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Affordable Fine Furniture
If you want to sit pretty for pennies, try furniture consignment stores.
By Melissa Adams Published: March 03, 2005
After years of scraping and saving, you and the mister are finally settling into your piece of the American Dream in The OC, no less. Only trouble is, you’re mortgaged to the hilt and contemplating filling your proud new digs with those tired sofas from your rental days.
Or you’ve finally made the break from Ms. Wrong. She got the house and all its contents. You got the condo on the coast. Now your challenge is to turn it into a bachelor pad that reflects the class and sophistication you wish to project to a future Ms. Right.
What to do when you need fine furniture on a budget? Head for one of Orange County’s treasure troves for bargain hunters: consignment outlets that proffer designer and estate wares, including many new items in mint condition, for 2070% below retail.
If you’ve purchased a new home recently, chances are you toured some professionally decorated models. Give your residence the pulled-together look that impressed you in those display homes by outfitting it with decorator-selected treasures awaiting new leases on life at RUF an acronym for “Really Useful Furniture.” Here, in a jam-packed 10,000-square-foot showroom near John Wayne Airport, find a rapidly changing inventory of furnishings, art, plants, accessories, appliances and bedding that debuted in model homes.
“Generally, the bigger the item, the bigger the deal,” observes Edward Nuno, owner and manager, with his wife Gloria, of what he says was the first outlet for model home furnishings in California. Since 1989, the couple has been tapping into the high-style inventories of such residential developers as Canady, KB Homes, Woodside, Centex, Pardee Homes and Howard Robert for sofas, armoires, dining sets and lamps.
Some of the best buys lately? Nuno recalls a dark mahogany, hand-carved armoire that retailed for $5,000. “We sold it for $1,350,” he says. “We get in Pottery Barn sectionals that go for over two grand in local stores, that we sell for $1,100, and dining tables priced around $375 that customers tell us they saw in retail stores for close to $800.”
The former arts and crafts importer noted that turnover is quick at RUF. “Our pieces sell 15 times faster than those in retail outlets, so customers should move quickly if they see something they want.”
While pouncing is critical for must-have wares, some of the best buys can be had on pieces that spend some time on the showroom floor. “When an item has been here for three months, the price goes down 20%,” says Nuno.
Just like the model
If you come up empty-handed at RUF, head for Fountain Valley where Peggy Holt manages Just Like the Model. The former RUF employee admits to opening her own outlet for model home furnishings “on a wing and a prayer.”
Tapping into the inventories of friends in the building industry, Holt continually restocks her 24,000-square-foot warehouse with designer-selected pieces imported from properties in Shady Canyon and other chi-chi Orange County enclaves. Weekly shipments can vary from a few items up to several housefuls of furniture, lamps, art, silk plants, custom bed linens and accessories. “Nowhere can you find so many one-of-a-kind furnishings for 30% to 70% below retail,” she says.
At Holt’s packed-to-the-gills showroom, hunt down such bargains as a leather sofa priced at $450 that would fetch $800 in a retail outlet. In the market for knickknacks? Look for designer accessories sold for a fraction of what they might be priced at centers that cater to interior decorators and model-home merchandisers. For builders, Holt offers pickup and storage services, employee pre-sale opportunities and an 80% return on merchandise sales.
Getting treasures off your chest
Perhaps you’re transforming your nest from country French to clean-lined contemporary and contemplating hosting a massive garage sale. If just thinking about shoppers prowling for goodies in your driveway gives you a headache, follow the lead of Peter Engle, principal of Papillon Lifespaces.
Unloading an unblemished whitewashed dining set at the Home Consignment Center in Newport Beach, the Fountain Valley interior designer observes, “There’s nothing wrong with this set. The client just got tired of it and wants to redecorate.” Priced new at $3,000, the glass-topped table and upholstered six-chair ensemble will be tagged at less than $500, says Manager Michele Donaldson.
“Many designers shop here because they find higher quality furnishings than what they see at model-home outlets that have pieces purchased on a builder’s budget,” notes Donaldson. “We also get a lot of people looking for good buys for rental property furnishings.”
Because inventory is constantly evolving, customers like Regina and Henning Kuehen visit frequently. Several weekends a month, the Dana Point couple heads north to hunt for art, outdoor furnishings and other treasures at the Newport Beach Home Consignment Center and Lido Consignment Gallery. “My wife likes to redecorate, and we find good selection and great buys on paintings at consignment stores,” says Henning.
If your tastes are eclectic, the Home Consignment Center won’t disappoint. “We find so many different styles here,” says Dona Applegate, in from Encino to browse for lamps and silk plants. “Every time we come, we see something we didn’t see before.”
In addition to the Newport Beach outlet, there are three other Home Consignment Centers in Orange County in Foothill Ranch, Laguna Niguel and Yorba Linda. The four are part of an 11-store chain that got its start in Danville, Calif. in 1994.
“This was supposed to be something for our wives to do several days a week,” says Johnnie Crowell, one of four Home Consignment Center owners. Of his family-run operation, he explains, “We sell some of the craziest things you can imagine stuffed buffalos, pool tables, golf carts…I can’t think of anything we haven’t sold.”
Noting that the median turnaround time for a piece is two weeks, Crowell
says, “We price things to sell quickly, so we have little product that doesn’t sell.” Alongside items from private estates, Home Consignment Centers stock manufacturers’ overruns, model-home furnishings and inventory from designer showrooms. Consigners receive 60% of the selling price.
In addition to good buys, the stores take pride in customer service. A 24-hour “test drive” is available for unsure shoppers, and the stores offer referrals for pick-ups and deliveries. “We’ll load, pack and wrap for customers. We even have Polaroid cameras and tape measures for what we call our ‘husband program,’” Crowell says.
Upscale in Irvine
If you’re a serious seeker of jaw-dropping deals, you may find your best booty at Upscale Furnishings on Consignment in Irvine. The source for high-end furnishings imports many new treasures from such designer showrooms as the Laguna Design Center, Pacific Design Center and LA Mart. Previously owned pieces from local upscale residences and model homes round out the ever-changing inventory.
“Some of our pieces are customer misorders, floor samples and items from discontinued lines that come to us directly from the manufacturer,” explains owner Diane Clark, who opened the store with her husband, Sean, in 1999. “Rather than send a piece back to North Carolina, it often makes more sense for a supplier to consign it to us.”
If you know your designers, you’ll find many represented in the Clark’s 15,000- square-foot showroom, including such recognizable brands as Baker, Henredon, Bernhardt, Kreiss, Bau, Century, Thomasville, Lexington and Ethan Allen. Most pieces are offered at 5080% off original pricing.
Two years ago, Upscale Furnishings caught the attention of bargain-hunter Suzanne O’Connor of BargainsLA.com. The consummate shopper awarded the Irvine outlet a “Frugal Bugal Award” and placed it at #2 in her “Top Ten New Bargain Sources for 2003.”
At any of these goldmines for household treasures, don’t expect the serene ambiance of upscale furniture showrooms. Most are cluttered beehives of activity with a hectic vibe and inventory lining the walls and piled high to the rafters. While you might sacrifice some serenity in your search, you’ll be far more serene in the long run, as you smugly contemplate savings on the smart buys you’ve made. OCM
Melissa Adams heads WordGeisha, Ink. She is a regular OC Metro contributor who welcomes your feedback and ideas for covering the OC retail beat at melissa@wordgeisha.com.
BARGAINS ARE THEIR BUSINESS
Just Like the Model
18429 Pacific St.
Fountain Valley • (714) 968-9888
Lido Consignment Gallery
2700 West Coast Highway Newport Beach • (949) 650-7793
RUF
17791 Sky Park Circle, Suite J Irvine • (949) 250-4196
Upscale Furnishings on Consignment
15315 Culver Drive, Suite 185 Irvine • (949) 733-3435
Home Consignment Centers
18910 Teller Ave.
Newport Beach • (949) 250-0326
23060 Eastpark Dr.
Yorba Linda • (714) 637-1192
26662 Portola Pkwy.
Foothill Ranch • (949) 770-9141
27350 Alicia Pkwy.
Laguna Niguel • (949) 448-8640
Retail Wrap
COX COMMUNICATIONS STORE Customers can now experience the latest digital services on state-of-the-art equipment at Cox Communications’ first-of-its-kind flagship store. The 2,200-square-foot retail outlet, named Cox Communications Store, recently opened in Irvine’s Quail Hill Village Center and offers a complete display of all the company’s products and services. The store features 16 Mitsubishi high-definition TV sets to demonstrate Cox high-definition service in a home theater area, as well as Cox digital video recorders, six interactive high-speed Internet displays, live digital telephone service and more. A play area is available for kids.
“The Cox Communications Store gives our customers a convenient place to experience exceptional customer service and test drive all the latest Cox services,” says Colleen Langner, vice president of sales and marketing. “This is the first time Cox has opened a retail store like this, and we’re excited to have it located in a center that will be so convenient for so many of our customers.”
Customers can also manage all aspects of their account at the store, including paying bills. Store hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays. The store is located off the 405 Freeway at Sand Canyon/Shady Canyon Drive at 6771 Quail Hill Parkway.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS >> Philanthropists and fashion fanatics are invited to attend a full-runway fashion show breakfast on March 19 at Nordstrom at The Shops at Mission Viejo. The event, which will begin at 8:30 a.m., raises funds for Human Options, an Orange County-based nonprofit organization that works to break the cycle of domestic violence. Following the show and breakfast, guests are invited to shop at Nordstrom before the store opens to the public. Tickets are $35. For tickets or more information, call (949) 737-5242, Ext. 211...Chiari Wellness Spa recently opened in Westminster. The 2,500-square-foot space features a roomy lounge and boutique area, eight treatment rooms, three bathrooms with luxurious spa showers and a private room for spa parties. The day spa offers customized skin-care services, unique spa body therapies and body-care treatments, beauty services and more…Penhaligon’s London has opened its first shop in Orange County at South Coast Plaza. Established in 1870, the retailer of classic English fragrances creates exclusive scents for men and women with the finest ingredients from around the world. The store also features an extensive gift and accessories collection. OCM
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Or you’ve finally made the break from Ms. Wrong. She got the house and all its contents. You got the condo on the coast. Now your challenge is to turn it into a bachelor pad that reflects the class and sophistication you wish to project to a future Ms. Right. What to do when you need fine furniture on a budget? Head for one of Orange County’s treasure troves for bargain hunters: consignment outlets that proffer designer and estate wares, including many new items in mint condition, for 2070% below retail. If you’ve purchased a new home recently, chances are you toured some professionally decorated models. Give your residence the pulled-together look that impressed you in those display homes by outfitting it with decorator-selected treasures awaiting new leases on life at RUF an acronym for “Really Useful Furniture.” Here, in a jam-packed 10,000-square-foot showroom near John Wayne Airport, find a rapidly changing inventory of furnishings, art, plants, accessories, appliances and bedding that debuted in model homes. “Generally, the bigger the item, the bigger the deal,” observes Edward Nuno, owner and manager, with his wife Gloria, of what he says was the first outlet for model home furnishings in California. Since 1989, the couple has been tapping into the high-style inventories of such residential developers as Canady, KB Homes, Woodside, Centex, Pardee Homes and Howard Robert for sofas, armoires, dining sets and lamps. Some of the best buys lately? Nuno recalls a dark mahogany, hand-carved armoire that retailed for $5,000. “We sold it for $1,350,” he says. “We get in Pottery Barn sectionals that go for over two grand in local stores, that we sell for $1,100, and dining tables priced around $375 that customers tell us they saw in retail stores for close to $800.” The former arts and crafts importer noted that turnover is quick at RUF. “Our pieces sell 15 times faster than those in retail outlets, so customers should move quickly if they see something they want.” While pouncing is critical for must-have wares, some of the best buys can be had on pieces that spend some time on the showroom floor. “When an item has been here for three months, the price goes down 20%,” says Nuno. Just like the model If you come up empty-handed at RUF, head for Fountain Valley where Peggy Holt manages Just Like the Model. The former RUF employee admits to opening her own outlet for model home furnishings “on a wing and a prayer.” Tapping into the inventories of friends in the building industry, Holt continually restocks her 24,000-square-foot warehouse with designer-selected pieces imported from properties in Shady Canyon and other chi-chi Orange County enclaves. Weekly shipments can vary from a few items up to several housefuls of furniture, lamps, art, silk plants, custom bed linens and accessories. “Nowhere can you find so many one-of-a-kind furnishings for 30% to 70% below retail,” she says. At Holt’s packed-to-the-gills showroom, hunt down such bargains as a leather sofa priced at $450 that would fetch $800 in a retail outlet. In the market for knickknacks? Look for designer accessories sold for a fraction of what they might be priced at centers that cater to interior decorators and model-home merchandisers. For builders, Holt offers pickup and storage services, employee pre-sale opportunities and an 80% return on merchandise sales. Getting treasures off your chest Perhaps you’re transforming your nest from country French to clean-lined contemporary and contemplating hosting a massive garage sale. If just thinking about shoppers prowling for goodies in your driveway gives you a headache, follow the lead of Peter Engle, principal of Papillon Lifespaces. Unloading an unblemished whitewashed dining set at the Home Consignment Center in Newport Beach, the Fountain Valley interior designer observes, “There’s nothing wrong with this set. The client just got tired of it and wants to redecorate.” Priced new at $3,000, the glass-topped table and upholstered six-chair ensemble will be tagged at less than $500, says Manager Michele Donaldson. “Many designers shop here because they find higher quality furnishings than what they see at model-home outlets that have pieces purchased on a builder’s budget,” notes Donaldson. “We also get a lot of people looking for good buys for rental property furnishings.” Because inventory is constantly evolving, customers like Regina and Henning Kuehen visit frequently. Several weekends a month, the Dana Point couple heads north to hunt for art, outdoor furnishings and other treasures at the Newport Beach Home Consignment Center and Lido Consignment Gallery. “My wife likes to redecorate, and we find good selection and great buys on paintings at consignment stores,” says Henning. If your tastes are eclectic, the Home Consignment Center won’t disappoint. “We find so many different styles here,” says Dona Applegate, in from Encino to browse for lamps and silk plants. “Every time we come, we see something we didn’t see before.” In addition to the Newport Beach outlet, there are three other Home Consignment Centers in Orange County in Foothill Ranch, Laguna Niguel and Yorba Linda. The four are part of an 11-store chain that got its start in Danville, Calif. in 1994. “This was supposed to be something for our wives to do several days a week,” says Johnnie Crowell, one of four Home Consignment Center owners. Of his family-run operation, he explains, “We sell some of the craziest things you can imagine stuffed buffalos, pool tables, golf carts…I can’t think of anything we haven’t sold.” Noting that the median turnaround time for a piece is two weeks, Crowell says, “We price things to sell quickly, so we have little product that doesn’t sell.” Alongside items from private estates, Home Consignment Centers stock manufacturers’ overruns, model-home furnishings and inventory from designer showrooms. Consigners receive 60% of the selling price. In addition to good buys, the stores take pride in customer service. A 24-hour “test drive” is available for unsure shoppers, and the stores offer referrals for pick-ups and deliveries. “We’ll load, pack and wrap for customers. We even have Polaroid cameras and tape measures for what we call our ‘husband program,’” Crowell says. Upscale in Irvine If you’re a serious seeker of jaw-dropping deals, you may find your best booty at Upscale Furnishings on Consignment in Irvine. The source for high-end furnishings imports many new treasures from such designer showrooms as the Laguna Design Center, Pacific Design Center and LA Mart. Previously owned pieces from local upscale residences and model homes round out the ever-changing inventory. “Some of our pieces are customer misorders, floor samples and items from discontinued lines that come to us directly from the manufacturer,” explains owner Diane Clark, who opened the store with her husband, Sean, in 1999. “Rather than send a piece back to North Carolina, it often makes more sense for a supplier to consign it to us.” If you know your designers, you’ll find many represented in the Clark’s 15,000- square-foot showroom, including such recognizable brands as Baker, Henredon, Bernhardt, Kreiss, Bau, Century, Thomasville, Lexington and Ethan Allen. Most pieces are offered at 5080% off original pricing. Two years ago, Upscale Furnishings caught the attention of bargain-hunter Suzanne O’Connor of BargainsLA.com. The consummate shopper awarded the Irvine outlet a “Frugal Bugal Award” and placed it at #2 in her “Top Ten New Bargain Sources for 2003.” At any of these goldmines for household treasures, don’t expect the serene ambiance of upscale furniture showrooms. Most are cluttered beehives of activity with a hectic vibe and inventory lining the walls and piled high to the rafters. While you might sacrifice some serenity in your search, you’ll be far more serene in the long run, as you smugly contemplate savings on the smart buys you’ve made. OCM Melissa Adams heads WordGeisha, Ink. She is a regular OC Metro contributor who welcomes your feedback and ideas for covering the OC retail beat at melissa@wordgeisha.com. BARGAINS ARE THEIR BUSINESS Just Like the Model 18429 Pacific St. Fountain Valley • (714) 968-9888 Lido Consignment Gallery 2700 West Coast Highway Newport Beach • (949) 650-7793 RUF 17791 Sky Park Circle, Suite J Irvine • (949) 250-4196 Upscale Furnishings on Consignment 15315 Culver Drive, Suite 185 Irvine • (949) 733-3435 Home Consignment Centers 18910 Teller Ave. Newport Beach • (949) 250-0326 23060 Eastpark Dr. Yorba Linda • (714) 637-1192 26662 Portola Pkwy. Foothill Ranch • (949) 770-9141 27350 Alicia Pkwy. Laguna Niguel • (949) 448-8640 Retail Wrap COX COMMUNICATIONS STORE Customers can now experience the latest digital services on state-of-the-art equipment at Cox Communications’ first-of-its-kind flagship store. The 2,200-square-foot retail outlet, named Cox Communications Store, recently opened in Irvine’s Quail Hill Village Center and offers a complete display of all the company’s products and services. The store features 16 Mitsubishi high-definition TV sets to demonstrate Cox high-definition service in a home theater area, as well as Cox digital video recorders, six interactive high-speed Internet displays, live digital telephone service and more. A play area is available for kids. “The Cox Communications Store gives our customers a convenient place to experience exceptional customer service and test drive all the latest Cox services,” says Colleen Langner, vice president of sales and marketing. “This is the first time Cox has opened a retail store like this, and we’re excited to have it located in a center that will be so convenient for so many of our customers.” Customers can also manage all aspects of their account at the store, including paying bills. Store hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays. The store is located off the 405 Freeway at Sand Canyon/Shady Canyon Drive at 6771 Quail Hill Parkway. OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS >> Philanthropists and fashion fanatics are invited to attend a full-runway fashion show breakfast on March 19 at Nordstrom at The Shops at Mission Viejo. The event, which will begin at 8:30 a.m., raises funds for Human Options, an Orange County-based nonprofit organization that works to break the cycle of domestic violence. Following the show and breakfast, guests are invited to shop at Nordstrom before the store opens to the public. Tickets are $35. For tickets or more information, call (949) 737-5242, Ext. 211...Chiari Wellness Spa recently opened in Westminster. The 2,500-square-foot space features a roomy lounge and boutique area, eight treatment rooms, three bathrooms with luxurious spa showers and a private room for spa parties. The day spa offers customized skin-care services, unique spa body therapies and body-care treatments, beauty services and more…Penhaligon’s London has opened its first shop in Orange County at South Coast Plaza. Established in 1870, the retailer of classic English fragrances creates exclusive scents for men and women with the finest ingredients from around the world. The store also features an extensive gift and accessories collection. OCM |
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