My Go-To Vintage Stores in New York for Home Goods

Updated 9 June 2020.

When I began sourcing used home goods, it wasn’t influenced by the rise of vintage goods or trendy brick and mortars opening up shop in Brooklyn, but because I simply couldn’t afford to buy the things that I wanted new, and was set on living on an IKEA budget with Restoration Hardware taste, and I didn’t want to settle only to replace later on. I was always inspired by my mom’s homes growing up and her way of simply collecting things that she loved without following trends, never shopping for everything in one go, and never collecting everything from the same place. After moving in with Christian and knowing that I would be in New York -- Brooklyn specifically -- for the foreseeable future (forever if I have it my way…), I decided that beginning my collection of things I love could start now. Over the course of a few years, I have frequented the places listed below for everything from sparking inspiration to finding the perfect credenza for our great room.

Vintage shopping takes patience and an eye for finding the treasures that will grow with you from home to home, but when you get into the groove of it, it can be addicting. While there’s no one trick to being a good thrifter, I recommend sourcing inspiration before setting out on a mission to finding vintage pieces. Knowing what you’re looking for can save you so much time and energy in your vintage quest, unless - of course - you’re just heading out with the goal of being inspired. I put this list together based on my favorite destinations for vintage home shopping, and will continue to update over time as I discover new gems in the New York area.

Craigslist

Since college, I have always loved the treasures found on Craigslist. You can search by brand name, piece of furniture, or just scour the furniture pages, and the best part is that almost ALWAYS the prices are negotiable. My trick for negotiating down is to let them know what your budget is or the highest price you’ll pay for that item is, and let them know that you can get it off their hands ASAP. I recommend searching within a specific distance from your zip code especially if you don’t have a car, and asking the seller if it can fit into an Uber XL so that you don’t have to rent a moving truck. Also, there is always an influx of items near the end of the month as people are preparing to move around the 1st of each month.

Our credenza was love at first sight at John’s Living Room’s booth at Brooklyn Flea last summer

HUMBLE HOUSE BROOKLYN

I recently stumbled upon this gem when I was on the hunt for a beautiful vintage marble coffee table. I found a kidney shaped table on Craigslist and when I clicked on the listing, Humble House’s Instagram was linked. The kidney-shaped table sold before we got our hands on it, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we found our beautiful new travertine table that transformed our living room from them. The shop is in Boerum Hill, but while the lockdown is still in effect, make sure you follow them on Instagram and DM them right away when you see something you have your eye on! They are accepting private appointments have a treasure box of vintage furniture.

Dobbin Street Co-Op

Dobbin Street checks all the boxes of a great Brooklyn vintage home store. They have three locations, and I always feel inspired by the settings that they curate in each of the stores made up of mid-century pieces that last forever. It’s a great beginner’s store if you are new to thrifting for homewares, and they have everything from disco balls to vintage posters to mid-century sideboards and sofas. They are priced extremely fairly and are great with sourcing specific pieces if you DM them!

Mother of Junk

Always dreamy merchandising at The Break in Greenpoint, BK

Mother of Junk has a special place in my heart since going in there not too long ago with one of my best friends and falling in love with digging through their glassware. True to the name, this is definitely more of a junkyard than a curated vintage store, but that means that there are always hidden gems if you have the time to dig! While it is in the heart of Williamsburg on Driggs between 6th and 7th, their treasures are cheap. My recent favorite find was a $10 cane chair sitting outside of the store.

John’s Living Room @ Brooklyn Flea

John has made quite a name for himself in the Brooklyn vintage home game, and for a good reason. I, like many others, discovered John’s Living Room at Brooklyn Flea last summer when strolling through with no intentions to buy anything...until Christian and I came across the most beautiful mid-century dresser to use as our credenza in our great room. We immediately fell in love and couldn’t resist it, and were charmed by John as he was puffing a joint while entering his venmo name on my phone. John collects pieces from all over the tri-state area and can always be found at Brooklyn Flea with a new collection of pieces each week. He also shares his pieces on Instagram daily, so I highly recommend following him and reaching out when something catches your eye!

The Break

While I wouldn’t consider The Break to be a home goods resource, it is the perfect stop while in Greenpoint for things like glasses, serveware, and...lest I mention shoes! The first rule of vintage shopping is being able to see things with a new eye - one of my favorite pieces of decor in my apartment is a pair of shoes that looks better on a shelf than worn as an ingredient to an outfit recipe. And besides shoes for decor, the curation of clothes that The Break has is so well done, you’ll find yourself trying on piece after piece. But anyway, back to the home goods….

The mirror wall at Feng Sway in Greenpoint, BK

Dyphor New York

A more luxury option for furnishing your home, Dyphor’s collection of vintage and custom furniture is not to be glossed over. Between their dreamy sofas, vintage car-inspired cognac chairs, and burl wood dressers, I felt like I died and went to heaven my first time entering this store on the northern end of Bedford. Higher-end stores like Dyphor are great places to start in your vintage home quest, in my opinion, because they set a standard for what you’re looking for if you go into the journey unsure and open-minded. Example: I LOVE this cane sideboard and NEED it for my entryway. Oh sh*t it’s $3000! Now that I know what I love, let me scour the other stores to see what else is out there for a 10th of the price ;)

Feng Sway

Whether we’re friends online or friends of many years, you probably know that disco balls and plants make my world go round. So when I stepped into Feng Sway, around the corner from (the original) Dobbin Street and The Break, I felt like I died and woke up in my dream tea room/library that I have long dreamed of for my future “forever home”. While their selection is limited, it is not short of great finds, like disco balls of every size, Roman sculptures and busts that double as planters, and crystals upon crystals to get your vibe just right.