Creating Spaces that Hug You This #Thriftmas

At Unshelf Design we focus on creating spaces that hug you when you walk into a room, like that warm fuzzy feeling you get looking at a Christmas tree - but all year long.

For a room to truly embrace you, we believe it must have a ‘soul’ - something that gives it depth, character, and meaning. We inject soul into our client’s homes through meaningful heirlooms, new-to-them antiques that act as conversation pieces, or unique thrifted decor with stories to tell. Regardless if the home we are designing is worth $300k or $3MM, if we can find a piece that makes you feel something, sparks conversation, is sustainably sourced, and helps people in need… we are scooping it up!

As an avid thrifter myself, always on the hunt for great pieces to incorporate into our designs (and addictively bringing them into my own homes), it’s no wonder I jumped on the opportunity to advocate for ‘Gifting Thrift’ during #thriftmas… I mean… Christmas.

At their core, the holidays are about spreading joy. Some choose to do this through gift giving, some through charitable donations or volunteering, and some through more time spent with loved ones - among other ways. My personal love language is ‘gifts’, and so I get the warm fuzzies through both giving and receiving gifts - making this my favourite time of year.

My mom was always extremely charitable, gifting us ‘adoptions’ of our favourite wild animals, and constantly donating to Women in Need Society or WINS. She was the first person to introduce me to the idea of the Gift of Thrift - a combination of gift-giving and charity. The idea seemed fun and a twist on our tradition, but it wasn’t until this year that I truly appreciated it.

My mom passed away 7 years ago, and the concept of ‘gifting thrift’ slowly fell away, only being revived when convenient. However, through my research for this blog, I was overwhelmed with a new-found connection to my mom and why this campaign is so important.

• Thrifting makes gift-giving more intentional. Spending time searching for something unique that makes you say “They would love this!”, having slowed down to consider what they love, what would make them smile, and what they need beyond the list they gave.

• Gifting Thrift gives back to a family in need through the support of a charitable organization. By gifting secondhand, you are also donating to an important cause at a difficult time for some families.

• Pre-loved gifts are extremely sustainable. One more gift from WINS may mean one less gift from Amazon, which cuts down on the environmental footprint of manufacturing and shipping, and keeps one more item out of landfills.

• With a looming recession and the cost of living increasing, there is mounting stress around the financial output often tied to the holidays. Thrifted gifts are an affordable alternative to buying new, often with no need to compromise on condition or modernity.

The real warm-fuzzy is that something as simple as putting a thrifted gift, a gift with soul and a story, under the tree is not only sparking joy in your loved one’s life but has such a far-reaching positive impact on the community. Please join me in incorporating ‘gift thrift’ into your holiday traditions - and I hope to see you around WINS!

Happy #thriftmas!