Second-hand furniture can add a unique edge to a home and is often easier on your wallet. According to interior designer Deirdre O'Connell, there are things you can do to better your chances of coming across a great find.

"Scouring for second-hand furniture isn't for everyone, but its advantages have never been so great," she said.

"There is the obvious, generally large, financial saving, all the while doing your major bit for climate change, but with global material shortages and long, changeable, shipping delays, wait time for decent furniture can now regularly be 25, 30, even 40 weeks."

For this variety of reasons, more and more people are turning to local vintage, antique, and “pre-loved” finds to furnish their homes, and with a little thought, they can achieve a gorgeous look too.

"As a designer, I avoid anything too perfect, or anything too dated and fussy," O'Connell said. "I like contemporary schemes, of bright rooms with charming furniture and interesting touches. I love the mix of the old and the new."

To find old treasures, she has made a list of the places where she can source a range of furniture, collectibles, homewares, and bric-a-brac.

In the country she's living, Ireland, there are plenty of wonderful, second-hand marketplaces online, like Done Deal, Adverts.ie, and Gumtree, which are free to sell on and easy to navigate.

Find out what alternatives the internet has to offer for your area, and in the search bars, use brand names or shops like Neptune, Bo Concept, Casey’s Furniture, or Ventura to discover any items from valued furniture names. 

1st Dibs, for example, is a world-class platform, full of vintage designer listings and is regularly used by interior designers for antique and modern furniture.

You’ll see its name regularly in the sourcebooks of design magazines. However, remember that even vintage designer furniture often doesn’t come cheap, so it might be a good idea to start your searches from "Price Low To High" if you're looking to save an extra dollar.

Then there are charity shops, antique shops, markets, and salvage yards. Again, do your research and find out where they are located around you. Even if you don't find anything visiting these places, your time won't be wasted.

"There is a great sub-culture to the second-hand furniture world," O'Connell said. "In my experience, things tend to be memorable; you'll have a funny story to tell, you’ll encounter hilarious characters, or you’ll learn the hard way about measuring up!"

However, as you can see from the pics, some things look better if you withhold from painting them. Interior designer Kelli Ellis thinks you should not pick up a brush just for the sake of doing it.

"Slapping any old paint on the furniture can turn into a disaster. Take time to consider what your best paint options are, or leave the furniture as it is," Ellis said.

"Painting furniture is a skill that takes time to master. It is a bad idea to simply attack a piece of wood ... with a paintbrush or spray can."

"Although you can find videos on YouTube, you truly need more than a three-minute explanation of how to do it," the interior designer highlighted. "People who rely on the Internet to help them paint furniture almost always end up with furniture they do not want to keep."

Ellis said that even though it is currently trendy to paint furniture, trends tend to change with the wind.

"Something that seems to look good now can easily seem dated in a few years. At that point, you are either stuck with your 'handy work' or in for a huge refinishing job."