Whenever possible, we try re-use existing materials or turn to vintage and upcycled goods -- even for things like kitchen or bathroom remodeling projets. There are some totally jaw dropping instances where design minded home owners have turned to using vintage cabinets, dressers and credenzas as bathroom vanities for example. But that direction isn't always in the cards. For a recent master bath remodel, we opted to use an Ikea wall hung vanity unit (Godmorgon).

Long before AMC’s Mad Men exposed it to new fans, sleek midcentury modern (MCM) furniture captured the attention of the stylish and made its way into tens of thousands of homes. In fact, it’s so popular that there are entire stores dedicated to the style of furniture in DC, Baltimore/Maryland, and Virginia. So if you’re one of its fans — new or old — read on to learn about the best stores the area has to offer.

This post begins with stores that focus on midcentury modern (MCM) furniture and home decor, but also includes a few stores that sell great MCM pieces mixed with a variety of other styles. For a broader and regularly updated list of new MCM furniture pieces, keep your eyes on our Just Arrived page, which features new inventory from 50+ local stores.

The notions of “affordable” and “good quality” might be viewed as subjective, so let’s start by clarifying what we mean. ### Affordable Furniture For the purposes of this post, what we mean by “affordable” is furniture that someone with a typical rental apartment, condo or their first single-family home might want to consider. The stores we list below rarely sell anything for over $1,000, the majority of items are a few hundred dollars, and some pieces can even be had for around $100.

Our updated map shows the breadth of the vintage, antique and used furniture stores in DC, Virginia and Maryland (including Baltimore). (Updated March 14, 2017) Click on the map markers to see the name of the store, then follow the link to see some of their recent inventory. Alternatively view a text listing of the locations on our stores page.

Here’s a sampling of some of the many local news outlets and other interested parties that have helped spread the word about ATTIC. Asheford Institute of Antiques, “Unique Start-Up Concept For Vintage & Mid-Century Modern…“, July 13, 2017. New Columbia Heights, “Gift ideas from local small businesses for the holidays“, December 20, 2016. DC by Design, “Last-Minute Local Christmas Shopping“, December 16, 2016.

The District has its own sense of style, influenced by professionals that come from all over the world. DC’s style reflects metropolitan sensibilities with inspirations similar to those of other East Coast cities like New York as well as those from the West Coast like Los Angeles. That style sits alongside and more often than not is infused with traditional clothing aesthetics and classic americana.

The Washingtonian recently ran a quick round up about beautiful nightstands and the best places in DC to find them. ATTIC was first on their list! Citing ATTIC as a place to find both the “perfect” and “unusual”, ATTIC appeared alongside many well-known established national furniture retailers including Room & Board, Restoration Hardware and Jonathan Adler.

After an interview with local blogger and journalist Drew Schneider, Petworth News published a profile of ATTIC DC Co-Founder Tarek Anandan. Later that week, the Washington Post published an excerpt of the profile. The piece covered background about why Tarek And Co-Founder Francisco Serrano started ATTIC and the launch of ATTIC Fashion. The piece also provided nice coverage about several local stores on ATTIC including Mom n Pop Antiques of Parkview, DC Treasure / Gumbo Lounge and Bentley’s Vintage Furnishings.

Six months ago we launched ATTIC as a way of highlighting small, local, independent furniture stores and dealers. We did it to make shopping with them easier and to help them thrive in a city that is rapidly changing and undergoing tremendous development. We’re proud of what we accomplished with ATTIC. It has led to tens of thousands of dollars of confirmed sales at stores throughout the DMV and helped raise the profile of vintage furniture as a wonderful home furnishing option.

The story behind how and why ATTIC was started, what it offers to shoppers and what it brings to local vintage stores was featured in last week’s Local Living section of the Washington Post. The article ran shortly after the ATTIC Launch Party, where reporter Jura Koncius caught up with store owners, ATTIC’s co-founders and others that came out to support the new website. The article also ran online in the Post’s Lifestyle / Home and Garden section.

ATTIC’s launch party was held on June 4, 2015 at Miss Pixie’s in Washington, DC. Attendees included owners and staff from many of the area’s used and vintage furniture stores, as well as professionals from the real estate, interior decorating, design and fashion industries. Journalists and bloggers were also joined by a total of approximately 150 other supporters. ATTIC would like to thank the fourteen stores that contributed door prizes for the event.

Washington, DC May 26, 2015 — A launch party will be held at Miss Pixie’s on June 4, 2015 from 6 to 9PM to celebrate local, independent businesses and ATTIC, a new DC-born website that seeks to facilitate shopping at the area’s furniture stores.

Let’s party! We’re pleased to announce that an ATTIC launch party will be held at the wonderful Miss Pixie’s (14th Street / Logan Circle) on June 4th from 6 to 9 PM. Door prizes from stores listed on ATTIC, live music, wine tastings from Cork, and more will all make for a great time. Stop by and invite a friend.

Just weeks after ATTIC’s initial soft launch, we’ve confirmed our first sales connection. The lucky shopper, Yvette Crocker of DC, spotted this vintage birdcage on ATTIC, a Featured Item from Mom N Pop Antiques on Georgia Avenue in Petworth. Excited with her purchase, she notified us at ATTIC. She reported that she purchased a large mirror during her visit to the store as well.

The Internet’s next viral sensation is anyone’s guess. We’re nonetheless happy that with next to zero presence on Google (yet) and only minimal marketing amongst our friends, we managed to reach 2,000 views in the first two weeks of our soft launch. It’s a small, but very encouraging start.

We’re now posting #inspiration pics on our Instagram feed. These photos feature vintage and antique furnishings from ATTIC stores, ATTIC users and from a variety of cool spots around the DC, MD, and VA area. Follow us for some vintage furniture #inspiration.

The ATTIC experiment begins today. We’re hoping to make an impact on the furniture shopping habits of DC, by making local, independent and vintage the first and best option.