Do you furnish your property using second-hand products, new products, or a combination of both?

[Rebecca]

Hello, wonderful community! 👋 

We’d love to hear from you about your furnishing choices for your properties. Furnishing can set the tone for your space, creating a unique atmosphere that resonates with guests. Whether you scour thrift shops for vintage treasures, invest in sleek new furniture, or mix and match to reflect your style, we want to hear from you! 

Do you prefer to furnish your space with second-hand products, go for brand new items, or use a combination of both? Share your experiences, the reasoning behind your choices, and any tips you might have for others in the community. 

Looking forward to your responses! 😊

[Júlia-Torres0]

Most of the furniture in one of my listings are second-hand products, but we love to give a touch with more modern and new items, but not expensive ones. It helps us to transit between different trends (past and present); also playing with cluttery with various colours and shapes helps to save costs to replace it later.

[Carro-Et-Bruno0]

Bonjour,

Pour Bel Appart, nous avons opté pour des ustensiles achetés d'occasion.

2 serviettes pour les mains couleur jaune moutarde achetées chez Emmaüs, une paire de jumelles Vintage achetées à un particulier sur LeBonCoin, un ensemble terrasse de 2 chaises + 1 table ronde d'occasion à un restaurant en vente. Le cachet des objets anciens ressort dans un appartement refait à neuf.

Par contre, lorsqu'il s'agit de la literie et des accessoires, nous achetons des produits neufs.

Carro et Bruno

[Joseph2571]

Hey there @Rebecca, and fun question. My listing is a tiny cabin tucked deep in the woods, so the more imperfect the item—the more rustic, weathered, or full of character—the better it fits the space. I lean heavily on second-hand finds and love reimagining pieces to create those surprise-and-delight moments for guests. A vintage crate becomes a bedside table, an old ladder turns into a towel rack... that sort of thing. Also, our guests seem to book because they want a more sustainable travel option, so upcycling is important to most. 

I’m also lucky to be pretty handy, which helps bring those creative ideas to life.

That said, I stick to brand new when it comes to towels, linens, and anything a guest might need in a pinch or for comfort. Clean, fresh, and reliable is the rule for those.

It’s all about balance—crafting something cozy and honest, with a few unexpected touches that make folks smile.

[Rebecca]

Hello @Joseph2571 - thanks so much for stopping by! I love the idea of upcycling and how you transform everyday items into something special for your cabin. It must create such a warm and inviting atmosphere for your guests! What's been your favourite piece that you've reimagined so far? 😊

[Joseph2571]

Thanks, @Rebecca ! Funny enough, one of the simplest things has had the biggest impact—those old-school folding TV tables. Reimagining them into something rustic, true to the space, and totally unique has been a game changer. In a small cabin, it’s the little touches that really pull the space together—both in look and function.

They’ve become so essential, I can’t pass a yard sale without picking one up now!

[Rebecca]

@Joseph2571  Love that! It’s always the simple, clever ideas that make the biggest difference. I bet those tables add a lot of charm and practicality too, especially in a small space like a cabin.

Do you usually refinish or customise them in some way, or just use them as they are if they’ve got the right vibe? 😊

[Joseph2571]

Totally revision them @Rebecca. Thanks for asking.
 

!

[Joseph2571]

Tried to Edit my original post, but failed. still getting the hang of things here.

In the meantime, @Rebecca, it really is the small moments that we can create for guests that have an impact, especially in a compact space like our cabin.

Given the size, we needed something easy to store and flexible. While we’ve got an outdoor dining setup, bad weather happens. So, the classic folding tray tables we already had seemed like a perfect solution for rainy day card games, late-night snacks, or even breakfast in bed. The only problem? The plain blonde wood just didn’t suit the vibe of the space.

So, I decided to give them a little rustic-up. It was actually my first time reimagining a piece like this, and surprisingly doable! I used a table saw to add some faux grooves to give them a more “real wood plank” feel, then stained them and painted the legs black to tie in with the other accents around the cabin. Finished them off with a few hand-stenciled quotes to match the rustic, cozy feel we’re going for.

Learned a few things about stencil bleeds I’d do differently next time, but honestly? The imperfections kind of add to the handmade charm. I’ve got a few more tables I’ve been collecting and can’t wait to play around with different styles for the next batch.