Resource - Getting Great Stuff! Inside Out Design Coaching


	Here's a listing of great places to shop, all submitted by "Dwell Well" readers. If you don't see YOUR favorite places listed here, please send an email to alison@InsideOutDesignCoaching.com so we can add them. Web Resources Used Stuff Furniture Household Items and Decorative Treasures Miscellany Unique Shopping Events WEB RESOURCES: Freecycle www.freecycle.org A friend just turned me on to a yahoo group called Free Cycle at - Jill Blackburn Ebay www.eBay.com eBay! They have anything you could imagine. I have all kinds of collections and I can always find things I'm looking for on that website. I collect 50's ceramic items, or anything that looks vintage (40's or 50's) from rugs to dish cloths. Sometimes I find things like rugs, lamps, etc. that look old but are new! It's really fun. Although, now I need to take your advice about clearing clutter to get rid of things that I don't love or need anymore. - Linda Kilduff For bargains (buyer potentially beware) - Marni Hecht Wisteria www.wisteria.com For funky/beautiful stuff - Marni Hecht Overstock.com www.overstock.com Great for bargains (buyer potentially beware) - Marni Hecht HomePortfolio.com www.homeportfolio.com A great site for browsing thousands of options for all sorts of household and home design items. You can create your own file of favorites. - Alison Marks GREAT DEALS ON USED (and sometimes new) STUFF: Flea Markets! the best listing of local flea markets is at http://www.burningman.com/preparation/resources/flea_markets.html For treasure hunting I can’t pass up a flea market anywhere. - Jill Blackburn My favorite is the Alemany Flea Market -- get up early Sunday morning and browse. Good coffee, too! - Alison Marks I go to several large flea markets in the Midwest, and occasionally the one in Alameda. Best places for something really unique and you get to reuse and recycle it. - Bill Faust Thrift Stores! listing at http://directory.sanfrancisco.com/san-francisco/Thrift-Shops.zp.html You never know what kind of treasures you will unearth at a thrift shop or consignment shop. In San Francisco, there are many options, with a large concentration in the Mission District. Great for things like dishes and funky furniture. My favorite is Community Thrift (http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/889643/) -- all proceeds benefit local nonprofits, and they have great books! - Alison Marks Thrift stores in the Mission for breakfronts, bookshelves and large wood pieces - weathered charm at affordable prices - Elka Vera Garage Sales! In San Francisco, the best way to find good sales is to drive around on a Saturday morning -- start out early, about 8am, for the best selection. If you don't have a car, of course Craigslist (www.craigslist.com) and the Chronicle are good ways to find out where the good stuff is on a particular day. There are several special garage sale events, when entire neighborhoods organize to sell their goods on the same day of the year (see Unique Shopping Events below). FURNITURE: Black Sea Gallery http://www.blackseagallery.com various locations around the Bay Area In San Francisco: 555 9th Street (in the complex with Trader Joe's, Nordstrom Rack, Bed, Bath and Beyond) Black Sea Gallery for enduring leather furniture - great quality, classically elegant - Elka Vera EQ3 http://www.eq3.com in San Francisco and Emeryville In San Francisco: 540 9th Street There is store called EQ3, a Canadian transplant. I purchased an interesting sideboard table in red lacquer with a modernized 50’s feel. The furnishings are mostly modern in style and price/quality is somewhere between IKEA and your favorite department store (often times some assembly is required). Lots of bold design, prints and use of color. Even if not making a purchase it’s fun to poke around. - Jill Blackburn Pier 1 Imports www.pier1.com various locations in the Bay Area In San Franicsco: 555 9th Street and 3535 Geary Boulevard Pier 1 for tables and chairs - good prices, but avoid the wicker! - Elka Vera Ikea www.ikea.com In Emeryville and East Palo Alto Ikea for the large basics (like sofas) - cheap cheap cheap - Elka Vera Sara Parker http://www.guerilladecorating.com/ in Emeryville for recycled wood art furniture - local artist with a flair for soulful funk - Elka Vera HOUSEHOLD ITEMS and DECORATIVE TREASURES Satin Moon Fabrics 32 Clement Street (415) 668-1623 One of my favorite places is Satin Moon Fabrics. It’s small but jam-packed with beautiful and interesting fabrics of all kinds, particularly unusual contemporary fabric from Japan, for whatever -- upholstery, curtains, whatever. The two women who own and run it are artsy and helpful too. - Carolyn McMaster Global Exchange 4018 24th Street in Noe Valley See a preview of some items available at http://store.gxonlinestore.org/ Global Exchange in Noe Valley – funky free trade colorful stuff - Mace Ambrose Global Exchange for textiles, pillows and draperies -- do good while looking good -Elka Vera IMG - International Market Gallery 3 locations in San Francisco, including 2251 Fillmore Street I like IMG (although the SoMa store just closed) for buying beautiful candles, throws and pillows – some furnishings are well made and affordable too. - Jill Blackburn The Gardener http://www.thegardener.com/ In The Ferry Building and 1846 4th Street in Berkeley Walking into The Gardener in Berkeley makes you get how powerful environments can be – their stuff is so artful, beautiful and wonderfully laid out that you want to buy it all! - Alison Marks Museum Gift Shops de Young - http://www.thinker.org/store/index.asp SF MOMA - http://www.sfmoma.org/museumstore/shop_categories.html The Bay Area has some amazing museums -- and those museums have gift shops! Two of my favorites are the SF MOMA and the new de Young. - Alison Marks Planetweavers http://www.planetweavers.com/ 1573 Haight Street and 518A Castro Street Planetweavers on Haight for the little decorative treasures - Elka Vera Target and Kmart (I'll let you find those on your own!) Kmart (Martha Stewart Living collection) and Target to name a few. - Linda Kilduff Can’t beat Target for all kinds of household items – stylish and at great prices! - Alison Marks Bed, Bath and Beyond http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com 555 9th Street Bed, Bath and Beyond for textiles, pillows and draperies. Great prices. -Elka Vera Alabaster 597 Hayes Street at Laguna (415) 558-0482 I also enjoy but don’t often make purchases from Alabaster in lower Hays Valley. - Jill Blackburn Porch Light http://www.porch-light.net 5026 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland -- between 50th and 51st (across from Walgreens) One place I like is Porch Light. They have interesting and funky items, both utilitarian and decorative, along the lines of demi-antique furniture and cute "vintage-inspired" tchotkes. They tend to be reasonably priced relative to similar stores I've been. It's a fun place to get gifts, too. - Amy Marks Nest http://www.fillmoreshop.com/pages/nest.html 2300 Fillmore Street I love Nest on Fillmore. It’s pricey, so I mostly just look, but I never pass up the chance to browse when I’m in the neighborhood. French-style antiques mixed with all kinds of special treasures for your home and body. - Alison Marks MISCELLANY: Scarlet Sage http://www.scarletsageherb.com/ 1173 Valencia Street Rad natural hippy dippy feminist stuff - Mace Ambrose Currents http://www.currentssf.com/ 911 Valencia Street Yummy bath supplies and delicious soap and candles. Cute Japanese cartoony trinkets, too. - Mace Ambrose Good Vibrations http://goodvibes.com/Content.aspx?id=626 In San Francisco: 603 Valencia Street and 1620 Polk Street / 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley What can I say? - Mace Ambrose Lamps Plus http://www.lampsplus.com/ 4700 Geary Boulevard Great selection of affordable lighting fixtures. - Alison Marks UNIQUE SHOPPING EVENTS: San Francisco Open Studios http://www.artspan.org/open_studios.php Weekends in October One of those special things that makes me happy to live in San Francisco. Each weekend in October (and in some locations, at other times through the year), artists in a different part of town open their studios and sell their work to the general public. A wonderful way to see lots of incredible art and meet the artists. - Alison Marks Especially at the naval ship yards. Good art, local folks. - Mace Ambrose Third Street Holiday Warehouse Sale http://www.3rdstreetsale.com/ First Saturday in December (in 2005 it was the second Saturday) This is one annual event I never miss. There’s no better place to find great deals on holiday gifts – and even a few things for yourself. About 50 vendors peddle the funky and wonderful (and some just plain weird), everything from pet clothing to jewelry to mirrors to fine olive oil, most at really low prices. - Alison Marks Neighborhood Garage Sale Events various throughout the year Different neighborhoods have annual community garage sales. Some I know are below: - Fair Oaks Street, in Noe Valley/Mission -- the Saturday before Mother's Day - Bernal Heights Hill-Wide Garage Sale -- some Saturday in August... keep your eyes open for it! Let us know of others! - Alison Marks
If you don't see YOUR favorite places listed here, please send an email to alison@InsideOutDesignCoaching.com so we can add them. Read more articles. Home \| About \| Classes \| Services \| Testimonials \| Goodies \| Contact \| Search All rights reserved. Alison Marks and Inside Out Design Coaching © 2005-2007.