“Let me begin this post by stating, for the record, that I have nothing against Ikea. They offer generally good design at very low prices, and even inspire some amazing DIY projects. But, as a name for a vintage home furnishings store, This Is Not Ikea (or TINI for short) is pretty catchy, and gives you a pretty quick read on what they’re about. In their own words: “For the same amount of money as a piece of disposable furniture from IKEA, you can own a beautiful unique piece of vintage furniture that will stand the test of time as well as the tests of design and style. When you buy something from us, not only will you love your unique piece of furniture, you won’t walk into a friend’s house and realize you have the same lamp or dresser that they have.”
I met the guy behind it all, Alexis, after replying to a craigslist ad. I went to his house to pick up some chairs he had posted, and was escorted into vintage design heaven!
This is the front room of the guy’s house, and it comprises only about one-fifth of his spectacularly curated collection. The rest is split up between his garage and several of his neighbors’ garages which he rents as storage. The store really only exists online. But, while I was there, Alexis was happy to take me to each one of his spaces and helped me browse the jam-packed rooms like a personal shopper. Currently, I’m trying to build a collection of mid-century dining chairs in a mix of white, teak, and chrome, and while I had come for this (to be recovered in white):
I ended up finding these:
And, bonus: something for the top of the table, too!
As I drove away, thinking about what a great find I’d made, my first instinct was to keep it a secret and have it all to myself … but that wouldn’t work with this one anyway. Apparently, word is spreading fast about them, and I have a feeling that their whole operation is about to explode. I just hope they don’t raise their prices! (They aren’t quite as low as Ikea’s, but much more reasonable than any other vintage shop or consignment store that I know of.)
Check them out, but beware: you will find more than you planned!”
“Let me begin this post by stating, for the record, that I have nothing against Ikea. They offer generally good design at very low prices, and even inspire some amazing DIY projects. But, as a name for a vintage home furnishings store, This Is Not Ikea (or TINI for short) is pretty catchy, and gives you a pretty quick read on what they’re about. In their own words: “For the same amount of money as a piece of disposable furniture from IKEA, you can own a beautiful unique piece of vintage furniture that will stand the test of time as well as the tests of design and style. When you buy something from us, not only will you love your unique piece of furniture, you won’t walk into a friend’s house and realize you have the same lamp or dresser that they have.”
