We believe some scuffed but much-loved furniture deserves a second chance at life. Like a certain “vintage” (code for “outdated”) set of drawers that’s been collecting dust at home. With this in mind, we slapped on a sassy coat of tangerine paint looking to infuse some shabby chic into our decorating scheme. Wrong! Instead of looking “retro,” those drawers now look like, well, a “mistake.”
Next time we’re shooting for shabby chic we’re heading straight over to the Modern Cottage at 311 S. 7th St. next to Puget Sound Pizza. Owner and decorating whiz, Alison Bryan, has the artist’s touch when it comes to refreshing old school pieces so they look just right for today. Her newly opened Spaceworks Tacoma showroom is full of great finds at a fraction of the price of new, factory-made furniture.
“Hot sellers are chalkboard canvases, dressers, end tables, and mirrors,” she reports. Price point is $50 to $350, and the goods are getting snapped up fast: on her first weekend of business she sold out one-third of her inventory. We love recycled and repurposed objects – we just can’t always do the job ourselves. Luckily, Bryan also does custom restoration: check out the fab before-and-after pics, left and below. There’s hope for that dear tangerine chest of drawers, yet. Welcome to the neighborhood, Modern Cottage! 311 S. 7th St.; 253.241.6877.Open Sat. 12-4pm, and by appointment.