Shopping for vintage, second-hand and antique furniture can lead to a slew of unique finds and one-of-a-kind pieces, often for a fraction of the price of new furniture. Plus, it's better for the planet.

 and ramp up to open more Kotn homes this year (stay tuned!), our environmental impact, 

, is top of mind. We’re committed to using 80% vintage or second-hand furniture in all of our spaces. Furnishing with pre-loved pieces allows us to create a totally new look, requiring no new materials or production.

Whether you’re re-furnishing or moving to a new home, it can be tricky to find the right pieces for your space. So we quizzed our Special Projects Manager, Steph Metcalfe—our resident second-hand furniture sourcer (or more accurately, sorcerer)—on her tips for the best places and processes to find the perfect piece.

“When it comes to sourcing our furnishings for a new store, we start with inspiration images from our interior designer on the project! What are the colours and materials they’re using and what kind of spaces do we need to fill? We’re looking for items that are true to our designs, serve a function in the space, and make our community feel at home when they walk in. We like people to stay awhile.”

Not working with a designer? Don't fret. Instagram, Pinterest and home publications are great accessible resources. Start there and collect images to inspire your style. Or make it a field trip—head over to your local bookstore or library to peruse their design section, especially for vintage pieces.

“Once we have an aligned direction for our space, we set to work compiling a list. We look for vintage shops, thrift stores, antique shops, flea markets, and Instagram accounts in the city of our store. We browse each to see what pieces they have that could be the perfect fit. We also change our Facebook Marketplace location, as we’re always looking to acquire items within the area of our new store.”

When navigating an online marketplace or classified website, try playing around with the words you use to reach your full search potential. "I often use the search word 'vintage' with Facebook, it tends to populate more unique second-hand or antique items," says Steph. "I’ll also use the specific name of the furniture pieces I’m looking for to see if anyone is selling a gem!"

Be open-minded when browsing second-hand sites for items—what could that piece look like painted white? Or if you changed out the hardware? The possibilities open up!

Create a concept board that includes every item in the space, both your proposed new furniture and your existing home decor and materials, to establish your vision.

“Compiling our found items in a collage before purchasing helps us see how the items work together in the same view and to make tweaks as needed. It also gets us extra excited about how it will all come together."

 Get the dimensions of your potential piece and make sure it will fit into your space—both fitting through the door or entrance, and your interior.

“To ensure the pieces will fit in the space and get a good sense of the flow, I usually tape out the shapes of our custom millwork pieces and the furniture we're looking at. This helps me see what our furniture flexibility looks like for homeware cabinets, mirrors and soft seating. That way when that golden piece makes itself available, I can be the first to jump on it and guarantee the fit in our space."

To find great deals, it's important to try and assess what pieces are worth.

"I’ll often price compare for similar style items on second-hand sites with what they cost as new pieces."

If you're looking for pieces in good condition, make sure to do your due diligence,  asking the seller questions about its quality. While photos are a great place to start, if you can, go to see the piece in person to see how much wear and tear it really has. You should also factor in the price of repairs, if needed, before making an offer.

"I'll inquire about any piece of furniture, even if there’s only one image or small signs of wear if I know it's the perfect piece for our store. We’re good with a lived-in feel!"

When shopping, you should also consider the benefits and costs of in-person vs online shopping. In this case, Steph prefers to stay close.

"If we can shop locally for every single thing, that’s my goal! There’s so much peace in getting an item in hand and on-premise. It’s an effective use of time not to keep tabs on delivery tracking from online stores, plus we save on those shipping costs!"

If shopping online, the seller should ship to you, so make sure to factor in those additional costs and timelines. If shopping in person, some sellers will deliver, or you might be required to pick it up yourself.

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