Finding 'Cool' Austin Furniture... (Mission, San Marcos: house, rent, work)

[satanoid]

So, as a young person trying to furnish a 1940's home, I've found that my ultra modern, minimalist tenancies don't quite work in a house with orignal hardwood floors, built-in cabinets and ornate crown molding.

This has meant I have to balance my predilections for boxy, sleek furniture with the aesthetic of a warmer, more home-y feel.

It has been tricky, because most furniture stores are either 'modern' - squares, crazy patterns and metal... or 'traditional' - tassles, oriental rugs and hugely ornate woodwork. Finding places which are a nice middleground has been a challenge, but I thought I'd share some of them here.


The Khazana in Austin, Texas
900 N lamar blvd
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 320-9905
This is my favorite Austin furniture store, by far. Mostly Indian made mission and antique style furniture, but with clean, modern lines that can really work with a variety of interior styles. I found the selection to be great (they have a huge warehouse to supplement the storefront on Lamar.) I ended up furnishing my entire living room, office and dining room with pieces from here. They also have a small selection of Indian accessories, and a huge selection of oriental and Indian rugs (which aren't my thing, but beautiful, nonetheless.)

Four Hands - Importer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer of Home Furnishings
2090 Woodward St
Austin, TX 78744
(512) 371-7575
Four hands has an amazing showroom, with lots of both modern and antique pieces that seem to blend well. However, much of what they have is very expensive. In fact, they carry several lines that other stores in austin do, and charge about 20% more. When I asked if they would price match, they said 'no.' Worth a visit to get some design ideas, but expect some sticker shock.

EURWAY, contemporary furniture for your home
2236 W Braker Ln
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 835-4006
Eurway is ultra modern, and nothing else. Even still, many of their pieces have a sort of timeless quality which wouldn't be too out of place amidst older or even antique decor. The bright colors of much of the furniture and accessories would make for excellent accents or conversation pieces.

Affordable Contemporary Furniture, Modern Furniture & Accessories - MOTIF Modern Living
5 Brent Blvd
Kyle, TX 78640
(512) 262-2211
Eurway's cousin to the south is a bit more 'sophisticated' with a darker and less modern feel. Many of the same clean lines and round curves you'll find at eurway, though the selection does differ sufficiently between the two to make this short trek into kyle worth while.

Urban Living
7727 Burnet Rd
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 451-2144
I like urban living simply because of the local art and designers they showcase. The modern furniture here is also reasonably priced, but somehow, nothing was really my cup of tea. Cool lamps, accessories and lots of really nice bedroom furniture.

SPAZIO by Lytle Pressley
1214 W 6th St
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 474-5768
This place is *amazing*. Pretty much a free modern art museum. Gorgeous modern furniture and accessories... filled wall to wall with unique and stunning pieces. That being said, spazio is *obscenely* expensive. Every stick of furniture in the place is very high dollar. I'd make a trip in just to oogle the art and shake your head at the price tags.

Antigua is now MayaStar
1508 S Congress Ave, Austin
(512) 912-1475
Maya is very at-home amongst all the super-hip boutiques in the trendy SoCo district. Mainly a jewelry/gift store, they also have home accessories, some beautiful lamps, and a few pieces of furniture. (Note, the couch I liked here I found at the khazana for about 10% less.)

NEST Modern | Austin, Texas
1009 W 6th St, Austin
Nest is another place to go simply to ogle beautiful, very expensive furniture. A massive showroom devoted entirely to modern (with a slightly retro flair) furniture, nest is a great place to go for design ideas.

Your Living Room
220 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 320-9909
A suprisingly large boutique, right across the bridge from primo bat-viewing spots, YLR has boasts an impressive collection of modern furniture and art. I found some great accessories/decor here, but most of the furniture was a bit beyond my reach. They seem to be catering to the ever larger loft-owner market.

copenhagen
10209 Metropolitan Dr, Austin
(512) 873-9365
Ever wanted to live like a millionaire Norwegian pimp/evil genius? Head to Copenhagen, if you've got a huge stack of cash and a love for Scandinavian design. Beautiful, artful and insanely expensive. Worth a peek, though... a few things won't *totally* break the bank.

Ikea/Container Store/Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn
Everyone already knows these places, but I've used them for any number of decorative/organizational needs.
Stuff that works nicely in modern and traditional homes.

I'm sure there are a few others I'm forgetting.

We've struggled to find affordable, yet stylish furniture and home decor...
keeping the place 'weird' has been easy enough... just supplement the store bought with local art and garage sale pieces.

Blending a 'Mission' style with 'Modern' sensibilities has worked out well for us... the place feels modern without looking like a 15-dollar-a-shot 6th street lounge, and feels very much like home.

[gigi927]

if you're looking at Copenhagen also try Skandinavia Furniture. Same type of look/feel of furniture and it's locally owned by my next door neighbors!

[thebus]

That was a great summary since we just moved to Austin and bought a house. We would like to furnish it using modern styles. Thanks.

[AustinTraveler]

One of my favorites is the Loft downtown:

LOFT - [ Home Decor ]

[twange]

Can anyone recommend any good vintage furniture stores in the central area? The 1940s is pre-atomic era, so 1950s modern would also blend well with the wood. I've got a 1950s sectional in my 1922 house and it looks great next to stuff both older and younger. I think you've got the right idea by blending styles from different eras. Unless of course you feel the need to be a purist about things(i.e. only 40s style stuff).

[Zzyzx]

Just thought I would chime in with my favorite:

Eclectic Ethnographic Furniture & Folk Art | Austin, Texas

[satanoid]

Originally Posted by twange

Can anyone recommend any good vintage furniture stores in the central area? The 1940s is pre-atomic era, so 1950s modern would also blend well with the wood. I've got a 1950s sectional in my 1922 house and it looks great next to stuff both older and younger. I think you've got the right idea by blending styles from different eras. Unless of course you feel the need to be a purist about things(i.e. only 40s style stuff).

Check out Room Service, on south lamar... there are also a bunch of great ones on congress.

[twange]

Originally Posted by satanoid

Check out Room Service, on south lamar... there are also a bunch of great ones on congress.

Thanks! Just went to the website and it looks like they have a large collection. There is a killer 50s bar at the South location

[Phisch]

Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn
Everyone already knows these places, but I've used them for any number of decorative/organizational needs.
Stuff that works nicely in modern and traditional homes.

...and Restoration Hardware. They're all represented at the outlets in San Marcos, too. We went there to browse and that was silly. Don't ever go on a Saturday! Everyone else has the same idea.

My question: anyone know of any furniture builders? We used to know someone who would take a design and build it for you (whether from a photo or sketch) for really reasonable rates. A bed I was interested in that cost $1400 could be made for half that cost.

[abjimi]

Craig's List has lots of great stuff. But you have to check it every 10 min. or you miss your chance...