Scouting in DC
Furnishing a home can be a daunting task. For some of us, the hunt for the perfect side table can be exciting, for others it can be completely overwhelming. Most of us are looking to fill our rooms with unique, quality, good-looking pieces. But when budgets are limited, it can be hard to achieve all of that in one neat little package. So, where can you find some great pieces without breaking the bank?
Let’s start with one of the most popular, Craig’s List. Craig’s List is full of amazing deals, you just need a bit of patience and a few tips to get started.
– Search using different terms, ie. if you are looking for a “mid century sofa” you will also want to search “couch” “danish” “mcm”, and so forth
– Search for “by owner”, this will weed out the ads
– Put in a maximum price in order to line up with your budget
– Look past poor quality photos and bad styling, but be sure to ask questions if you can’t see something clearly
– Respond to an ad with a personal message, give some options of days and times that you can pick up the item and always, always include a phone number
– If you go to pick up an item and it’s less than what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to walk away
– Download a Craig’s List app for your phone, it’s the perfect way to search when you have a few minutes to spare
– Act fast, good items go quickly
– Don’t give up, you may not find the perfect item on first try
Here’s a few great finds that popped up after trolling a bit:
1. Linen and black sofa $100 | 2. Campaign style bookcases by Bernhardt $200
3. Vintage Dresser (needs a little work) only $25 | 4. Mid Century Fireplace $150
Another great option for vintage finds is used furniture stores. Most of these places fall somewhere between an antique store and a flea market both in price and in quality. This is a limited list, so leave a comment and share your favorite vintage store.
– Miss Pixie’s, 1626 14th St. NW, U Street
– GoodWood, 1428 U St. NW, U Street
– Millennium Decorative Arts, 1528 U St. NW, U Street
– Simon Vintage Furniture, 1911 9th St. NW, U Street
– Bentley’s Vintage Furniture, 810 Upshur St. NW, Petworth
– Ruff & Ready Furniture, 4722 14th St. NW, Petworth
– Modern Mobler, 7313 Georgia Ave. NW, Shepherd Park
Flea market’s are the perfect way to spend a weekend morning while scouting out your next purchase.
– Georgetown Flea Market, every Sunday, 1819 35th St. NW, at Hardy Middle School
– The Arlington Civitan Open Air Market, first Saturday of the month, April – November, 15th and Stafford St, Arlington
– The DC Big Flea, as adverstised, Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA
– The Bmore Flea, as advertised, 2640 St. Paul St, Baltimore, MD
Last, when the weather warms it will be yard sale season. Check Craig’s List for local sales along with your neighborhood list serve. Some neighborhoods, like Shepherd Park, host a yearly neighborhood yard sale which makes it easy to find at least a few treasures. Happy hunting!