CHARLOTTE - Amy Philipp was eager for a change when she and her family traded their classic Cotswold ranch for a funkier mid-century modern home three streets down last year.

Out went Philipp's traditional upholstered furniture, the pine armoire, the formal living and dining room sets.

What she craved was a more streamlined look: furniture with cleaner lines, rooms free of knickknacks, and spaces with classic 1950s and '60s pieces sprinkled about.

But she didn't have a lot of money to spend. And she didn't want her home to have a designer showroom feel.

So instead of hitting the furniture stores, she made the rounds in what some consider dumping grounds -- thrift stores and antique malls.

It has taken time, but she has unearthed some treasures and takes pleasure in her home's uniqueness as well as the piles of cash she saved. An added bonus: She is recycling someone else's castaways.

"In America, we're such consumers, so it's nice to be able to use something again instead of tossing it in the landfill," said Philipp, 41, director of recruiting and development at Charlotte Latin School.

And she has picked up a new hobby.

"The hunt is kind of fun," she says, grinning. "There's some satisfaction as well -- achieving a goal for so much less. Why would you want to pay full price if you didn't have to?"

Pamela Cole Harris, who writes a guide to budget decorating for the New York Times Co. Web site about.com, says secondhand stores are great places to find wonderful buys.

"Look for well-made, solid wood furniture with dovetailed drawer construction," she said. "Even if it's in pieces, it's worth putting together again. Avoid furniture that is put together with staples, particle board and cardboard."

Bargains throughout

Philipp says she shops with a critical eye to keep from picking up pieces that would clutter her rooms or look out of place.

Step through the front door into her living room, and bargains are right there.

Flanking her sectional sofa are two step side tables, identical to ones she was eyeing in a West Elm furniture catalog for $159 each. Her price for gently worn, solid wood ones at the Salvation Army in Charlotte: $16 apiece.

Then there's the cream-colored sofa in a TV nook, which she bought for $95 at a Habitat ReStore. She spent an additional $140 for steam cleaning and a Scotchgard treatment, and the result is a down-filled sofa that looks as good as new. A couple of pillows from Marshalls jazz it up even more.

Across from the sofa is a 1950s Bassett console for her TV. It cost $100 at the Habitat ReStore.

"I think a lot of people would walk in there and walk right out," because it's not laid out prettily, Philipp says of the Habitat ReStore.

Philipp's finds have benefited the whole family, from husband Keith's '50s-style long and narrow office desk to a handsome bureau for 6-year-old son Ford. A recent trip to the Habitat ReStore netted a solid wood headboard -- the perfect canvas for 17-year-old daughter Anna Moore's artwork.

Several of her finds, such as those in her dining area, have come from the Sleepy Poet Antique Mall in Charlotte where her dad, Phillip Gerdes, runs two booths.

She "funked up" a pair of Victorian glass and gold lamps ($45 at Sleepy Poet) for each side of the sideboard by adding modern shades. And although she is averse to trinkets, Philipp fell in love with a large wooden box with the words "New Home" inlaid into its front.

"Maybe one day I'll find out the story behind it," she said.

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