Sarah Bradburn has been an interior designer for 7 years and began her career by designing model homes for various builders in the Phoenix, Arizona area. “I’ve always had a passion for utilizing yard sale and thrift store finds into my own home because they bring an instant sense of character and history to a space,” Sarah says. Sarah started her own business, Sarah Elizabeth Interior Design, last year to help others incorporate second-hand items into their own homes in a timeless and beautiful way that looks anything but cheap. These days we all want our dollars to stretch as far as they possibly can and scooping up thrift store, yard sale and estate sale treasures is a savvy way to get the look for less!

Today Sarah shares some of her awesome second-hand finds and takes us through their impressive transitions.

The headboard was FREE. My sister snatched it up from her in-laws who were preparing to take it to the dump. She had no use for it but just couldn’t bear to see it tossed away. Luckily I happened to see it in her garage and within minutes I had it loaded into my vehicle. It was initially an unattractive wood tone with plenty of chips and scratches. So I painted it light grey, sanded the edges to reveal a little wood tone underneath and accentuate the beautiful curved shape then finished it off with a little finishing paste to protect and seal it.

The two lamps were rescued from a local Salvation Army for six-dollars each! One of them was a dusty pink color straight out of the 1980’s and I hit it with a few coats of glossy white paint to match the ginger jar lamp. I recovered a pair of plain, white shades with a floral fabric and for less than 50 dollars I have a beautiful pair of custom lamps.

The blue and green bedspread you see at the end of the bed was from an estate sale and was the jumping off point for the entire color palette of the room.

The wood dresser was also from an estate sale. The knobs are original to the piece and are solid brass that had seen better days. I used a little Brasso to remove the years of buildup and now they shine like new. It’s gorgeous!

To learn more about Sara Bradburn and her Interior Design in Phoenix, Arizona, check out her website, www.sarahelizabethinteriordesign.com and her blog, www.sarahelizabethdesign.blogspot.com.