All Over Albany

(It seems like almost every furniture store in this area carries the same five couch (or whatever) designs -- many of them apparently circa 1995.)

This is so true! Granted, it's not just the Capital Region, but so far I've been really disappointed in what I've seen when looking for couches out here--either cheap and disposable (and usually ugly), or expensive and ugly. At least for what I like.

And with IKEA, shipping is untenable and while renting a U-Haul and driving out to get a couch is a possibility, you never know if they'll actually have what you want in stock, so it could all be a big waste of time and money.

... said Masticating Monkey on Oct 18, 2012 at 2:34 PM | link

Warren Street in Hudson NY has alot of furniture stores, some antiques and some new/modern stuff! It's a great time of year to make the drive down there!

... said Sarah on Oct 18, 2012 at 2:37 PM | link

I've seen some Bertoia and Eames chairs in the anitque stores on River St in Troy, but not reliably. Maybe call around, or go window shopping!

... said Jessica R on Oct 18, 2012 at 3:44 PM | link

This is one of my biggest complaints about the area. Our furniture stores are downright HORRIBLE. The comment made about every store selling the same 5 couches is so spot-on. Your choices are basically: "Do you want to buy a cheap overstuffed couch designed in the 90's (Old Brick, Huck Finn, Taft etc) or a better-quality overstuffed couch designed in the 90's for 3x the price (Mooradians)?"

The answer to your question is no, there are zero places in the capital region that sell modern furniture. Sarah is right about Warren Street in Hudson, although the prices in most stores are outrageous because they are authentic mid-century pieces, usually in great shape. If you're looking for this style, check Craigslist for individual items and estate sales. Occasionally there are some really nice things there.

Buying from Ikea is not as bad as Mr Monkey makes it sound. Their online inventory system is extremely good, and you can even call the stores ahead of time with specific part numbers and they will give you exact inventory details before you make the trip. You can go in with a printout of all the stuff you want and one of the employees will reserve it as you walk in the door, and it will be waiting for you at the end of your multi-hour shopping spree ;) Plus, since most things are flat packed, you can fit a lot of stuff into a normal pickup truck without renting a U-Haul.

CB2 and DWR will ship, and if I remember right, their shipping prices are reasonable compared to Ikea's. The closest stores are in NYC if you want to go browse first. I bought a few things from knockoff companies in NYC (Evinco Design) that also will ship.

I would love to see a modern furniture store open in the area, or one of our local stores expand into carrying this kind of stuff. Is there really not enough demand for this kind of furniture to buy even showroom pieces? Albany just loves its La-Z-Boys.

... said Paul on Oct 18, 2012 at 4:30 PM | link

I'll second Hudson, although it will break the bank. I've always gone down to the IKEA in New Haven, with assistance from a pick up truck.

... said Ryan on Oct 18, 2012 at 4:46 PM | link

Try "Lounge" in Hudson

... said Leah on Oct 18, 2012 at 8:50 PM | link

there's a place called "Dwell" in Schuylerville, not sure if it's furniture or just furnishings. maybe give them a call?

... said spencer on Oct 19, 2012 at 8:09 AM | link

There is a store called "Green" in Saugerties, NY. Pricy, but some nice stuff, comparable to Hudson. Definitely worth checking out.

... said jt on Oct 19, 2012 at 9:10 AM | link

We have had furniture delivered by IKEA. It seems expensive in this age of "free" delivery, but if you are buying more than one or two cheap items it can still work out to be pretty economical compared with buying elsewhere or renting a truck.

... said the_exile on Oct 19, 2012 at 11:49 AM | link

The Ikea location in Paramus is not a bad drive from Albany, though they are closed on Sundays. It's not great quality furniture though, so I'm interested to check out Paul's suggestion of Evinco.

... said Gina on Oct 19, 2012 at 1:50 PM | link

This strikes me as an opportunity for a local entrepreneur - you have demand for things that aren't available within an hour's drive, it's a great vacuum for someone to fill, and not likely to be done in by a huge box store.

If I had a few hundred thousand dollars burning a hole in my bank account, I'd quit my job today and do this myself.

... said Tim on Oct 19, 2012 at 6:14 PM | link

The short answer is "no." The long answer is that the designer pieces that you see in DWR cannot be sold by just anybody.

DWR stands for "Design Within Reach" and the joke is often made, "within who's reach?!" as it ain't cheap. However, that's a misinterpretation of the name. The name really stems from the fact that these pieces used to not be available to the public; you previously had to go through an interior designer, architect, etc. to purchase these pieces. DWR changed that putting these pieces in reach of the common (1%) man. However, you'll notice, these companies still keep tight controls over their retail channels keeping these products exclusive.

I personally shop online for modern furniture (designpublic.com, hivemodern.com, yliving.com are good places to start). When I've narrowed my options down, I drive down to SOHO to check out pieces in person before finally buying online. Every modern furniture store you'd wish for can be found within a couple blocks of each other in SOHO. Parking can be a pain, but, after 10 or 20 minutes of driving around you can usually find a spot in that area.

If IKEA is your thing, I'll note that the store in Hartford, CT is about equi-distance to the store in Paramus, NJ and is often less crowded. If you are set on DWR, there is a DWR Outlet in Secaucus, NJ. They get new items every day, however, so it's hit-and-miss. I've found a couple of really good steals there though. Hudson, in my experience, is over priced and limited. Also, most of the stores in Hudson carry only antiques, not new items.

Hope this helps.

PS - There used to be a place on Wolf Road called Emazack (spelling?) but it shutdown probably 10 years ago. My guess is the demand is just not there in this area. :-(

... said Jason on Oct 21, 2012 at 10:56 PM | link

Furniture stores in Albany are truly terrible There is not a single store that carries anything modern. We've had success ordering online from Blu dot (www.bludot.com).

... said Jason on Oct 22, 2012 at 2:59 PM | link

Yes - this is by far one of the most frustrating things about living here! I have bought on-line from Crate and Barrel and Room and Board and the shipping was reasonable, and Ikea is great for accessories. I saw some nice and reasonably priced modern antiques at Patricia's Room on Jay Street in Schenectady, but if you are looking for a particular item that won't help.

... said julie on Oct 24, 2012 at 8:55 AM | link

There is a large DWR studio in Stamford. No matter where you live, or which studio you shop in, DWR ships from a central warehouse in Kentucky.

DWR also has an ebay outlet with some great deals:

http://stores.ebay.com/Design-Within-Reach-Outlet

... said John on Oct 28, 2012 at 6:36 AM | link

A new shop just opened in downtown Troy call Dang, That's Cherry! They have mostly pieces from the 1950's, but definitely have more modern designs and a couple couches. Her address is 11 3rd Street, Troy, NY 12180. I also love redesigning furniture pieces with modern designs if you're ever interested in something other than a couch. We only have a few pieces that would be considered modern, but it's definitely something we enjoy as well. You can check out our website: http://funcycled.com/furniture-portfolio/. We are in Troy as well. FunCycled :)

... said Sarah on Dec 6, 2012 at 3:31 PM | link

I am a custom furniture maker specializing in contemporary furniture. I work with wood , glass, metal corian plexiglas and colored lacquer. I have hundreds of referrals and some pretty cool designs for everything from bedroom sets to master bath vanities. If you can't come up with a design, I can. Give me a call or email me . 518 256 0255. Rick.picarazzi@yahoo.com Thanks

... said rick picarazzi on May 14, 2014 at 8:40 PM | link

Try Stickey & Audi on Wolf Road and Ethan Allen..otherwise it's hit or miss. Taft has some contemporary pieces and Macy's too. but limited selection. Raymour & Flannigan also have a decent selection.

... said mike on Jun 7, 2014 at 8:23 AM | link

Not local, but Overstock.com has a good selection of mid-century repros at very good prices with free shipping.

... said D on Jun 8, 2014 at 2:50 PM | link

Modern on the Hudson - recently opened in Troy!

http://www.modernonthehudson.com/

... said Jessica R on Jan 7, 2015 at 4:17 PM | link