The 5 estate sale treasures designers say are always worth buying

Don’t sleep on these finds!

Estate sales are an incredible resource for scoring beautiful pieces of furniture, decor, and more for your space, allowing you to fill your home with one-of-a-kind finds that you won’t come across at big-box stores (or your neighbors’ homes).

If you’re looking to get the most out of your next estate sale day, you’ll want to keep the following tips from secondhand-loving designers top of mind. Here, they share five items that many people overlook at estate sales but totally deserve a second glance, if not a permanent spot in your home!

Related: 5 Unexpected Thrift Store Finds Interior Designers Never Pass Up

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Upholstered Pieces with Wear and Tear

“Most people overlook the sofas and armchairs, because the fabric might be sun-faded, the trim torn off,” designer Zac Mathias says of his experience at estate sales. That said, he enjoys purchasing these pieces and then reupholstering them to give them new life.

“I love picking a fun fabric and doing a contrast welt which gives it that bespoke feel,” he says. “With a little love, it might just end up being your favorite piece of furniture!”

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Books

Julia Newman, founder of Julia Adele Design, doesn’t overlook the bookshelves at estate sales. “As an avid reader, I love discovering them, but they also bring depth and character to a space—far beyond what you’d get from a typical coffee table book,” she says.

No worries if the covers are tattered or even removed—any well-designed library will feature titles that have clearly been pre-loved.

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Antique Lamps

While there are plenty of excellent modern lighting options on the market, don’t underestimate the power of an older lamp in adding warmth and personality to your home.

“People walk right past the lamps, but a well-made antique lamp has proportions that modern lighting simply cannot replicate,” says Vanessa Katzen, founder of Vanessa Katzen Design. “You can rewire it, upgrade the shade, and create an original piece that has real character and history.”

Designer Jen Dulac adds that people often overlook lamps at estate sales because they have dated, dingy, or damaged shades. “You have to look beyond the lampshade and recognize the beauty in the base (and also the finial, which can often be quite decorative and beautifully made),” she says.

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Art in Need of Framing

You can’t always expect to fall head over heels for a work of art and its frame when shopping at an estate sale—but it’s more than okay if a piece checks one of these two boxes!

“I immediately look for inspiring artwork that has been passed over as a result of a dated frame, yellowed mat, or a dusty piece of glass,” designer Jill Litner Kaplan says of her estate sale strategy. “Some of the greatest pieces I have ever found are born of seeing the art beyond its current presentation and imagining its potential after it has been transformed with a new frame.”

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Bookends

Now that books are officially on your estate sale shopping list, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for bookends, too.

“Over the years, I’ve found a pair of carved alabaster birds, antique carved onyx horse heads, carved wooden and stone elephants, and solid brass pineapple bookends,” Dulac says. “They’re works of art, and they’re functional. If you don’t have enough books to fill a shelf, bookends are a great way to create smaller groupings within a larger shelf.”

Related: I'm a Pro at Thrifting—But I Never Buy These 5 Items Secondhand

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