Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hit the gas! Part 1 - South

The end of last week ended with some really nice and sunny weather. I have been over some with a slight case of cabin fever with all of the chillier inclement weather and the fact that I am stuck job searching most of my days. I used to grab my Mom, get in the car and we would just head out on the road exploring for the day. We usually had no idea what we would find. We would just go. Last weekend I decided that we should take this up again. On Friday, we pointed the car south and hit the gas. I knew of two places I have always heard of but never explored. They were not far. They are in the city. I just never took the time to go off the beaten path to check them out.
The first stop we made was at the Cooper Used Hotel Furniture. I have driven past this warehouse looking place for years. I had seen the sign, but did not really know what the deal was with the place. It is just a huge warehouse full of furniture, fixtures, accessories, bedding, etc., from hotels. Much of it is in multiples, some not. From what I could tell the prices are pretty fair, but there was an item or two that seemed to have an oddly high price tag. It is one of those places where your success will depend on what you are looking for and what they happen to have in stock. Let me make a confession here. This report is going to be sort of half-a**ed. The reason is that I only viewed the main floor of this place. I did not realize that there were many more floors to explore until after I had made my purchase and left the building. I had no desire to go back in because the building was not heated and it was damp and cold in there. Perhaps I will go back at a later date for a more thorough report.

These glass lamps were stacked up as you entered.

A small side room full of lampshades


A birds eye view of the main floor from the mezzanine level.

I was not really looking for anything at all. I have a tendency to purchase something out of the ordinary when I find it. I would say that this qualifies. I know it's quirky. The only thing I purchased was this rather large dog portrait.


Before leaving the hotel store I asked to look at the yellow pages because I had heard of this incredible fabric store, but did not have the name or address. I only knew that there was something catchy about it that would make me remember it when I saw it. I was right. The address of the store is 2121 W. 21st Street. As an FYI, if you actually intend on seeking out this magnificent fabric source, it is on 21st Street not 21st Place. I learned this lesson when I was having trouble finding the store and my Mom (who never pays attention to anything when we are in the car even though she is in the navigator seat) said, "We are on place, not street." She was right. It was one block north. Just around the corner. I take back every comment I have made when we are in the car and she forgets to be the lookout for the trip.

This place is huge and inexpensive. The only warning I would have for you is that you need to be mentally prepared to wait in line. And, if you choose to go to the clearance floor, you need to be prepared to dig. It is well worth your while. I have only included pictures of two of the floors. That is all the stamina I had. I was not in the mood for digging and searching so I only searched so far. They did have a very nice selection of leathers. I think they were $3.50 a square foot. The selection of upholstery fabric is pretty extensive and not expensive. Most of the upholstery fabrics ran $9.99 a yard. If I ever decide to reupholster any of my furniture I am definitely getting it from here.

A wall of fabrics on the first floor

Some rows of fabric bolts in the upholstery section

Some of the wide selection of trims

The clearance floor
In the basement of this outlet is the clearance section. A floor of organized chaos. There are rows and rows of fabric bolts stacked from floor to the ceiling. Here is the catch. None of the inventory on the clearance is priced. You have to take it with you to the checkout line and they will give you a price when you check out. It seems like pain, but if the price is right, it is worth it.

Some of the clearance ribbons

Clearance notions

I have no need for any new fabric so I did not load up my cart here. The only purchase I made was the handful of large gold beads I posted yesterday. They were .40 total and will be made into a necklace.
We decided that we were tired of exploring for the day so we headed to Chinatown for some lunch. Next trip, we headed north.

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