Now this is a consignment shop for the architect, the interior designer or the wannabe with a fine eye.
Décor NYC, at 159 West 25th Street in Manhattan, has all the right stuff, at less than half the retail price. And it’s not afraid to drop names.
Here hangs a classic Sol LeWitt painting across from a color Annie Leibovitz print of Muhammad Ali. A pair of Eames chairs was spotted just a few weeks ago, heading quickly out the door. Currently on its way in is a white leather Barcelona chair with matching ottoman, designed by Mies and imported from – where else? – Barcelona itself.
“We had a great Cooper rocker that flew out right away,” says Bruce Tilley, owner of the shop. “Now we’ve got a Paul Benson custom buffet, totally handmade of cast aluminum and stainless steel, signed and dated in 2006. Today it would take 16 weeks to make, and cost between $25,000 and $28,000. We have it at $12,000.”
He established Décor NYC in 2011 after realizing that the same principles that work for a fashion consignment business could be elevated to luxury goods.
“When the crash happened five years ago, those stores were booming,” he says. “We thought that if it blossomed in the fashion world, it could in the home furnishings world. We did it, and it skyrocketed.”
As people begin to downsize their homes or apartments, he offers an alternative to a storage bin or the hassle of eBay, as well as a 50 percent return on sale prices. And even with 30,000 items in stock, the inventory moves quickly. The idea is not to overprice anything, nor to underprice it.
“Our goal is to price it to sell – to move it for ourselves and our clients,” he says.
He’s a stickler for items in excellent condition, and is constantly on the lookout for work by well-known designers and brand names. The lowest price item in the shop is a $30 accessory – a glass ball on a pedestal. The highest is a $175,000 bronze sculpture by William Tucker.
The trend is toward modern and contemporary, with antiques hard to sell. The exception would be any piece that’s authentically mid-century and modern.
“They’re flying out the door,” he says.
In an era of “Mad Men,” there’s little wonder there.
For more information, go to http://decornyc.com
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