A Love Letter to Charity Shops - Dressing-up the House of Horrors
Once I had paid for the most urgent repairs to my House of Horrors and done as much DIY as I could to sort out the walls and flooring, I had nothing left to spend on making it look homely and comfortable. I found being in the almost empty house incredibly depressing. Everything felt cold and dark. I really wanted it to reflect my personality and I dreamt of a boho, arty, eclectic and colourful haven. DECORATING ON A BUDGET And so I turned to charity shops, markets, Facebook Marketplace and recycling apps like Freegle to try to furnish my home and improve the look of my garden on a small budget. I found that many charity shops sell furniture as well as clothing and objects. For example, I got a huge armchair and a beautiful recycled red cabinet from Emmaus Dover, a social enterprise that supports local homeless people and help them develop new work skills. I also found chairs and plant pots in skips that people were only too happy to give away. ...