For the past few years, I’ve been slowing learning how to restore antique furniture. Whether it be replacing the leather seat on a antique rocking chair or a updating a mid-century telephone/gossip chair. And gratefully, I haven’t paid for any of these pieces. Wait – what? Haven’t paid for one piece? Nope. All free. Today I’m going to answer a reader’s question on (drum roll please….. ) where to find free vintage furniture to refinish.
Backstory
I’m somewhat of a newbie when it comes to furniture restoration. There’s SO much to learn – the best ways to strip, sand, stain (or paint) and seal. It’s a fantastic hobby, and someday I hope to be good enough to sell my pieces.
But until then, I have a lot to learn and a LOT of mistakes to make (see my Citristrip disaster here). So I’m not interested in paying a lot of moolah for furniture that I might completely screw up as I learn the restoration trade.
7 Places to Find Free Vintage Furniture to Restore
Here’s the 7 places I track to find vintage furniture. The first 4 places are online, the others require putting on some sneakers and hitting the pavement.
1. Facebook
There’s a few spaces on Facebook where you can find some steals – especially your (or neighboring) town’s “Free” Facebook pages. My favorite places to find antique furniture are my local town’s “Buy Nothing” or “Residents Recycle” pages.
Note that the Buy Nothing page is a more structured group, so be sure to check out their page and Buy Nothing group rules for more info.
Also, consider joining the Facebook pages in neighboring communities (Although some Free pages are strictly for residents.) I joined two other neighboring towns – one which scored me this hidden gem of a rocking chair that I painted and re-caned.
Another way to find free vintage furniture on Facebook is through Marketplace. Admittedly, I haven’t had as much luck on Marketplace as the local Free pages, but it’s worthwhile to peruse. (Although I do hate all the ads….)
There’s a few ways to conduct a search on Marketplace, but I do best with searching for “free furniture” or “antique furniture” and clicking “local pickup” for delivery method. There’s usually an ungodly amount of 1990s pleather recliners and sofas, but if you have a good eye, you might find a vintage piece worth snatching.
2. Freecycle
This resource is (in my humble opinion) a hidden gem that more people should know about. Freecycle is a free-to-join, volunteer-run local online forum. It’s been around for sometime. There are groups in almost every city, so if you are out in country, this might not be an option for you.
What I like about Freecycle is that you can be notified via email when items are posted. I receive one daily email, which I love. Why? Unlike the other online platforms, I don’t have to actively search on Freecycle. The search results come straight to me in my Inbox!
I scored this beautiful telephone chair that needed needed new upholstery and a bit of love.
Another thing I like about Freecycle? It’s top-quality stuff people just don’t want anymore. I have yet to see a lot of true “junk” on Freecycle that I see on, say, Craigslist. Speaking of which….
3. Craigslist
The mecca of cheap furniture. And if you are willing to dig on Craiglist, you may find some true treasure. It’s astonishing what people throw out. Search the “Antique” and “Furniture” sections entering “$0” under pricing, or scanning the “Free Stuff” section under the “For Sale” topic on the Cragislist page for your geographical area.
4. Letgo
In all honesty, I don’t use this one that much. But I have a friend who loves this app, so it’s worth a mention. The best way to describe Letgo is that it is an online classifieds for items. It has a free section where you can search for furniture.
5. Curbside
I’ll admit it. I’m the gal who will bring her car to a screeching halt if she sees a piece of vintage furniture on the side of the road. And while I might be slightly embarrassed to have folks see me do this, it has brought me a LOT of luck. People throw out the most AMAZING furniture! I found this chair up the street from my house, which needed staining and a new cane seat.
The best way I find vintage furniture curbside in my suburbs is to go out the early evening before my neighborhood’s trash day. Many of my neighbors set out items with a “Free” sign before garbage day.
More than once I’ve taken the dog for a walk the night before trash day only to go back home, pick up my husband’s truck and drive back to collect a piece of furniture.
For example, this table at a neighbor’s house that gave me the opportunity to try Danish Oil. Or a tiger oak dining room chair from a historic house owned by a predominant businesswoman.
If you live in the city, you might have luck with dumpster diving. (Or next to the dumpsters. Not sure I’m up for actually diving into a dumpster…). Since apartments tend to turn over the first of the month, you will probably have the best luck finding some steals on the last weekend through the last days of the month
6. Family and Friends
When I mentioned to me family that I was learning how to restore old furniture, it never occurred to me that my mom might have chairs sitting in her basemen waiting to be refurbished! This rocking chair was stored in the basement for decades just waiting for a new leather seat cushion.
Use your network of family and friends to spread the word that you are looking for antique furniture to makeover. You might be helping them declutter their attics and garages of antique furniture that hasn’t seen the light of day for decades! Or using your network adds more sets of eyes to those curbside treasures. My friend snatched up this three-legged hair stool in her neighborhood on trash day. After new upholstery and a coat of Fusion Mineral paint, this chair has a new lease on life!
7. Garage and Yard Sales
Admittedly, garage and yard sales are usually not free. Or at least, during the first hours of a garage sale. But by the end of the day, the owners might not be interested in bringing in items that didn’t sell. They probably don’t want to drag unsold items back into their house.
So, try stopping by at the very end of the garage sale. The owners might give it to you for free (or reduced price) just to get it off their hands. Or drive by a few minutes after the end of the garage sale. You might find items marked for “FREE” on their curb.
Last year our neighbor had a yard sale and my oldest daughter fell in love with the mid-century swivel vanity chair. And with a bit of love, this chair would work perfectly with the desk we scored off of Facebook Recycle Group for her bedroom. At the end of the garage sale, it hadn’t sold, so our neighbor gave it to our daughter. We re-upholstered it and gave it a new coat of gold spray paint to match the accents on the desk. It was my daughter’s first true DIY furniture upcycle (and she loved it!)
Where do you find free vintage furniture to refurbish? Anywhere I missed? ( I considered adding antique shops/barns, but I’ve never had experience getting items for free there…)
My best finds have been through Freecycle and the Facebook Free local pages. What I especially like about these platforms is that have a greater emphasis on community. Neighbors giving to neighbors.
To foster that community connection, once I’ve finished restoring the furniture, I reach out to the original owner via email or instant message (IM) with a quick note of thanks and a photo of the finished product. Sending a bit of good karma that will hopefully come back to me – maybe in the form of an old rocking chair sitting on the side of the road just waiting for me to pick it up! ?
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