BizHawk: Santa Barbara Consignment Store Reborn With New Ownership
"Lamps from the south of France, chairs from Rome and zebra skin from Africa are just some of the eclectic items you'll find at The Art of Consignment, 617 East Gutierrez St., in Santa Barbara.
Under new ownership since April, the consignment store is decorated with high-end couches, chairs, tables, lamps, art and dozens of other items.
“You can't get this from Ikea,” said Amy Maloney, whose mom Judy Smith, purchased the store. Maloney has primarily worked as a home stager for Sotheby's. Prior to her mother owning the store, she would visit the previous business looking for unique and interesting items to use in her work.
The family decided to buy the shop when Smith was moving from her 4,000-square-foot house to a 900-square-feet space at Casa Dorinda. Rather than sell her expensive furniture items for a few hundred dollars, the family decided to buy the business and sell some of the items at the store. It's how they get many of their items for The Art of Consignment; as people downsize or move, they look for a place to shift their items.
“There's definitely a need for this business,” said employee Jane Woodhead. If you walk into the store, you are likely to get greeted warmly by Amy, Jane, and possibly Ted Munoz, a consigner who spends a lot of time at the store, and specializes in finding mid-century items. They will serve coffee and candy and strive to make the store feel like a living room — just people having a relaxed conversation." - By Joshua Molina, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @JECMolina
