The Old-School Thrift Store Find That's Trending In Home Decor In 2026

Walking through some thrift stores can feel like entering a time machine. Accordingly, the new trend for 2026 has people specifically looking for items they once had in their homes during Y2K, and repurposing them as decor. "The Y2K and '90s revival isn't just happening in fashion, but in home goods, too," Nicolas Martin, of Flea Market Insiders and Fleamapket, told Martha Stewart, adding, "There are even fan communities dedicated to VHS tapes and vintage tube TVs — they treat them almost like art objects." There are plenty of whimsical Y2K decor trends making a comeback. Compact TVs are making every room in the house look and feel nostalgic, even the kitchen. Yes, #kitchenTV is a popular tag popping up all over social media. The popularity of CDs for music listening has been rising again over the past couple of years. Physical media can touch us more deeply than digital media can, most likely because we can hold it, and it allows us to slow down and disconnect.

Besides the actual tech making a comeback, there are lots of ways to hop on the trend and repurpose these items as decor. Consider giving your walls a quirky Y2K makeover by repurposing those old CDs around the home. These metallic discs, along with some Y2K posters on the walls, will add depth to your room and make your compact TVs and turntable look even more at home. Or, use retro flip phones as kitschy ornaments for that bright and bubbly Y2K vibe. What makes this trend so awesome is that you can still find a lot of Y2K items for affordable prices at thrift stores (at least while the trend is still slowly on the uptick, before the stores catch on). 

Before you head to your favorite local thrift stores, let's take a look at some other items you'll want to keep your eyes out for and how they will give your home cozy, fun Y2K vibes. While you're shopping for those mini-TVs, look for ones with built-in DVD players — or, better yet, VHS players. This is just one more way to feel the power of those previous decades take over your home decor. And yes, VHS tapes still count when it comes to Y2K, as DVDs only began to push them out of the mainstream in the early 2000s. 

You'll also need stylish displays for your vintage tech, so you may want to stop repurposing CD and DVD storage racks around your home and keep a few for their original use. While some thrift stores may not have many VHS tapes available, many smaller, non-chain thrift shops will put them out on the floor even if they don't seem to be selling well. However, you'll likely be able to find CDs and DVDs. Another benefit of buying some of this old tech for home decor, rather than for actual use, is that many of these items make great focal points in a room and are excellent conversation starters. There's so much Y2K technology that can serve a purpose in your home, such as decorating knick-knack shelves with your favorite movies using their VHS boxes, or putting your collection of vintage Polaroid and film cameras on display.