NAVIGATING FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
Facebook Marketplace can be a treasure trove of quality, vintage and often brand new pieces of furniture, rugs, lamps & home decor if you know what to look for. With ongoing supply shortages in the retail chain, turning to thrifting & Marketplace is a great option to find what you’re looking for that is immediately available at a better price than what you would pay retail. I prefer Marketplace to thrifting because 1) it takes less time sifting through shelves of unwanted items, 2) I can search for exactly what I’m looking for, 3) the items are often priced fairly for the condition the item is in and 4) you can search multiple cities surrounding you at the click of a button.
However, searching Marketplace can feel as daunting as a sifting through a thrift store if you don’t know what to search for. Here are a few of my own tips, tricks and what to be looking for when shopping Marketplace plus recent favorites that have popped up in my search:
- Check Marketplace once a day + Save those items you really love, even if you’t not going to be buying them. Marketplace is setup with a good algorithm that learns you’re shopping habits, so logging activity daily and saving items will eventually help funnel the listings that are best suited to you right to the top (Today’s Picks).
- Expand your search radius. I live in a small town, so I am consistently searching larger cities around me for items. This means that I may have to make an hour drive to pick an item up (my best Marketplace finds have been at least an hour or so drive to pickup) but I don’t mind driving to score a really good deal or an item I’ve been searching for for awhile. Shipping is also an option that’s available for sellers — I personally have only had small items shipped, but some furniture can be shipped as well. So go beyond your area and break into those larger markets!
- Look past the bad photos. Sometimes it takes a little imagination to envision what a piece looks like all cleaned up, so don’t let dirty, messy pieces of furniture or a rug still in its packaging deter you. I’ve bought plenty of items out of storage units and garages — all the furniture needed was a little cleaning.
- Gems you should be searching for: brand new renovation items, big name retailers + designer lighting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across a brand new Restoration Hardware console sink, free standing Kohler tub, unused handmade tiles, Visual Comfort lighting that’s being taken out for a renovation, marble top vanities, custom upholstery, sold out Target x Studio McGee items… the list goes on. Often a contractor will be doing a job and removing perfectly good fixtures or end up changing design plans and left with new high-dollar items they no longer need — this is where the real deals can be found. I’m usually searching for lighting this way. Don’t forget to search for those big name items!
NEW PAINT COLOR ALERT
I’ve been having a lot of fun introducing color to the rooms in our house. The most recent room to get new paint was the girls’ room. This mauve-y, not-too-pink, beautiful color by Benjamin Moore was a fast favorite once it went up on the walls. I highly recommend adding this to your paint lineup the next time you’re in need of an earthy, soft, romantic paint color.
LATELY
If you’ve been here awhile you’ll remember my face (and kids) used to show up on the grid more often, and a few years ago I made the shift to posting only interior photos to Instagram. I will still show up in stories here and there but choose not to share so many details of our personal life. The reason behind this was first out of practicality — convincing little kids to cooperate for photos is not a job title I care to take on. Second, I became much more invested in design than the lifestyle realm and got out of the habit of stepping in front of the camera. But I realized that I personally enjoy seeing the faces behind the designs + blogs I love, hearing more about their personal life and who they are beyond work. Often if I gravitate toward the voice behind the interiors, I also resonate with the personality of that person as well.
I never intend to “disappear” from my platform, but I definitely pulled back for a season and that was really nice. When you’re putting yourself out there before your work really gains traction it can be a demanding season. A lot has happened in our lives since then and I feel rejuvenated to show up again. The most recent photo I had of myself was from the beginning of 2019 so I stepped in front of the camera quick last week when snapping photos of the house. Here’s to showing up more this year!
WHAT WE’RE READING RIGHT NOW
When Ty and I were on vacation a few weeks ago these were the two books we brought with us to read. Ty really enjoyed Greenlights, and I enjoyed reading it over his shoulder on the plane and at other random times on the beach. I had started reading Daring Greatly months ago and hadn’t made the time to finish it; I really liked this book because it humanizes the struggle with fear & vulnerability we all fight against, giving us a friendly push to invest more in our relationships, work & personal development.
Happy Friday, friends!
