Sofa So Good

For something like a sofa, it's difficult to go vintage and get something that's both sleek and comfortable. Plus for me, a sofa is almost like a bed - you kind of have to buy it new. Not to say there aren't some really great examples of modern, minimal, vintage sofas out there, but when you do find one, the price of often higher than getting something new.

One of the best sources I've found in Seattle is Modern Design Sofas. www.moderndesignsofas.com. Not only do they have a great selection of central entertaining seating systems, but they also stock some very cool chairs, lighting, accessories and more. We bought the sofa shown here and ordered a second set of washable microfiber covers to handle the heavy traffic of our 2 kids and rambunctious beagles. Their prices are really affordable with the sectional shown selling for $1400, we didn't find a better deal locally anywhere.

#2 Hand Blown Glass Vase

To the collector of modern furnishings there are a number of approaches to take. There are those for whom expense is not option and there are a lot of great choices right here in the Seattle area, including Area 51, Chartreuse Moderne and Design Within Reach. For larger, more prolific pieces I recommend Modern Design Sofas. Anthony stocks great stuff and the prices are far less than what you'd pay elsewhere.

For smaller pieces and accents, I prefer to take a less hurried, more random approach. Every once in a while, I'll stop by at Salvation Army, Value Village or Goodwill and have a look around. And every once in while I stumble onto something really sweet. The vase shown here was among the reams of garage sale quality, run of the mill glassware at Salvation Army in downtown Seattle. The minute I saw it, it was love. Its sandblasted surface and elegant profile meshed with the colder stainless that dominated most of the kitchen, while the buttery yellow Silestone of our kitchen island mapped to the golden hue of the glass. I carefully checked the price tag. $2. That was in my budget. A few sticks of black bamboo later and I had a killer modern center piece for our kitchen island - total cost: $2

You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a hot look - especially for accent pieces. Take your time, look around, hunt and let the joy of discovery make it all that much more fun.