Where to thrift home decor, according to four Melbourne fashion people

“It would be so easy to go to Ikea and just buy something new. But instead, you are reusing something and giving it another life with you.”

I’m always in awe of an eclectic, warm and welcoming abode. They radiate a feeling of authenticity and act as a living extension of the human (or humans) that dwell there. I love the way a friend’s personality can be embodied in home decor form.

And whether it’s a three-bedroom house or a compact studio apartment, the charm of someone’s living space is all in the details. What stumps me is just how clever some people can be when it comes to snooping out pre-loved pieces for their homes.

For more interior inspiration, check out our Life vertical. 

Luckily, these four creatives are going to let you in on some Naarm-based homewares goldmines, and the mainstay pieces they’ve found there. 

Jess Brohier, Creative Director at Alt House

Facebook Marketplace

I’ve found countless objects from here – bedside tables, gorgeous checker tables, coffee tables, plinths, chairs, the list goes on. It’s the best resource for secondhand, underpriced home bargains. The only catch is that you have to check it flat out morning and night and be super quick to nab something. Usually, you have to be ready to pick up the day of or the next day in order to not miss out. So, if you have access to a car, this makes things much easier and cancels a lot of potential buyers out from faraway locations.

High Street, where Northcote meets Thornbury

Along High Street (in this part of town), there are a few secondhand ‘hoarders’ (if I may), who have all kinds of amazing bits and pieces. One of these shops is where I found an incredible sculptural vase. It reminds me of something I saw in Italian art galleries. It’s made of dark purple, almost black, glass and is one of my favourites. I scored it for $20 from this place! I used to live in this area, so would always be walking by. 

Waverley Antique Bazaar, Clayton

This place is a real gem. Someone told me about it years ago, it’s pretty far out from the city but incredible for random home deco bits. I bought heaps of coloured glass pieces starting from as little as $4. There are 100 or so stalls, and most are reasonably priced. It’s mostly amazing for glassware, sculptures, vases and such. Sometimes, you can get lucky and find lamps and things there, too. 

Frankston Savers

That’s right friends, this may be the best one of them all. I went here once after a girl’s trip down the coast and I was feeling crafty that day. I saw all the bits that make up an incredibly wavy lamp. They were all lying in separate sections, but for some reason the vision was strong and I managed to persuade the staff to let me go to the back of the shop. They lent me a bulb so I could piece this thing together. And it worked! Probably my brightest thrift moment ever. This place can be hit and miss but has the potential for really nice stuff from people who live further down the coast. 

@jessbrohier

Simonette Boekel, Marketing Manager at Lé Buns

Salvos Store, Rosebud

I love thrifting in regional op shops – you always find the best and most unique pieces, and they’re generally less picked over! I love this particular Salvos Store in Rosebud, and there are a couple of others near there, too. I got the coolest twisted green candle sticks there, as well as some incredible vintage-coloured glassware. Think Hay Design/Maison Balzac, but vintage! I came across this store on my way home from a photoshoot out that way last year and have gone back to visit it a couple of times. I never leave empty-handed.

@s.imonette

Nicole Williams, Art Director of Filly’s Stable

I am a sucker for nostalgia. I love pieces that have history and tell a story. Pieces that already feel like yours.  I recently went back to Paris for work and the Parisians know how to do it perfectly. Everything is a sensory overload – organised clutter, books, art and lights. Everything feels worn, nostalgic and so beautiful.

I’ve had a lot of my pieces for quite some time and I love things that feel weird, timeless and beautiful. My coffee table is one of my favourite pieces in my home. My friend ended up handing it over to me as she was moving back to the Coast. I’m almost certain she found it on Gumtree/Marketplace. It is my most treasured piece.

Ma House, Collingwood

This is the most well-curated store full of incredible pieces of all different price points which means you’re definitely leaving with something. I managed to pick up some beautiful candle stick holders and a sweet little bug that sits in my bathroom. 

Chapel Street Bazaar 

I love how many different stalls there are and how each represents the stall holders. I found this weird wacky ceramic couple drinking martinis on the couch and I ummed and ahhed about it. In the end, I couldn’t resist how quirky it was.

@nicwilliams__

Sophie McIntyre, founder of Club Sup

Waverley Antique Bazaar, Clayton

This is Melbourne’s worst-kept secret. But I found a vendor on Facebook Marketplace for a side table for our new apartment and it led me there. After that I was hooked and now that place has furnished my entire apartment. I’ve found some really great glassware, a few mixing bowls, endless candle stick holders and some gorgeous vases. I have this big glass vase that is just my fave. It’s like this big urn, always waiting for flowers. 

All the pieces I’ve found are connected by beautiful character and give my home a lived-in feeling. It’s not something that is completely brand new. For example, my mixing bowls and platters. It would be so easy to go to Ikea and just buy something new. But instead (for quite literally a few dollars), you are reusing something and giving it another life with you. 

@clubsup_

For more advice on shopping for secondhand home decor, try this.