How To Shop For Fixer Upper-Inspired Items At The Flea Market

If you're a fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines, you probably wish they could decorate your home. The Gaines display their neutral farmhouse style in their popular HGTV television show "Fixer Upper." Almost every room the Gaines' renovation is complete with white walls, neutral elements, and lots of metal and wooden pieces. Joanna says that her goal is to balance function and design in every space, per Magnolia. Her style mixes farmhouse, modern, industrial, and rustic elements together, and she typically uses mostly neutral shades. 

When discussing her love for interior design, Joanna Gaines says that she embraces both old and new elements, per Magnolia. She loves mixing vintage-style pieces with modern, clean lines. There are three older pieces you could add to your home to make it look "Fixer Upper"-inspired. These pieces are typically easy to find at the flea market, and they can be used to create a farmhouse feel in any space. 

The first item to keep an eye out for at the flea market is a metal bird cage. This would be a great element to incorporate into a farmhouse living space or a garden. It would go perfectly in the Gaines' rustic stone and brick backyard, as featured on HGTV.

Hayneedle says that bird cages can be used to add interest or fill negative space in a room. They can be placed on the floor, on a table, or hung. To really embrace the rustic style, allow the bird cage to be covered in rust or look distressed. There are a number of ways to style this unique design piece. You could create a table centerpiece or a unique light fixture. You could also fill the cage with candles, plants, or flowers. Dear Creatives says that a fun way to revamp a bird cage is by creating a diorama of birds or other creatures. Adding fake birds, bird eggs in a nest, or butterflies can bring lots of nature vibes to your space.

Another way the Gaines bring in a rustic farmhouse look is through the use of vintage books. When the couple transformed a country barn into a functional barndominium on "Fixer Upper," they added a rustic flare with the use of old books in the entryway, per HGTV. They displayed the books with the pages facing outwards. Pure Wow recommends styling them in this way because it creates a neutral and minimalist look. Similarly, you could only decorate with neutral covered books or cover them in neutral paper.

Older styled books will add lots of texture and personality to your space. Thistlewood Farms outlines a number of ways to style this décor element. If the spines are falling apart, you could remove them and tie the pages together with twine. You could also stack lots of vintage books by placing the largest on the bottom and the smallest on the top. A stack could be added to a mantle, a side table, or a bookcase. Decorative pieces like a string of beads or a vase could be added on top of the stack. 

The Gaines are also huge fans of mixing different materials to add lots of texture. A staple of the modern farmhouse style is a metal watering can. The Gaines use galvanized metal containers often. In one "Fixer Upper" episode, the Gaines add a metal watering can to an indoor herb garden, per HGTV. Mixing metals with lots of greenery can elevate your home's appeal.

Metal watering cans are frequently sold at flea markets, so they should be easy to find. The Gardening Cook recommends repurposing a watering can into a unique planter or a vase for cut flowers. They could also be painted or transformed into a beautiful statement piece. Or, for a functional use, they could be used to water indoor plants. Metal watering cans add dimension and texture to any space. Placing a metal watering can on the ground or on a side table will add interest to your space and give it the industrial farmhouse feel you're looking for.