If 2020 has you feeling cooped up and restless, there are easy ways to enliven your house: add a plant or a coat of paint. Or check out these three shops specializing in vintage, midcentury modern, and/or consignment furnishings and décor. You'll find pieces in a variety of styles and price points to help make your house more interesting. Plus, they connect us to the past. At a time when the future is so uncertain, there can be comfort in classic design.
MidModMen + Friends
2401 University Av. W., St. Paul; midmodmen.com
Known for: Restored midcentury modern furniture and decor. "We've built up a network of scouts and referrers, mostly here in the metro," says owner Neal Kielar. The MidModMen aesthetic focuses on classic clean lines and good design. "There are designs that are more kitsch and fun, but people don't come to us for that," observes Kielar. That said, he will incorporate the occasional unusual or ornate piece "if we think it makes sense and we can present them in the right way."
Clientele: "They know what they want," says Kielar. "And they appreciate the better materials used in the furniture of the past." Customers range in age from 20 to 80, he says, but the majority skew toward the more established end of the spectrum. "They are folks who want a coffee table that doesn't have a whole bunch of weird marks on it or books holding up one corner," says Kielar.
What to find right now: Vintage wool throws, coffee tables with cushions so you can put your feet on them, and perfect easy chairs for sitting in front of the fire as winter draws near.
Golden Age Design
4157 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale; goldenagedesign.com
Known for: Professionally restored vintage Scandinavian furniture. Owners Bill and Kara Kurth travel to Denmark two to three times a year. "We source all our furniture there, bring it back, and then tastefully restore it," says Bill Kurth. "Then we put it back in the world for another 50 to 60 years." The store also sells a variety of contemporary home goods from around the world.
Clientele: "Most are people who love good design," says Kurth. Golden Age customers sidestep throwaway culture. "A lot of the contemporary brands we carry have a strong focus on sustainability. They are brands with a purpose."
What to find right now: Dining sets and credenzas, and hard-to-find contemporary home good brands, like Can Family. "We are the only ones in the United States carrying them right now," says Kurth.
Covet Consign + Design and Frank Modern
3736 Chicago Av. S., Minneapolis; covetconsignanddesign.com, frankmodern.com
Known for: Gently used furnishings and décor, including vintage and newer pieces in excellent condition from places like Crate & Barrel and Room & Board. Covet's sister shop, Frank Modern, specializes in contemporary rugs, planters and home décor with a modern aesthetic. Owner Christy Frank describes her style as "eclectic," adding, "if it has a very clean line, and it is not very ornate or over the top, it's my style."
Clientele: "My price points vary quite a bit, so a mix of everyone," says Frank.
What to find right now: Covet's stock changes frequently, so check often. Frank Modern has a lot of cozy rugs and beautiful plant stands this fall. Note that shopping currently is by appointment only; e-mail covetconsignanddesign@gmail.com.
