Avery Lane: Home Decor To Meet Your Vintage, Contemporary Needs

Avery Lane’s one-of-a-kind, quality designer pieces and consignment furniture are attracting high-end buyers and designers alike

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If the finer things in your life have price tags with names such as Kreiss, Drexel Heritage, Clive Christiansen and Ethan Allen, then Avery Lane may just become your go-to shop for not only custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, high-end furniture, but also interior design inspiration.

With its grand opening held March 2012, this consignment shop showcases and sells only high-quality furniture, which Darlene Richert, owner of Avery Lane, says sets it apart from other consignment stores, according to what customers have told her.

“I think the distinguishing factor is that we concentrate on just finer furnishings … very high-end furniture,” Richert adds. In fact, she turns away 75 to 80 percent of the furniture offered to her on consignment by antique dealers.

From English antiques and reupholstered French chairs to whimsical vases and refurbished furniture,  including those repainted Lindy Crain, who uses only Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Avery Lane mixes and matches these vintage items with more contemporary pieces to create eclectic vignettes ― another reason clients frequent the store, she adds.

“It’s more of a European way of designing,” Richert says. “If you look through European design books, they have designs where something doesn’t quite fit, but somehow it all works together.”

But it isn’t just Richert designing these rooms-within-the-room. She’s joining forces with both established and promising interior designers. For instance, in the few months Avery Lane has been open to the public, Richert has welcomed two interns from Mesa Community College to work with her in the showroom.

“Every day we have to redecorate with what we’re given,” Richert says. “So it can be quite the challenge.” The interns walked away with before-and-after photos, real world experience and a portfolio.

And on May 10th, Richert hosted the first-ever Consign Star Showcase, a spinoff of the HGTV show “Design Star.” During this event, two American Society of Interior Designers, Mary Meinz and Liz Hepper, transformed a room within Avery Lane in less than one hour using only furnishings and accessories found in the showroom. Guests were given an interactive experience; the designers asked guests to find pieces and items within the store to include in the room. Meinz and Hepper then gave them tips as to what did and didn’t work.

“One of the things I like to do is create experiential marketing, giving reasons for people to come into the store,” says Richter, who once worked as a luxury realtor and as Vice President of sales and marketing for Lyle Anderson Company.

Aside from the Consign Star event, which will be held once a month, Richert also plans to hold seminars twice a month as well as the upcoming Wine for Humanity tasting event, where guests will sample affordable wines from around the world, poured by Sommelier Lee Blakely. The event will be held on Friday, June 22nd, and all wine sales will benefit Childhelp.

And it isn’t just the event guests and customers who will be coming and going ― the items on the showroom floor will be, too. This includes everything from furniture to jewelry; these items don’t last long.

“If you come into Avery Lane looking for a piece of furniture,” Richert says, “you might end up leaving with jewelry, a purse or even a necklace!”

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A few items we particularly liked:

Lindy Crain’s Blue Buffet	Sunshine Yellow Welsh Cupboard (Staff favorite)	Palacek Occasion Chairs
“Southwest meets Europe” Kreiss Dining Set	Byzantine Bookshelf, graced with four angelic ladies	Late 1880’s Swedish Pink Toile Upholstered Sofa

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