
When I lived in New York one of my favourite shops to visit was Housing Works, an 'upscale thrift store' with all profits funding valuable social services. A rotating treasure trove of bargain basement deals, it's a design hunter's dream--I once nearly bought a piano there for $150! And now we can all get our Housing Works fix with their new book The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details
. This hefty volume is packed full of shopping tips, style secrets, and most importantly, gorgeous images!

The book offers a little something for everyone, no matter what your aesthetic. Calm, neutral interiors abound, with plenty of ideas on how to use those impulse buys that look terrific at the thrift store but defy your imagination when you get them home. For example, both on the mantle above and the table below, one-off antique vessels have a big impact when grouped together!

Some of the spaces in the book don't look thrifted at all, making it fun to analyze them and imagine each element in its past life. That botanical wall hanging? It's an old window frame with leaf prints mounted behind the glass!

Love these light fixtures. I've been having a tough time deciding what type of lighting to install in my own kitchen; I wish I could get my hands on some of these industrial pieces! I'm now itching for a trip to an architectural salvage store--a definite side effect of reading this book!

For those amongst us who need a little color, The Find
has plenty of that too! How many times have you seen worn-out, second hand office furniture like this cabinet below? Did you ever imagine it could look this smashing? Of course those stunning lamps help...not to mention those black shades!

The same applies to old schoolhouse chairs; they're not terribly hard to track down, they don't look like much on the sales floor, but they add instant charm to an otherwise spare workspace. Throw in a few retro accessories like a punchy clock and a utilitarian lamp, and you're golden!

Could I live in a space this full of colorful tchotchkes? No. Would I want to hang out with the people who can? You betcha! The personality that shines from every corner of this room leaves no question that the inhabitants are very cool folks indeed.

Don't miss the section on entertaining with thrift finds! The book devotes an entire chapter to fabulous tableaux of vintage tablewares. How fun would it be to gather your besties for a 1950's inspired kaffeeklatch?
Check back later for more from The Find
. We've only scratched the surface of this must-read book! And in the meantime tell me: what's your most glorious thrift find?
All images courtesy of The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details
, by Stan Williams. Published by Clarkson Potter, May 2009.