Furnishments consignment shop puts unique home decor at center stage

Have you ever walked through an open house and found yourself oohing and aahing over the way the house was staged rather than the house itself? Ever wonder what happens to the furniture and accessories that those skillful professional stagers use once they're done with them?

Realtor and stager Katrina Puetz opened Furnishments in December 2008 as a place to sell pieces from her staging company (also called Furnishments). As the store evolved, she opened up her business to include furniture and home decor from the community at large as well as fellow stagers. Fun accessories like scarves and jewelry soon followed.

"I've always wanted a retail store, and with an increase in consignment shopping these days, this concept seemed like a good way to get started," Puetz says. "We're doing well, people like the ‘green' aspect of buying used and that they can buy something for less."

Because Puetz accepts items from a broad range of home decor styles, Furnishments feels like a treasure trove; you just never know what you're going to find. On my first visit I scored a gorgeous vintage embroidered pillow for $16.

Recently, I spied a mirrored oak dresser ($399), a brown velvet tufted chair ($199), antiqued silver wall sconces ($25 each), a classic 1950s ceramic lime green lamp ($80) and a set of chic mirrored nesting tables ($150).

A working antique Hotpoint Automatic electric stove recovered from the Camlin Hotel ($1,499) deserves prime placement in someone's kitchen.

Most pieces are gently used, but Puetz does stock some new items, including a line of pendant lamps in a variety of cool patterns for between $160 and $180, Votivo candles ($20) and even Butter London nail polish ($12).

Puetz offers a 50/50 split with consigners and prices items at half their original retail value. Antiques are researched and priced accordingly. No appointment is necessary if you're interested in consigning small items, but Puetz asks that customers e-mail pictures of larger items before making the trip.

Furnishments is located at 7216 Linden Ave. N.; (206) 784-3388; furnishments.com. Open noon to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday.

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