The '70s Thrift Store Brass Furniture Find We Want In Our Homes Now

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Have you been struggling with how to decorate a certain room in your house, be it the office, living room, bathroom, or dining room? If so, the reason could very well be because you are in need of a statement piece to build the room around. Luckily, eye-catching pieces of furniture don't always have to be bought new. Instead, searching for vintage pieces can help you add a historic flair to your space while also filling it with character and tying the rest of your decor together.

One great example of this is the '70s brass étagère. While the name sounds exotic, this is actually just the French word for shelf or a shelf with open sides, and it is often associated with a specific style of shelving unit that became popular in the 1970s. These shelves are typically described as being a part of the "Hollywood Regency" trend due to their shiny metal frames and clear glass platforms. In keeping with the midcentury preference for clean lines and minimalist furniture, these shelves are great for serving as a grounded presence in a space that you can then decorate around. And other people clearly think so, too. Certain specimens of this midcentury shelving design can be listed for as much as $10,000, depending on their size, shape, and overall condition. However, it isn't completely unheard of that the average person can still find a highly valuable, sought-after vintage item for a much more reasonable price. Hunting for one of these brass étagère shelves is a great way to honor the '70s and effortlessly add vintage decor into your modern home.

While these units, with their glass shelves and sleek frames, may seem like a relatively blank canvas, it is important to style them well in order to ensure that their inherent charm doesn't get lost. One great way to do that is by echoing the metal from the étagère throughout the room. Use elegant brass fixtures to elevate your space and offer a sense of cohesion, like adding accents of brass doorknobs or drawer handles. And don't forget light fixtures! Grabbing a brass midcentury style light can help continue the theme of the shelf throughout the room and make it feel more purposeful. And, just because you want the étagère to stand out, doesn't mean you have to skip on textures. Try contrasting the clean, sleek materials of the shelf with some patterned pieces such as rugs, pillows, or wall art.

Styling shelves isn't just about looks, though, it's also about practicality. Consider what room you plan to place the unit in and how it can be filled with useful items that also look good. For example, if you have space for it in your bathroom, you could fill it with decorative baskets to keep your bathroom organized and to hide the bottles, packets, and tubes that don't look very good on the counter. Alternatively, you could opt to put the unit in a bedroom and fill it with plants to bring life and movement to the space while creating a convenient home for your plants at the same time.

If you want one of these shiny, sleek shelving units, there are a few tips to help you find a brass étagère, even on a tight budget. First, examine your space. Before you even step foot inside your local thrift store or click onto a secondhand website, it is important to work out what size unit will fit. There are short two-tier étagères and tall multi-tier bookcases. This will prevent you from getting excited in the moment and bringing something home that isn't the right size.

If you plan to visit thrift stores, antique shops, or estate sales in person, it can be helpful — if your schedule allows — to go during the week. These places tend to get filled up on weekends, so popping in on a weekday will allow you more time and space to search. You will also need to have transportation figured out, too. Many places don't have the resources to deliver, so you may need to measure your car or book a van to get your brass étagère home successfully.

On the other hand, if you would like to search for one of these midcentury units online, try avoiding designer names. Having a popular designer name such as Kim Moltzer attached can bump the price higher than a unit made by a lesser known manufacturer. Finally, the name of the game when thrifting valuable furniture is patience. While you do risk the piece being bought by someone else, waiting for a little while can sometimes mean the price drops, turning it from an impossible find into one within your budget.