The kids have left the house to go off to college or to their newest job opportunity. Whew. Just take a moment to breathe.

Congratulations! Give yourself a big pat on the back. You have successfully made it through the teenage years and are now officially an empty nester. What do you do with yourself now? What do you do with the extra rooms that are now no longer being used? It’s time to redesign by shopping furniture thrift stores.

Decide what YOU like

For so long it’s been about the kids. This time is now about YOU. Decide what it is that you like when it comes to design. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do?

Come up with a theme

When it comes to redesigning your home it’s a good idea to come up with a theme. This is based off of what you like, which is why I had you think about that right before this. Here are some theme ideas for you:

• Boho chic
• Modern
• Traditional
• Vintage
• Colonial
• Botanical
• Beach and seaside
• Country Cottage
• Mediterranean
• Romantic/Gothic/Old world

Combine different items to make the look unique

Shopping at furniture thrift stores is a great place to put together mix and match décor. Mix and match is very in right now and when put together with thrift store furniture pieces it can be a major design success!

Here’s an idea of what we mean:

Pick a focal/standout piece

Maybe it’s a mirror, a giant armoire or a piece of wall art – pick a focal point for the room. This is where furniture thrift stores comes in handy! Here’s the trick when shopping for one of these pieces at a thrift store: don’t be picky because you can DIY it to almost anything you want it to be! Voila!

Here are some DIY blogs to help you out:

3 Ways to Make Your Second Hand Furniture Store DIY Projects Shine

Ideas to Revamp Lamps from Second Hand Stores [DIY]

Winter Weather DIY Projects from Second Hand Furniture Stores

DIY Second Hand Furniture Stores: Inspiration From Pinterest  

3 Easy Winter DIY Projects With Second Hand Furniture Store Finds

Once you see how fun it is to decorate with items from furniture thrift stores you won’t be able to stop! Plus, you won’t have to now that you have an empty nest and don’t have any kids to worry about.

If you’re in the Chico, Oroville or Paradise area we’ve got second hand furniture store items in our Arc Stores. Come and take a look!