If great interior design is your passion, you will know how hard it is to create something unique. There are new trends in interiors all the time so it’s easy to get swallowed up in them all… or just be confused. 

While there’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from various trends, following them can sometimes mean having a home that looks the same as everyone else’s. Part of the beauty of owning your own house is that you get the chance to actually make it a home – remember, the two are very different things. Your home should be somewhere that reflects your personality, and somewhere that you and your family can relax in knowing that it’s your personal space.

great interior design

By only buying your home interiors from the same major stores, you can unknowingly create a ‘showroom’ kind of look that by all means looks great, but lacks personality. If you want to inject some character back into your property, here are some innovative ideas for finding great homewares at places that aren’t your local store.

Get Great Interior Design from… A thrift shop

Did you know it’s not just clothes that you can find in the treasure troves of a thrift shop? Many also offer vintage homewares at very reasonable prices, and you can easily find something unique. Maybe you’ve always wanted a grand, 1950’s inspired vanity cabinet, or perhaps you just want some cute little trinkets to add a bit of interest to the surfaces in your living space. Whatever it is, thrift shops can be a goldmine for coming across some special homewares and furniture.

If you see a chair or sofa, look at the lines and shape of the piece. Ignore the fabric and whether the bottom is falling out of the seat, these things can be fixed. For a unique piece, find unique carved features, and interesting shape, or something about its design that you love. The use a professional to reupholster the fabric or fix the webbing and springs.

great interior design

great interior design

great interior design

Get Great Interior Design when… You go online

If you’d rather shop for interiors from the comfort of your own home, start here to find some great places to buy homeware online. There are plenty of options available – websites like eBay enable people to sell used items, and you can usually snap up a great bargain on there. How many times in interior design magazines have you seen that a home owner has reupholstered a sofa found on eBay?

Look for fun items you may not even use, but can use for a display; such as vintage skis.

great interior design

Another way to create unique features in your home is to go on-line and find wood you can recycle.

For example, an old table may have enough wood to create some new shelves for your wall. Recycled timber products add warmth and uniqueness to a home. Often people will sell old wood that has been salvaged from a demolition but were floorboards, architraves or another building tool. This wood, once sanded back and oiled, can be used for beautiful carpentry projects such a bathroom vanity. You don’t get more unique than that.

great interior design

If you want something no one else has had before, why not give Etsy a try?

It is a marketplace where individuals can sell their handmade goods. Find unique ceramics, glass, textiles, wall art, even handmade soap for the bathroom or embroidered pillowcases for the bedroom.

great interior design

great interior design

Get Great Interior Design from… A swap shop

Got a room full of old homewares you’re just not interested in anymore? Rather than throwing them all out, consider holding a swap shop (yard sale / garage sale) with your friends and/or neighbours. If you’ve always had your eye on something they’ve got in their home, this is the perfect chance to finally get your hands on it! Hold it somewhere public so that you can attract more people – in your front yard, for example. Split all the items up into sections, such as a room by room system. It’s cheap, it’s efficient, and your home could be completely transformed afterward.

Hold it somewhere public so that you can attract more people – in your front yard, for example. Split all the items up into sections, such as a room by room system. It’s cheap, it’s efficient, and your home could be completely transformed afterward. The benefits of a swap shop over a single yard/garage sale are 1. share marketing costs. 2. attract more people. 3. find a bargain for yourself.

Great interior design doesn’t have to be new, but it can be new to you. Or support a small business artisan and buy something handmade for a truly unique vibe.

great interior design