Surprise! John and I slipped away to the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware around the 4th of July to visit his parents’ lovely beach house. We spent most of our time lounging on the sand, publishing a few posts so you wouldn’t think we vanished, and tinkering with a patriotic watermelon project. Of course we also popped into our favorite secondhand shop while we were in town—Beach Plum Antiques—to see what treasures we could find.
In one of those happy thrift-store moments I found a tiny Carrera marble-topped side table tucked beneath a pile of things. I felt like an archaeologist unearthing a long-buried discovery. We had been hunting for a small table for the sunroom for some time, and this one immediately felt right. We’d never had real marble in the house before, so it felt a little luxe and earned a big grin.
When I checked the price tag I could hardly believe it: $20. We only had cash, so the owner gave it to us for $19. He said he’d dropped the price the day before from $45 after it sat unsold for a while. The stickers on the underside confirmed it had been marked down over time. How a marble table in such good condition went unnoticed for so long is beyond me, but that’s the thrill of secondhand hunting.
For some perspective, a basic side table from a big-box store can cost as much as this one, and comparable marble pieces from higher-end retailers run significantly higher. Seeing those prices made our $19 find feel even sweeter. It was exactly the scale the sunroom needed, and the marble top instantly elevated the space.
Up close the table is charming: a Carrera marble surface with elegant carved detailing around the edge and along the legs. We briefly considered painting the wood—maybe white or a soft celery green—but when we set the table beside the teak chair it was clear the existing patina worked beautifully. The wood’s warm, weathered tone complements the surrounding pieces without being an exact match, which is the look we prefer.
We tend to favor layered, collected spaces rather than perfectly matched, formulaic rooms. This table added texture, contrast and a touch of sophistication through its marble top, aged carving, and mellow wood finish. It bridged the teak chair and a nearby bookcase, bringing interest without shouting for attention. The result is a cohesive mix of materials that reads as intentional and collected over time.
One simple trick for achieving that gathered-over-years look is to maintain subtle commonalities between items so the room feels unified: shared tones, repeating textures, or complementary finishes. In our sunroom, the ceramic dog figurine and a nearby pillow share a crisp white tone that echoes the marble tabletop, tying the vignette together. The cream-colored wall behind everything adds warmth and softness, helping the various pieces feel like they belong together.
So that’s the story of our under-twenty-dollar side table that crossed state lines to live beside a life-sized ceramic pooch. It’s proof that secondhand shopping can yield unexpectedly special finds that add real character to a room. Have you found any gems at thrift stores or garage sales lately? With summer in full swing, good deals are popping up everywhere—what have you been snagging on the cheap?
p.s. On the subject of secondhand shopping: we recently bought a refurbished Flip video camera and a refurbished MacBook, both at notable discounts. Shopping refurbished felt great—both for our budget and for the planet—and these items will help us share more projects and stories for years to come, so stay tuned.