Watch CBS News

Top 5 Finds of Pre-Owned Furniture in The Bay Area

(credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images)

Everybody loves a bargain. In addition to the best places for stylish used furniture in the South Bay, we've compiled suggestions for savvy shoppers in San Francisco, North Bay and East Bay. The whole process of recycle and reuse is supported by these independent merchants who will help you find previously owned items to re-love or to pass along to others via consignment.

Leftovers
1350 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 409-0088
www.weloveleftovers.com

This is a consignment shop for very good condition furniture, and some furnishings you can consign as well as buy. According to a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, Leftovers is a go-to for vintage finds on the radar of interior designers. It produces a handy bi-weekly update of the latest and greatest arrivals. Join the Swoon List so you can check on what's come through the front door without making another trip to the premises, as shipments are received more than once daily. More plusses: the website has good flickr photography, the shop's willing to put an item on hold, donations are made to over a dozen San Francisco charities, Leftovers adopts rescued animals and it runs a green business model.

Big Daddy's Antiques
1550 17th St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 621-6800
www.bdantiques.com

In a venue so big and so cool that it's rented out for parties and photo shoots, the Big Daddy's Antiques collection has an emphasis on style. The trade knows all about BD, but the shop welcomes the public, too. Searching the world over to curate the best from six continents so you don't have to is the mission. Do make this your first stop if you have a garden. Antiques for outdoor use includes fountains, bird baths, stone water vessels, planters and wrought iron creations. Vintage for indoor use includes tables, chairs, sofas, furniture, paintings, mirrors, jardinieres and birdcages. And then, there's the one-of-a-kind stuff that no one ever dreamt of needing but now finds totally irresistible.

Design Plus Consignment Gallery
733 Francisco Blvd. E.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 455-8165
www.designplusgallery.com

In the San Francisco location on 8th Street in SoMa, there's 6,000 square feet of desks, chairs, tables, sofas, chandeliers, lamps, dressers, rugs, beds, mirrors and art. Marin opened in 2012 with even more inventory. Everything is consignment, so there's an opportunity for growing into a space or downsizing. Eclectic, affordable treasures and the super helpful, personable owner assures Design Plus a spot on everyone's list once they're in the know as consigner or consignee. Feel good about recycling -- buying or selling -- from the moment you walk in the door at either location.

Past Perfect
854 Stanyan St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 418-6754
www.pastperfectsf.com

Having moved from Union Street in 2014, there are now two locations, in Cole Valley and another 7,000 square feet at 2246 Lombard Street in the Marina. Past Perfect is a collective, home to about 30 independent dealers showing vintage to modern, some including clothing and collectibles. If you know your stuff and your designers, have a look at the strengths among dealers in the mid-century and Scandinavian furniture market. Some are tagged up with the names of well-known makers and command prices in the thousands of dollars. The unusual can be found.

Poor Honey's Used Furniture
4250 San Leandro St.
Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 261-4500
www.poorhoneys.com

Poor Honey's has plenty of useful used furniture from a mom-and-pop operation that helps people furnish with decent quality items on a budget while the business helps to reduce unnecessary landfill by recycling. Furnish your place on a dime is the message, and you're unlikely to find whatever you need anywhere else for less, including complete sets and suites for dining, bedroom, living room and office. Poor Honey's even has some mattresses, televisions and refrigerators, and it is especially popular with students throughout the Bay Area.

Laurie Jo Miller Farr loves walkable cities. A tourism industry professional and transplanted New Yorker by way of half-a-lifetime in London, she's writing about the best of the bay and beyond for Yahoo, USA Today, eHow, and on Examiner.com.


 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.