Mid-Century Furniture Buying Guide

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Did you check out Vintage Vantage: Mid-Century Modern Furniture, our guide to making your living room look as cool as Don Draper’s office? Well here are some local, and slightly less local, spots to peruse mid-century design.

RePOP

Owners Russell Boyle and Carl Grauer price their eclectic array of vintage furniture and decorative items to move, so you’ll find good prices on lovely objects in this Clinton Hill store. Though they have a good deal of mid-century design, they also carry industrial items, like card catalogs, and furniture from other eras. On Friday, February 4 they’re holding an art opening with paintings from Maggie Bard and Casey Spectacular, along with 15 percent off, storewide. 68 Washington Avenue, Clinton Hill, 718-260-8032.

Brooklyn’s Largest Furniture Warehouse

It’s all in the name–the place is huge. Although it’s in a bit of a transportation desert, this is a good spot to put into practice everything you learned reading Vintage Vantage. They carry everything from credenzas to vintage high school lockers. 10 Grand Street, Clinton Hill, 718-923-0100, open Tuesday through Sunday.

I Like Mike’s Midcentury Modern

Owner Mike Koleman painstakingly refinishes and repairs vintage pieces, as well as designing his own vintage-inspired items. Everything here is in excellent shape and ready to take home and display. Appointment only. 161 Decatur Street, Bed-Stuy, mike@mikesmcm.com, 917-562-0292.

Meeker Avenue Flea Market

Items vary quite a lot, and you would need to be very savvy to find a collectible piece at a steal, but if industrial furniture–old work tables, benches, metal stools–is your style, there’s plenty to discover. Hint: search the furniture listings on craigslist to get idea of what they have in stock before you head out. 391 Leonard Street, Williamsburg/Greenpoint, 718-302-FLEA (3532).

Mark McDonald, Ltd.

If you’re upstate, head to Hudson and take a look through Mark McDonald’s store. Our friend’s interior designer dad swears by his selection of high-end mid-century furniture, jewelry and glass art. 555 Warren Street, Hudson, New York, 518-828-6320.

Open Air Modern

Open Air Modern recently relocated to a 2,000-square-foot showroom on Lorimer, just down the block from Gimme Coffee, where they sell a large selection of affordable vintage Danish modern furniture. Even if you’re not in the market for furniture, stop in to look through their selection of rare and out-of-print books on art and design. The large, but not overwhelming store is having a “record potluck night” on Saturday, January 29–bring records to play or trade. Snacks and booze provided. 489 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, 718-383-6465.

Baxter & Liebchen

This 5,000-square-foot store in Dumbo (with a showroom at ABC Carpet & Home in Manhattan) carries 2,500 pieces, mainly Danish, and a few from Norway. Styles range from unknowns (but well-made) to the signed, rare Finn Juhl piece. 718797-0630

9 Responses

  1. Jensan43 -

    This is an excellent resource, thanks! I wonder if you could recommend a good upholsterer for this sort of furniture in Bklyn. I have a wonderful Plycraft chair, but I don’t want to trust it to just anyone…

    Reply
  2. Anonymous -

    You should check out Casa BAN on Tompkins Ave. in Bed Stuy.  Mr. Ban has a wonderful eye and really beautiful stuff at good prices.  Plus he has great service.  I told him I was looking for a certain type of table. He didn’t have it but he FOUND one for me, and delivered and set it up.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous -

    can you suggest a reliable outfit or person for refinishing a Hans Wegner dining room table?

    Reply
  4. Nikki -

    Check out too liketheoriginal.com when finding a good vintage item is too painstaking.

    Reply
  5. Anne Pizzicara -

    I need to reupholster my mid century dining chairs. Do you know restorer/reupholsterer?
    Thank you.
    Love your blog

    Reply
  6. Josh -

    Hey! This resource is a little bit outdated. I would also check out Samuel Ivan in Williamsburg. He is by appointment, but has a phenomenal collection

    Reply

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