In times past you had to be a world traveler to achieve a collected look but today you can achieve it in a much shorter time period by visiting a few thrift stores, estate sales or flea markets. Today I’ll be breaking down the time and cost of a vignette from my master bedroom and showing you some of the great finds from second hand venues that I use to decorate my home. The lamp on the left is a garage sale find for $1 and the shade is one I had on hand. The mirror was also purchased at a garage sale for only $5. It was treated to several coats of bright white spray paint. The dark blue wooden tool chest is an estate sale find from 2 summers ago; I paid $35 for it.

The tool chest is topped with a vintage biscuit tin with a beautiful pastoral scene lithographed on it. I splurged and spent $25 but it was something I really loved. The large shell was also an estate sale find ringing in at only $2.

I won the antique marble bust at a local auction house for only $25. I like how she looks modeling my vintage beaded chokers. The whole vignette sits on an antique chest that I found at the Maxwell Street Days flea market in Cedarburg, Wisconsin over 12 years ago. It’s handmade with traces of original paint and was $350. I’ve used it in many places in my home—in the dining room as a buffet, in the living room to hold board games, and now in my bedroom to hold clothes. I adore it’s patina and how versatile it is. The key to a collected look is to mix old and new, with higher priced and lower priced items. It can take a little time but the result is a home that reflects your true tastes, interests, and passions.

TOTAL COST=$483 TOTAL TIME=12 years