Joanna Gaines Used A Common Thrift Store Item To Style This Million Dollar Fixer Upper

The shelves and aisles of thrift stores can be a great place to pick up unique treasures for any room in your home, especially the kitchen, where vintage dishes and other glassware are a budget-friendly way to add a sense of retro charm and character to your shelves, cabinets, and counters. Using vintage glassware is popular among designers, including HGTV and the Magnolia Network's Joanna Gaines, who often mixes vintage and antique pieces with more modern ones. A remodel of the million-dollar Shotgun House on "Fixer Upper" features stunning open shelves filled with vintage milk glass in the form of pitchers, vases, and other smaller pieces that add interest and texture without looking too cluttered. These thrifted pieces fit perfectly in this high-end kitchen reno to add interest, texture, and history to the space. 

You can usually pick up vintage milk glass pieces for a bargain in thrift stores, as well as through estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, and antique sellers. Common throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, milk glass can be identified by its cloudy and opaque white glass, as well as its beautiful textures that range from smooth to nubby hobnail glass. Some milk glass pieces are rarer than others, and there are many tricks for spotting valuable milk glass pieces, including looking for manufacturing marks and certain designs from famed glassmakers like Anchor Hocking, Fenton, and Federal Glass.

Even if your kitchen does not have a specifically vintage aesthetic, milk glass pieces can be a great way to bring in older items that offer a sense of age and character. In a neutral white, they can mix and match with both all-neutral schemes and more colorful ones. Use larger pieces like pitchers, planters, or bowls as holders for fruit, flowers, utensils, and other essentials. Smaller treasures, like slender vases, candy dishes, creamers, and shakers, can add beauty to your shelves or tabletop.

Many collectors harbor a large assortment of this beautiful material on their shelves, where its striking translucent finish stuns when grouped together. Add a collection of vases in various designs to your table or a grouping of milk glass goblets to your shelf filled with cut flowers, succulents, or herbs. Pedestal bowls and cake platters can be a gorgeous way to create levels in a stunning centerpiece for any occasion. Other home elements also made of milk glass, including candlesticks, planters, and urns, can also easily be incorporated. Similarly, milk glass lamps and sconces are perfect for trying this kitchen glass lighting trend. Keep in mind that this unique material is one type of vintage glassware you should never put in the dishwasher since it may chip, scratch, or become discolored.