TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Secondhand shopping is moving from a niche pursuit into mainstream interiors, with younger shoppers joining established vintage buyers and designers increasingly sourcing older furniture. Industry forecasts point to growth in resale markets, but the figures are projections and do not establish why every buyer chooses used goods.
Vintage and secondhand furnishings are becoming a more prominent part of interior design, according to a Livingetc report that describes younger shoppers joining estate-sale and thrift-store crowds and cites growth forecasts for resale markets. The shift matters to shoppers and designers because it is changing what counts as desirable in a home: visible age, distinctive details and a piece’s history can now be selling points alongside new finishes.
The report describes a change in who turns up at estate sales. Its writer recalls once being among the youngest buyers in lines dominated by retirees, dealers and occasional designers. At recent sales, the writer says, Gen Z shoppers are increasingly present, looking through clothing and household goods. That account is an observation from the writer, not a national headcount, but it illustrates how a formerly niche activity is becoming more visible.
Market figures cited in the report suggest resale has grown beyond individual anecdotes. ThredUp’s 13th Annual Resale Report projects that the global secondhand apparel market will reach about $367 billion by 2029, including roughly $74 billion in the United States. The report presents clothing resale as an indicator of broader lifestyle trends; the figure is a forecast, not a measure of furniture sales.
For furniture, Mordor Intelligence estimates the global secondhand market will expand from about $47 billion in 2025 to $62.7 billion by 2031. Technavio separately projects an increase of about $11.24 billion between 2025 and 2030. The report also cites UK vintage furniture marketplace Vinterior, which said its sales to interior designers rose 53% year on year in 2026, and 1stDibs’ 2026 designer survey, in which 81% of respondents said they sourced furniture and decor dating from the 1920s through the 1990s.
Why Designers Value Older Pieces
The trend changes the status attached to furnishings. The Livingetc writer contrasts an older ideal of success—new upholstery and unmarked finishes—with a growing appreciation for patina, craftsmanship and objects with a traceable past. In that account, buying used is not only a budget choice: a rare or well-made piece can offer a look that is harder to reproduce through mass retail.
That preference has implications for how people furnish homes and how design businesses source projects. Designers who buy older items can distinguish a room from standardized product ranges, while resale platforms and local sales connect owners with buyers rather than sending every usable object directly out of circulation. The report links these practices with sustainability, but it does not quantify the environmental impact of a given purchase or establish that resale is always less resource-intensive.
There is also a change in the language of status. The report describes social media attention to the origins of reclaimed materials—sometimes called “wood bragging”—as a way of signalling both rarity and design knowledge. Provenance and visible wear can function as markers of taste, rather than flaws to conceal. That does not mean new goods have lost their appeal; it suggests the definition of a desirable interior is widening.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Estate Sales to Design Trade
The report’s central evidence combines personal observation with market research, forecasts and survey results. Those sources measure different things: ThredUp tracks secondhand apparel, market researchers estimate furniture-market value, Vinterior reports sales through its own business, and 1stDibs surveys designers. Together they point to wider interest, but they should not be treated as one directly comparable measure of consumer demand.
Livingetc also notes that resale and repurposing can serve more than one purpose. The writer’s early interest came from accompanying a grandmother whose budget did not always match her taste; later, the writer turned to thrift stores for tables, art and clothing. The current appeal, the report argues, includes affordability but also the search for one-off objects and older construction details, such as grain, joinery and patina.
High-end design provides another visible route into the trend. The article gives the example of a kitchen island made by ROAR Architects from a London plane tree that once stood in Soho Square. That is a specific design project, not evidence that reclaimed material is common across all homes, but it shows how a material’s previous life can become part of a finished room’s story.
““What used to feel niche now feels cultural.””
— Livingetc report
secondhand mid-century modern armchair
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What the Market Figures Cannot Show
The figures do not provide a single, audited measure of the resale home-furnishings market. Several are forecasts rather than completed sales data, and the estimates come from separate research firms using methodologies not detailed in the supplied report. The apparel projection is not a furniture-market statistic, while Vinterior’s reported designer-sales increase reflects one marketplace, not the entire trade.
The report does not establish how much of the shift is driven by environmental concerns, price, social-media influence or the hunt for unusual pieces. It also does not provide a representative survey of younger shoppers or establish whether more interest translates into purchases at every price level. The supplied article text ends while introducing the desire for “one-of-a-kind” finds, so it does not provide a complete account of that section or a fuller set of shopper interviews.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Tracking Demand Beyond Forecasts
The next useful indicators will be actual resale sales and repeat-buyer data, alongside fresh reporting from designers and marketplaces. Forecasts through 2029 and 2031 will take time to test against realized market performance. For now, the available material supports a report of increasing visibility and projected growth, not a conclusion that secondhand goods have displaced new furnishings.
For consumers, the immediate change is in the range of options considered: estate sales, thrift shops, specialist vintage dealers and online resale platforms are part of the furnishing landscape described by the report. Whether that shift persists will depend on affordability, supply, product condition and buyers’ willingness to choose pieces that may need repair or adaptation—factors the cited figures do not resolve.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is the main development in resale interiors?
Secondhand and vintage furnishings are becoming more visible among shoppers and interior designers, according to the Livingetc report. It describes younger buyers at estate sales and cites market forecasts and a designer survey as supporting indicators.
How large is the secondhand furniture market expected to become?
Mordor Intelligence estimates the global market will rise from about $47 billion in 2025 to $62.7 billion by 2031. These are estimates and projections cited by the report, not confirmed future totals.
Are shoppers buying vintage only to save money?
No single motive is established for all shoppers. The report identifies affordability as one factor and also describes interest in unique pieces, craftsmanship and visible history.
What does the 81% designer figure measure?
The report says 1stDibs’ 2026 Annual Designer Survey found that 81% of surveyed interior designers sourced furniture and decor from the 1920s through the 1990s. It is a survey finding, not a measure of every designer or every project.
Source: rss
Fall yard work Picks
leaf blowers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
