Shopping DC: Mid-Century Furniture

I'm not quite sure where this week went, but here were are at the holiday weekend already!  Blake is out golfing (I opted out of that one...), I'm lounging around the house reading and writing, and we've got fun plans for the evening that include furniture/building materials shopping (here and here) and eating at Busboys and Poets, one of our favorite local places.

So in honor of what is probably my favorite furniture store in the DC area, today's post is about where to find the best mid-century furniture (best being fact. not opinion ;))

1.  Peg Leg Vintage
Peg Leg is located in College Park, MD, just inside the beltway.  It's along Baltimore Avenue, only a couple miles from IKEA, so anytime I have to go to IKEA, I reward myself with a trip to Peg Leg afterward.  It's a great bribe.

The couple that owns the shop are just the coolest people. Every time I go in, I end up talking furniture with them for 45 minutes, and wishing I could stay longer.  Oh boy. I'm that customer.  They'll answer any questions you have about the pieces and even give you ideas for how to style it.  They'll encourage you to lounge on a chair you're eyeing - just to make sure it meets your comfort needs - and will even move other furniture around so you can get the full effect of putting your feet out on the ottoman while completely reclined in a Mister chair.  Do I sound like I speak from experience?

It's not a huge store, but their inventory is constantly changing.  Also, the owners said they always have 10-15 storage units packed full with other furniture, so if you're looking for something specific, let them know and they'll search for it for you.  Last time I was in they mentioned that they were on the lookout for a warehouse space so that they could display all their furniture at once for monthly warehouse sales.  I'm hoping that happens soon.

One of my favorite things about Peg Leg is that they don't spend time re-doing the furniture.  They just buy good stuff.  That way, they don't charge you an arm and a (peg) leg for anything.  I've been pleasantly surprised about how good the prices are.  I know it's off the beaten path, but I think their location also allows them to price things fairly.

2.  Modern Mobler
If you want to see some absolutely gorgeous restored mid century furniture, look no further than Modern Mobler.  They have locations on Georgia Avenue in NW Washington DC and in Kensington, MD along antique row.

Unlike Peg Leg Vintage, Modern Mobler's prices are not low, but I would venture to say that they're fair.  Each piece they display has been expertly restored to look like new.  They have a full-time restorationist employed for their two stores and you can tell that he puts love and attention into each piece.

So, you might not be able to go in and pick up a few items on a whim, but you'll be blown away by the eye candy.  The employees also know a ton about the furniture and are happy to answer questions.  It's almost a museum experience.

3.  Miss Pixie's
Miss Pixie's is located on 14th Street in a newly revitalized area of DC.  It's not strictly mid-century, so you'll probably see it pop up on other lists, but it usually has some great mid-century pieces.

Some pros to Miss Pixie's:  It's a large space and they have a great revolving inventory of fun pieces.  It's also pretty moderately priced.
Some cons to Miss Pixie's:  It's right in the heart of hipster-ville and things that are "fairly priced" maybe listed a bit higher than they otherwise would be.  That said, it is great fun to people-watch in this area and I love over-hearing people in the store talking about what they're going to do with a particular piece.  Lots of great ideas!

After you're done getting lost in Miss Pixie's, there are a ton of other great furniture stores in the area to busy yourself in for the rest of the day.  And if you need a break from all the inspiration?  I recommend treating yourself to a Peanut Butter Bacon Burger and a milkshake (while taking in whatever black and white film they're showing on the wall) at the new 14th Street Ted's Bulletin location.

Barn Sale-ing

I solemnly swear that this is the last post about the Chartreuse & Co Barn Sale.  I can't help myself. It was that good.

I took a few pictures of things I fell in love with but either couldn't bring myself to spend the cash, or couldn't think of a place I could use it.  From left to right:

1.  The blue sky between the barns was gorgeous.  I also loved the old feed/water tubs.  I would love one to serve drinks in, but goodness, where would you store something so huge?

2.  The oil painting of the fields was framed so well.  I would have taken it home with me if it hadn't been $300.  Yikes.  Probably not a bad price for an original painting in that frame, but a little above my self-alloted sale spending.

3.  A bright blue windsor chair.  Can you tell I'm loving all things peacock blue these days?  Too bad I'm swimming in chairs at home.  But I wish I'd been able to bring it home with me.

4.  These equestrian candle hurricanes were great, but I couldn't really see them fitting into my home. If I'd been able to get them for a song, I would have tried my darndest to find a place for them, but they were on the pricey side, so there they stayed.

As for what I did come home with...other than the chair I posted about yesterday,  I snagged a couple other small things.  Blake's been wanting a terrarium for ages and we found the perfect one.  It's now residing on the trunk in our bedroom nook.  Right now it's housing the plastic plant it came with, but I need to make a run to Home Depot for some colorful succulents.  

I fell in love with this tile and carved wood tray.  Probably not something I needed, but I do so adore it.  I think it'll be pretty for corralling the salt, pepper and napkins on the table.  Blake served a mission for our church for a year in Portugal (and a year in Cape Verde) and the tile reminded me of Portuguese tile, which was the clincher.  So, even thought I didn't need it, I kinda needed it.  You know what I mean.

A Fine Frenzy

 

Did I mention the reason we went down to Florida last weekend?

 

Blake's parents' new home was completely empty aside from four mattresses.  So, we spent the weekend on a whirlwind shopping tour to set up house.  Let me tell you. Three days of shopping is not for the faint of heart.

 

Marilyn (Blake's Mom) had never been to Home Goods before.  I convinced her that it was the best place to start, so we headed there straight from the airport.  She didn't seem too excited as we were walking up to the store, but as soon as we walked in, I could tell that the tides were turning.  She looked like a kid in a candy store - rushing from lamps to side tables to bedding to pillows in an absolute frenzy.

 

Three hours (three hours!) later, we struggled to the cashier with four overflowing carts and a flat-bed dolly crammed with furniture.  Then, we calmly led the helpful sales associate outside to help us bring the haul to the car. 

 

I'm fairly certain he was expecting a U-Haul or a truck, so I was not surprised by the skeptical look on his face as we approached and beeped opened the trunk.  It was a small SUV and it already had our luggage piled in.  But, through no small feat (and probably due to loads of previous x-box tetris playing) we managed to fit it all in.  Sure, we had stuff on our laps and stuffed around our feet, but we did it.  I've even got a picture of Marilyn in the back seat to prove it. 

 

I've successfully turned her into a Home Goods convert.  I see my work here is done.