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A Livingetc report describes thrift, resale and vintage sourcing as increasingly mainstream in interiors, with younger shoppers joining estate-sale crowds and designers sourcing older pieces. Industry estimates point to growth in secondhand apparel and furniture, although the figures are projections and do not establish how much of the shift is driven by economics, sustainability or taste.
Secondhand shopping is becoming a more visible part of interior design, as younger shoppers join estate-sale queues and designers incorporate vintage furniture and decor, according to a Livingetc report. Market forecasts cited in the report project further growth for resale apparel and used furniture, reflecting a shift in both what consumers seek and how older objects are valued.
The report describes a change in estate-sale crowds: where the writer once saw mostly retirees, dealers and occasional designers, they now increasingly see Gen Z shoppers looking through clothing and furniture. The account is an observation from the writer, rather than a measurement of shopper demographics across the market. It suggests that secondhand shopping is no longer confined to a small group of collectors.
Several estimates point to a larger resale economy. 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 also cites Mordor Intelligence’s estimate that the global secondhand furniture market could grow from about $47 billion in 2025 to $62.7 billion by 2031, and Technavio’s projection of an $11.24 billion expansion from 2025 to 2030.
Demand is also visible in design and retail figures cited by Livingetc. UK vintage furniture marketplace Vinterior reported that sales to interior designers were up 53% year on year in 2026. A 2026 1stDibs designer survey found that 81% of surveyed designers sourced furniture and decor from the 1920s through the 1990s. These figures describe particular companies and survey respondents; they are not measures of the entire interiors market.
Vintage Moves Into Mainstream Design
The shift matters because resale is changing the status attached to furniture. The Livingetc report describes a move away from treating untouched, newly purchased interiors as the clearest signal of success. Visible age, craftsmanship and a story about an object’s origins can now add appeal, especially for shoppers seeking pieces that feel distinctive rather than mass-produced.
That change can affect how people furnish homes and how retailers and designers source inventory. A used table, a vintage lamp or a repurposed material may offer an alternative to buying a newly manufactured item. The motivations are not the same for every buyer: cost, sustainability, durability and the search for unusual designs may all play a role. The figures cited show interest and projected market growth, but do not establish which factor is driving the trend most.
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From Budget Finds to Design Choices
The report’s writer traces their own interest in secondhand shopping to childhood visits to auction houses and thrift stores with a grandmother whose budget did not always match her taste. Later, thrift shops became a first stop for the writer when looking for furniture, art and clothing. That personal history provides an example of resale’s long-standing appeal as a way to find well-made or unusual goods at lower cost.
What the writer says has changed is the visibility and cultural meaning of the practice. Estate sales and thrift stores now attract younger shoppers, while designers use vintage items as part of high-end projects. The report points to wood salvaged from a London plane tree that once stood in Soho Square and used for a kitchen island by ROAR Architects as an example of how an object’s history can become part of its design value. This is one project, not evidence that reclaimed materials are standard across the industry.
“Thrifting is no longer part of the subculture. It’s the marketplace.”
— Livingetc report
The Limits of Market Forecasts
The market figures are estimates and projections, not confirmed future outcomes. The provided report does not give the full methodology or underlying data for each forecast, and its figures cover different categories and time periods. Apparel resale is described as an indicator of broader home and lifestyle preferences, but it is not a direct measure of furniture sales.
It is also unclear how much of the growth comes from financial pressures, environmental concerns, design preferences or social-media attention. The supplied source text ends while introducing shoppers’ interest in one-of-a-kind finds, so it does not provide the full explanation or additional supporting quotes. The reported 53% rise in Vinterior designer sales and the 1stDibs survey result apply to those specific sources and should not be treated as industry-wide totals.
Whether Resale Growth Continues
The next indication will come from updated market data and sales reports, including whether projected growth in secondhand furniture and apparel translates into sustained demand. Retailers, resale platforms and design firms may offer further evidence through future sales figures and surveys. Until then, the clearest confirmed development in the supplied material is a visible expansion of interest described by the Livingetc writer, alongside forecasts that suggest the resale market may keep growing.
Key Questions
What is changing in interior design?
The Livingetc report describes vintage and secondhand pieces becoming more visible in interiors, with younger shoppers attending estate sales and designers sourcing older furniture and decor.
How large could the secondhand furniture market become?
Mordor Intelligence estimates the global market could grow from about $47 billion in 2025 to $62.7 billion by 2031. That is a forecast, not a confirmed future market size.
Are designers using more vintage furniture?
A 2026 1stDibs survey cited by Livingetc found that 81% of surveyed designers sourced furniture and decor from the 1920s through the 1990s. The result applies to survey respondents, not necessarily all designers.
Is resale growing mainly because of sustainability?
The report identifies sustainability as one possible driver, alongside demand for distinctive finds and affordability. It does not provide evidence establishing which motivation contributes most to the trend.
Source: rss
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