Finding vintage books on a budget can be a challenge. Obviously vintage books have a great look with the hardcover, slightly distressed look and usually interesting titles. When I was making over the budget office I wanted to use books for decor and to create height in my displays.
I found an affordable option, secondhand books from the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Thrift stores always have an abundance of books, and a lot of them are hardcover. They may not be titles you want to read, but we are only looking to use them for decor, so that’s ok.
HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT THRIFTED BOOKS FOR DECOR
Look at the size.
What space are you looking to fill, a shelf, a small nook or a desk? It’s good to know the dimensions of the place you’d like to display the books as this will determine the size you purchase. Measure the area before going thrifting so you can purchase books that will fit nicely.
Check the cover.
I don’t mean the book sleeve. The sleeve is the piece that is covering the book. It most likely has the title, photographs and maybe a small write up. We want to check out the hardcover. When getting decor for the office I was looking for black, grey and hints of green. When I searched through the thrift store books I would simply peel back the sleeve to see what colour the hard cover was underneath. Only purchasing those in the right dimensions and colour for my design.
What’s the condition.
Although we are purchasing secondhand books they should still be in good shape. When you take off the sleeve, make sure the spine doesn’t have any damage or dents. The spine is most likely what you will see when the books are on display. You also want to make sure the books binding is in good condition. If the book is the right size and colour but appears to be falling apart it probably won’t look very polished.
I really love this decor hack! It’s a budget friendly way to get the vintage book decor. What do you think? Does this create the vintage book display look? It was quite easy to find the colours I was looking for at the
Salvation Army Thrift Store, since there are so many books available secondhand. Great option if you are looking for books to use as decor.
