6 Home Décor Items You Should Never Buy Secondhand, According to Interior Designers

Shopping secondhand is an economical and sustainable way to fill your home with décor and furnishings. Plus, it gives you the chance to find pieces that are truly one of a kind. As good as that sounds, there are certain items that interior designers never buy secondhand.

Whether it's a vintage lamp with frayed wiring or an old rug with stains and moth damage, some secondhand home décor can pose a safety hazard or welcome bacteria into your home. While plenty of goodies can be found at thrift shops and antique stores, these are the home décor items interior designers say to never buy secondhand.

Lamps With Old Wiring

Many thrift stores have an entire section dedicated to old lamps, from unique floor lamps for a living room to table lamps to flank your bed. While they add charm and warmth to your home, it's important to choose wisely. "I love the look of vintage lamps, but wiring from decades ago isn’t always safe," says Elizabeth Vergara, owner of Vergara Homes. "If I really fall in love with a lamp, I’ll only buy it if I’m prepared to have it rewired before use or if I'm using a battery-powered light bulb."

Throw Pillows

Layering throw pillows on a couch or bed adds texture, color, and interest to any room, but interior designers recommend buying them new rather than used from your local thrift store. "You never know what bacteria, bugs, or other gross things are inside a pillow. Some people say you can clean them, but to get a pillow fully disinfected and cleaned is more of a hassle than it's worth most times," says Vergara. "If the pillow has a cover with a zipper, then sometimes I'll buy it just for the cover, but otherwise, buying a brand new pillow is always the better option."

Bath Mats

While a beautiful vintage bath mat can undoubtedly add character to your bathroom, it's best to purchase a brand-new one with vintage appeal. Vergara says she avoids buying any items that face moisture often, such as shower curtains and bath mats. "Items like these often hold onto mildew and bacteria, even after washing. You don't want dirty items in a room meant to be your cleanest," she says.

Plastic Décor

Not everything you find at the thrift store is made with high-quality materials, and it's important to identify what's worth adding to your cart and what's not. For Vergara, plastic décor never makes the cut. "From plastic plates and serving trays to plastic furniture, I avoid it all," she says. "Over time, plastics can discolor, warp, or become brittle. Instead, I thrift items made of natural materials like wood, stone, and ceramic that stay strong with age and won't break on you."

Area Rugs

Area rugs anchor the rest of a room's furnishings, making them a favorite element of interior design, but our experts caution against buying one secondhand. "Moth damage, pet stains, and off-gassing can be invisible in photos but obvious at home," says Kerrie Kelly, creative director of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. If you insist on buying vintage, Kelly recommends obtaining documentation of fiber content, age, and origin, professional cleaning, moth treatment, and proper binding and serging. "Avoid latex backings that crumble," she adds.

Window Treatments

From curtains to roman shades, you'd be surprised how many types of window treatments can be found at the thrift store. Before bringing one home with you, Kelly suggests reconsidering. "Sun rot, odd lengths, and custom hardware make most secondhand panels a false economy," she says. "Salvage vintage rods, rings, or finials, but invest in new lined panels sized to your windows to protect furnishings from UV and achieve a tailored drape."