'Extra seating like folding chairs or ottomans can make your home feel more inviting, personalized and suitable for guests,' says Mendelson.
You may even find some handcrafted pieces discarded from old dining tables over in the thrift. If their seats are damaged and you love the item, you could re-upholster your find. You'll still more than likely be saving money overall on the purchase and revival as brand new seating, especially multi-functional ones that have storage as well, can be expensive.
3. Trays to reduce clutter
'Trays are wonderful touches in a guest room,' says McLean. 'Encouraging your guest to rest a moment while they leave their phone and keys on a Italian Florentine Tray atop an solid wood antique dresser made by hand... there really are gems to be found in thrift stores.'
And its not just about how they look. When your home is busy, or guests are staying for a few days and are living out of suitcases, smartly placed trays can help keep their items, or your decor neatly categorized together to ease the feeling of visual clutter.
You can use trays for makeshift breakfast stations, bathroom offerings to make your guest feel at home, or on their bedside table to house their essentials without them feeling they are cluttering your home up. You can always double up on function by serving breakfast-in-bed on one.
My Italian Decor sells an array of beautiful hand-crafted decorative trays that would be perfect to check out for inspiration prior to searching the thrift stores in your local area. Intricate and traditional, every piece tells a story.
Learn the best of our decluttering tips.
This beautiful porcelain tray is pricey but beautiful. The rounded edges and gold detailing give it an Art Deco style, and if you were able to find a tray that has any features like this in a thrift store, you would double up on organizational function and timeless style.
4. A rolling clothing rack
Rolling clothing racks or rails are a great addition to a smaller guest space lacking a dresser or full closet. Usually streamlined and able to roll around on wheels, these clothing racks will give your guests somewhere to hang up their possessions and lessen the need for them to iron their clothes whilst away from home.
Give them a designated space for their hanging items with a bargain rail clothes buy at a thrift store.
Mary Jo Contello, professional organizer and founder of Organized by MJ, says, 'If you don't have room for a guest to put clothes in a drawer, you could look for a small rolling rack to hang clothes. You can also look for spare hangers at the thrift store.'
A set of matching velvet or wooden hangers reduces visual clutter when decluttering closets and hanging rails are no exception.
Finding something similar to this heavy-duty garment rail from a thrift store would be a brilliant find. It has a lot of space, is adjustable and includes hooks to hang up accessories. A simple rail will do the job, too - just add a hanging shelf organizer for extra storage cubbies.
4. Over-the-door hooks
If you visit your local thrift store, you may be in luck and find some very handy hooks, perfect for your guests. Adding over-the-door hooks into your guest bedroom in particular, or some extra ones to prepare an entryway for hosting, will ensure your guests have somewhere to hang up their coats and bags without you having to commit to more permanent or large fixtures.
Similar to the impact of giving your guest some wardrobe space, this will serve to make your guests feel like a part of the household, as well as improve the function of your hook spaces, as there will be enough hooks for them, and for everyone usually in your household.
Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and founder of Oh, So Organized! says, 'Hooks will be especially handy if you have limited closet space that your guest could use. They can use these to hang up many items, including purses, hats, jackets, towels and bathrobes.'
Perigold sell a wide range of different hooks, including the Four Hands Coat Rack that looks like a piece of abstract art on your wall. Snap up those unique-looking hooks as soon as possible in the thrift store, as many of them once you see them you likely won't find again.
When your hosting duties are done and guests have returned home, you can remove over-the-door hooks and stow them away in the attic of a closet until it's time for your next visitor.
6. Ottomans and storage benches
Storage benches are a stylish, practical solution to the issue of hosting Thanksgiving in a small space. They provide dual-purpose, giving a guest somewhere to sit to relax or put on shoes, as well as the perfect nook to tuck away any possessions from sweaters to spare blankets. This makes them an amazing addition to any space, but especially a smaller one with a limited capacity for furniture.
Samuels recommends placing a storage bed at the end of your guest's bed. 'A guest can use this space to sit on as they put on shoes, to store extra linens, and to rest their suitcase on while they unpack to name a few ideas.'
There are many beautiful storage benches out there in the world, from intricately carved vintage pieces to modern minimalist makes. We like the Chapman Solid Wood Blanket Storage Chest from Wayfair, as well as the SONGMICS 43 Inches Folding Storage Ottoman Bench from Amazon, which is upholstered for added comfort.
The Ottoman Foot Rest with a Removeable Lid from Amazon is also a good choice if instead of having extra seating your guest may like to use the top as a table.
'Sometimes you may find the cost of a second-hand item might be a bit more than a quick purchase from the big box store but the investment in a second-hand piece that was made by a skilled craftsman will last much longer and often be better looking as well. In other instances, you can find wonderfully made items for much less because so few people take the time to shop second-hand,' adds McLean.
Now you have everything you need for when visitors arrive, why not give your guest's space a revamp? How to decorate a guest bedroom can depend on a lot of factors, but we talked to experts and they came up with great tips to make your guest space an incredible room for respite.
