thrifted decor – This is my hobby.

A Moody Boca Raton Home Full of Thrifted Treasures

I met Alacia at an event I attended for work. She complimented my necklace, I loved her dress, and the rest is thrift sister history.

We instantly bonded over our mutual love for secondhand treasures, and when I mentioned my home tour channel, she loved the idea and said I could come to her house.

I’ll admit that walking up to her home on filming day I didn’t expect to be as blown away as I was when she opened the door.

I hadn’t asked for any photos in advance (wild move, I know) so I truly didn’t know what to expect.

But Alacia was so stylish when I met her, and her overall aura was giving chic, so I just went with my gut.

I was confident she had great, if not fabulous, taste.

Luckily for both of us I was right — can you imagine the awkwardness of me trying to navigate the exit if not?! 😉

I walked into a home full of pure whimsy. Moody whimsy — can I coin that?

Alacia’s Boca Raton home is layered in dark woods, warm oranges, cozy patterns, and vintage collections.

When she initially remodeled her space, she thought she’d go with a modern, clean aesthetic and used light, bright paint and materials.

But as she started to collect decor she quickly realized that the place needed to be drenched in old things.

She jokes that a friend of hers comes to the house and truly doesn’t get it — it’s giving grandma.

Grandma or not, it’s her, from the layered tchotchkes to the woodland creatures depicted in paintings and perched on shelves.

When we first met, Alacia was nearing completion of her clinical social work program.

She pursued this career because she’s passionate about helping people, specifically those in recovery. She loves seeing the transformation and healing that happens in the recovery process.

Helping people thrive is her passion in life, far above her passion for thrifting and vintage collecting (she curates and sells clothing and accessories on the side, btw).

Her interest in the power of transformation, though, seems to show up in her home, too — a personal sanctuary that feels like an outward reflection of who she is.

She transformed everything about her home, from the flooring to the paint to the configuration of the rooms.

Watch Alacia’s home tour to take a journey into the moody whimsy I fell in love with.

This Palm Beach Gardens Home is a Collage of Life Well Lived

I’ve known Cheryl, a lifelong creative and brand designer, through our professional networks over many years in Palm Beach County.

We recently reconnected through a local women’s organization, and would see each other at events and on Zoom meetings here and there.

During Zooms, I always noticed the background in Cheryl’s little onscreen box.

Over her shoulder, I could see a gallery wall of artwork set against a deep blue wall and a bamboo window shade, and I wondered — what does Cheryl’s house look like?

This very type of curiosity, of course, was a large part of why I launched Styled in South Florida Home Tours.

When I meet stylish and creative people, I always wonder what their homes look like.

Lucky for me, when I launched the channel and then asked Cheryl if she’d be interested in sharing her space, she said yes.

So, I got to see that gallery wall large and in living color. Plus a lot of other stuff.

Unsurprisingly, I found Cheryl’s home to be just as stylish as she is. What struck me most was how varied her collection of treasures is.

Nothing matches in the traditional sense — there’s no one design aesthetic she adheres to or color palette, even.

Her home is the antithesis of the beige “blandemic” that modern home design is often accused of being.

Her design philosophy is simply to grab the item that calls to her and bring it home.

This, combined with family heirlooms and artwork collected over generations, has created a space that is uniquely hers and deeply meaningful.

In the laundry room, you’ll find artwork her husband made as a child hanging near the sink.

Her daughters’ childhood self portraits are proudly displayed on a wall near the kitchen, and her father-in-law’s beautifully drawn, realistic portraits of those same girls are displayed in the living room.

A funky drawing picked up during travel hangs next to dog portraits Cheryl and her husband created themselves near the piano.

Whimsical clay vases from France on the dining room table hold paper flowers Cheryl created at a local workshop.

Cheryl’s collection of trinkets and treasures — some feeling more serious, some silly, some full of whimsy — has created a space with no regard for trends or idealized aesthetics.

Instead, the home is a collage of love passed through generations, across continents of travel, and in the everyday moments she shares with her husband and in her South Florida community.

Watch Cheryl’s home tour to catch a glimpse of her design magic — you’ll be inspired.

Trader Joe’s is Now a Core Part of My Personality

A Trader Joe’s opened up by my house and…I’m in danger.

It has actually been both a bad and good thing (but mostly good).

We’ve now reduced our Costco trips. For us, Costco shopping can often lead to overspending and food waste.

Now, instead of one massive haul every couple of weeks, we are popping into Trader Joe’s several times a week.

I would normally hate going to a grocery store that often, but it is genuinely a joy to shop there.

Elaine is obsessed with the little kid carts and the staff treat us with loving kindness — the opposite of most South Florida shopping experiences (or experiences in general), tbh.

There are also so many delightful treats.

This week, I discovered the vanilla bean mini sheet cake and, once again…I’m in danger.

I’m venturing into the body products too, and I fear I might be a Goodwill + Trader Joe’s girlie head to toe these days.

My favorite thing about having TJ’s next door though is that it greatly enhances my hosting offerings.

I had friends over last weekend and supplied quite a spread of TJ goodies in various thrifted serving plates scattered amid thrifted table decor.

We tried a couple of their flatbreads from the frozen section and, naturally, I had to throw in a few sweet treats. The cookies aren’t as good as oreos but they were still pretty delish!

I’ve been waiting to use these adorable napkins I found at Bealls. The woven mats are from Goodwill, along with most of the serving dishes.

Cabbage serving tray also from Goodwill. We tried the curry chicken salad and bacon ranch chicken dip — both delish.

I love that I can throw together a spread without making a huge production of it with TJ’s help.

So, yes, I might be spending too much money there, but I’m spending it on friends and vanilla bean sheet cake.

The math works for me.

Styled in South Florida Season 2 launches on Sunday, August 16th!

I can’t wait to introduce you to this season’s tour hosts and their gorgeous homes.

Keep your eyes peeled for five more home tour episodes!

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:

T-shirt, sunnies, and bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Inside a Lake Worth Beach Jewel Box of Art, Color, and Thrifted Finds

Some of the best pieces in Liz Schoettel’s Lake Worth Beach home were found at Goodwill or on the side of the road.

Liz and her family discovered the cozy, artsy, coastal town of Lake Worth Beach during the pandemic, when they were looking to escape the Chicago suburbs to sunny South Florida and discovered almost everywhere else was booked up.

This town wasn’t their first choice but quickly became one of their favorite places in the world.

They rented a house on M street and completely fell in love with the community — the neighborly feel, proximity to the water, delicious food, and iconic Lake Worth Beach cottages.

Liz was bidding on houses on their flight back home.

She wound up making offers on at least 20 homes, flying back and forth from Chicago only to lose out again and again before finding her current house in a stunning historic neighborhood.

The yard was overgrown, the fences were falling down, the a/c and roof needed replacing, and the property just hadn’t been loved in a long time.

Liz and her friend Alicia, a former coworker from her retail days in New York, collaborated on redesigning and styling the house into the beautiful jewel box it is today.

They drove a truck around to different thrift stores and on Facebook Marketplace runs — sometimes finding pieces on the side of the road.

Liz refurbished and repainted, giving each piece new life and creating high end designs with materials that were anything but.

The house has become so beloved by Liz’s entire family that her daughter chose to get married in Florida and wedding festivities were hosted in the backyard.

Artifacts from that special day can be found throughout the house, many created by Liz (did I mention she’s an artist?) — the watercolor guest list hangs in a bedroom, a massive painted flamingo in the garage, and little pink touches here and there were all part of the celebration.

This Lake Worth Beach house tells several stories: of Liz and Alicia’s friendship, of a daughter’s wedding, and of an escape from daily life in Chicago to a tropical dream.

I love that this home represents Liz’s journey from knowing nothing about my community to becoming a Lake Worth Beach resident. It’s a place where friendships have deepened, family milestones are celebrated, and new roots are planted.

There are many more stories for that house to come.

A Beary Unexpected V-Day Moment

Valentine’s Day is for lovers plus everyone else in my house.

Vince and I celebrated the holiday with a little staycation in Ft. Lauderdale but came home on Saturday night to take our baby girl out for a date (the boys were away celebrating their mom’s birthday).

We took her to the mall to pick out a new Build-A-Bear stuffie (her first Build-A-Bear is a red monkey — when you squeeze its hand, Vince’s voice says, “Happy first Valentine’s Day Elaine, I love you!”).

Baby E chose a beautiful, sparkly fairy bear and dressed her in a Rapunzel dress and tiara.

While filling out the bear’s birth certificate, we asked Elaine what to name it and she quickly yelled, “SALIVA!”

…….

“What was that, sweetie?”

Elaine smiled up at us and cupped her hand to her lips.

“SAAAALIVAAAA,” she stage whispered.

Saliva it is and shall ever be.

We all know how hard updating government documents can be — if this bear knows what’s best, she should accept her fate and introduce herself as “Sally” to those who don’t know her.

Anyway, as I was saying… Valentine’s Day is for everyone in my house, including the grandmas.

So I pulled together a little V-Day lunch for the family and naturally filled the table with thrifted finds, which I’m happy to tell you all about:

The weather was perfect, so we sat on our back patio for a lunch made of Buccan sandwiches, chips, and salads — all mouthwatering and highly recommended.

Earlier in the week, Elaine and I decorated construction paper hearts, which we stuck into a fun floral photo holder thingy I thrifted from Goodwill, and that served as our centerpiece.

Goodwill items included:
-The adorable heart taper candles
-Disposable napkins
-White dinner plates
-Floral placemats
-Amber goblets

I went to a luncheon last week and they were giving the centerpieces away at the end, so I salvaged and deconstructed one for the table.

The painted leaves are so cool, right? I stuck the roses and greenery in a crystal vase that was thrifted and gifted from my mother-in-law. She also gifted the pink serving platter I used for the sandwiches and the white tablecloth.

The heart straws and gift bags are from the dollar store! I love shopping there for holiday themed items.

It was a busy, sweet weekend!

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:

Anthropologie bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Earrings from Stone Button Studio

Top and MANGO tote bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Date night purse from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Kaftan/Swim Cover from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Baby’s sweet dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Things I left at Goodwill:

Picture a palm leaf sticking out of this — so coastal chic!

This shell lamp base had a different shade on top, but I found this other hand painted one and thought they looked cool together. I’m currently lamp rich, though, so had to leave this behind!

Goodwill’s Got My Back

I’ve mentioned before that my daughter’s room is my favorite space in my house.

The entire room is collected whimsy.

The shelves and walls are full of thrifted, gifted, or passed down items. A major moment is the gallery wall above her dresser.

The largest piece here is a painting we bought on our baby moon in Jamaica. The artist added Elaine’s name in the corner, which is such a sweet touch.

I also have a framed photo of Elaine’s name written in script across beach sand.

This photo was created by my favorite shopkeeper, Inge, of Stone Button Studio. She texted it to me when she was unable to attend our baby shower.

Recently, the frame fell off the wall and cracked.

Just a few weeks later, I found the perfect replacement frame at Goodwill.

Now, I think it looks even better!

Goodwill’s always got this girlie’s back. 😉

>> Check out this post for an in-depth look at baby girl’s room decor.

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:

I was able to put my Goodwill sweater finds to good use over the weekend we spent in Chicago.

Red cardigan and boots from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Beaded belt and boots from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Closer look at the beaded belt detail; the dress ins’t thrifted, it’s Anthropologie!

Baby’s pants are thrifted from Goodwill West Palm Beach and her top is thrifted and gifted from a friend

H&M Sweater, GAP jeans, and boots from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Seeing snow for the first time! Baby’s coat is consigned from Kid to Kid in Palm Beach Gardens.

A Thrifted Thanksgiving Table

I was thrilled to host Thanksgiving this year, not only because I love spending time with my family, but also because it gave me an excuse to create a holiday themed tablescape.

In recent years I’ve gotten more and more into tablescapes.

It’s another outlet for creativity, and I like pulling things from around my house to place down the middle of my dining table.

I’ve pulled framed photos, shells, and collected trinkets for my tables when hosting friends and family.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like almost anything goes for a tablescape.

You want bows? Butterflies? Bird houses? Tie and stick them onto candle holders or table runners and make it a thing!

(My husband was sure to tell me that placing miniature chairs down the middle is a little insane — I just love a miniature piece of furniture, okay?!)

This holiday, I’ve had a lot of fun thrifting specifically for my tablescapes.

Here, I’m sharing the details on where I sourced all the items for my Thanksgiving table.

Goblets – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Glasses – Home Goods (I store these separately / away from our daily use cabinets so nobody can break them, and only bring them out for guests)
Flatware – Passed down from my mother-in-law
Crystal candle holders – wedding gifts
Pink taper candles – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Beaded/wooden candle holder – Nearly New Thrift Shop West Palm Beach

Napkin rings – thrifted and gifted from a friend
Fall wreath – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Bronze candle holders – passed down from my mom
Dark blue dessert plates – Goodwill West Palm Beach
White & blue dessert plates – thrifted & gifted from my mother-in-law

Floral urn – Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach
Block print napkins – Etsy
White vessel thingy I used as a candle holder – thrifted & gifted from my mom
Glass cake stand I used as a candle holder – found at a garage sale years ago

Baby girl made this sweet centerpiece at school!
Teacup I used as a candle holder – thrifted & gifted from my mom
Dinner plates – fiestaware; I chose dark blue plates for our family’s everyday use because the color hides scratches and they look nicer longer!

It felt like a blessing to be able to make my table beautiful for friends and family to gather around — I hope your Thanksgiving was fab, too!

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Last week’s thrifted ‘fits & highlights:

Easy breezy dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach

GAP shirt dress, linen pants, Target sandals from Goodwill West Palm Beach

I left this at Goodwill and kinda regret it!!!

Top from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Madewell jeans from Goodwill Boutique in Boca Raton

Cutie frog earrings from A Timeless Treasure West Palm Beach

Shells and rocks from Goodwill West Palm Beach styled in one of my plant pots

Still screaming over this bag found at Goodwill West Palm Beach — the red and the bamboo handles!

Button up from my Denver Goodwill haul, MANGO bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach

I styled an area in my bedroom with shells, a basket, and design books from Goodwill West Palm Beach

This basket from Goodwill West Palm Beach is solving a clutter problem on my desk!

More Dining Room Upgrades

Since I found that amazing chair + ottoman set at Goodwill last week, I had to rearrange several chairs throughout the house, leading to more changes to the dining room.

That’s one of the fun things about thrifting — when you find new treasures, you have to make room for them, so you’re constantly reconfiguring your spaces and expressing creativity.

A chair that was up in our loft (found a few months ago at Goodwill, naturally), and a chair that I thrifted for our wedding in 2015, were relocated to the dining table to become host chairs (chairs at either end that are different in style from the rest).

Chair found at Goodwill a few months back. Pottery Barn pillow found at Furry Friends Thrift in Jupiter.

Chair thrifted in 2015 for my wedding (maybe Faith Farm?), Pillow thrifted from a vendor at the West Palm Beach Green Market several years ago.

I often see home designers set up matching host chairs, but I think this mismatched look jives with the rest of my eclectic style.

A dear childhood friend helped me source thrifted furniture then reupholster and paint them for cocktail hour vignettes at my wedding.

Last week at Goodwill, I found these wooden wall sconces (which I’ve been manifesting!!), and they’re now flanking the lattice backdrop in our dining room.

The taper candles are also from Goodwill.

I can’t wait to light these up and add more romantic lighting to our everyday dinners.

My final dining upgrade of the week are these clip-on rattan chandelier shades! This was an impulse purchase from Amazon that I’m obsessed with. It’s a subtle change that elevates the room and integrates with surrounding decor.

I chose a shape that matches our kitchen island pendant lights.

Evolving a space with thrifted treasures brings me so much joy and creates a home that feels collected and personal. You should drop into a thrift store this week to see what inspires you!