I have had many jobs in my life: shopkeeper, foreclosure agent for a mortgage company, university professor and architect. Most of them were a long time ago, and none of them brought me the joy that working as an interior designer offers.

I remember cutting out photos of rooms, tearing sheets from magazines and drawing sketches on napkins, which I put into notebooks that now compose a set of about 15 volumes of things I like. I truly live for what I do, and I am "on" all the time. Yes, I confess I am one of those people who stop at the first sight of a garage sale — and I am also a very savvy garbage picker. Throughout the years, I have trash-picked furniture, lamps, architectural molding and mantelpieces, and some of these finds have turned out to be valuable antiques.

It's amazing what people throw out. Even I throw out good stuff every once in a while, usually to make room for other must-have items. It's an amazing feeling that comes over me when I run into a find. I immediately start to envision how the item could be restored or reused, and I make a mental design of how the overall room will look. I don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse, but you know the feeling if you suffer from this condition. As a matter of fact, in times of economic duress, I condone — and even encourage — you to see what you can find and mix into your interior design. Decorating with junk is fun and cost effective.

If your goal is a personalized and unique decor, nothing can make it so more than a collection of good finds embellished with elbow grease and imagination. Great pieces that are worth your while include solid wood pieces with dove tail or pegged construction such as a table or chest, metal pieces that are not too worn or scratched such as a modern chair or etagere, and well-kept upholstered pieces.

Don't stop at furniture. Keep an eye out for art, too. Great works of art have been bought at tag sales and found in abandoned attics, and later discovered to be a lost work of a master artist. This tip is truly an insider's guide to buying art and starting a small contemporary art collection at a fraction of gallery prices. It can feel intimidating to purchase the unknown, but it needn't be. Smart phones can be put to work searching the signature on artwork on search engines. And in addition to educating yourself about the artist and his or her biography, websites such as eBay, One Kings Lane and 1stDibs can give you a good idea as to the value of a particular piece.

Be brave! Have fun decorating with junk! And get used to the odd looks when you stop at your nearest junk pile. Once you make your first couple of finds, it will be you who looks oddly at others when they walk on by.

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: at Unsplash