Using Thrift Store Finds For A Coastal Cottage Buffet Table

Hola Amigos!

I am over the moon to share my new installment of “Using Thrift Store Finds For A..” series. If you haven’t seen my other posts, you should check them out and other thrift store makeover projects on my Project Gallery Page. I am still in the process of finalizing all the minor details of my dining room, but you will be able to get a sneak peak of the dining room buffet table. You will see that I’m going for a coastal cottage vibe in the dining room and I styled the buffet table using thrift store finds.

I was browsing the thrift store last week and came across a great assortment of treasures for the dining room. Some just needed minor cleanup, and then there was a fabulous brass pineapple tray that needed so much help. I also scored a few HomeGood buys that just pulled the rest of the look together.

The white lamp base was in perfect condition and was only $5.00. It was originally going to be spray painted, but I noticed it was much nicer in white once it was placed on the buffet table. The lamp shade is from Target’s Threshold line. I didn’t feel too bad spending more on the lamp shade since the base was a mere $5.00. Plus, I rationalized the shade by saying that I was automatically getting 5% off using my Red Card.

My awesome pineapple tray was such a mess. I remembered a post about polishing brass from Jennifer of Dimples and Tangles that was sure to help. I took her advice and used Bar Keeper’s Friend. I also needed to use Goo Gone to work on all the hardened glue. It took me almost 2 hours to get this tray looking good. Granted, I did have to stop for the kids snack time and to clean up my sink since the Bar Keeper’s Friend was going everywhere once I started using a toothbrush to clean the crevices.

Take a look at the before and after pics of the tray. What a transformation!! I was so happy with the results that I just had to show it off on the buffet table. Thankfully, I did not spray paint the tray as I had planned.

A few more of my thrift store finds were used along with the tray to decorate the buffet table. I found the small apothecary jar last week for $3.00. This was a little pricey for a thrifty find, but I knew I was going to have that jar on my mind if I didn’t purchase it. The green bottle is an old red wine vinegar bottle that I had saved for almost 2 years in the back of a cabinet. I loved the shape of the bottle and couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. The size of the bottle is perfect for a bud vase.

The blue glass candle holder was a buy from HomeGoods just this week. I love the cerulean blue color against the ivory white candle. They only had one size for the candle holder, but I think I’ll pick up another candle holder if I happen to come across another size. How great does that tray look with those three decor elements?

On the opposite side of the table, I used a big glass vase I found in the clearance section of HomeGoods for $9.00. The flowers are from Target, but I hope to clip some branches off the tree outside that is just about to sprout some flowers. Hopefully, the tree will start to bloom next week. I added the IKEA lantern and decided to go against the traditional pillar candle insert. I chose to use a small thrift store pitcher that was filled with candlesticks. The pitcher was previously on the entryway table, but it looks much nicer within the lantern.

I am so glad that the buffet table decor came together. Did you notice that I also changed the knobs on the buffet table? I saw these clear knobs on my way out of HomeGoods. They were $7.99 for a set of 4. The coral art on the wall was also a buy from HomeGoods. I am definitely HomeGoods Happy with the overall look! The main wall needs final touches and then I’ll be sharing the big reveal. Check out the difference thus far.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have found some inspiration in using thrift store finds for your buffet table.

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