The service at this store is fantastic. I've gotten floor deals on new furniture. I've picked up replacement couch legs for free. And the wonderful Dave made a quick house call (free of course) to... More

The service at this store is fantastic. I've gotten floor deals on new furniture. I've picked up replacement couch legs for free. And the wonderful Dave made a quick house call (free of course) to fix the buttons on my couch. They really take care of their customers.
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I love Area 51 for the fab showroom, fun/knowledgable/stylish staff, and reasonable prices. Sure, the parking might be easier at Ikea but the schlep to Auburn makes you feel like you HAVE to make a... More

I love Area 51 for the fab showroom, fun/knowledgable/stylish staff, and reasonable prices. Sure, the parking might be easier at Ikea but the schlep to Auburn makes you feel like you HAVE to make a purchase - and can't return it (unless of course you live in Renton, Tukwila or around there). But the BEST thing about Area 51 is their generous return policy. After visiting with a couple sales clerks (love 'em almost as much as the Dwell Baby stuff), I casually mentioned that my kids jumped on our couch we purchased there three years ago and we had to jimmyrig it a bit underneath. They said, "Oh, we'll just replace it for you." And guess what?! They DID - that week!!! Holy smokes. For all those Atomic Ranchers out there - this is your home.
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Located in Capitol Hill. Very interesting selection of furniture and accessories, all seem to be from the mid 60’s through mid 80’s. Items are rather overpriced; especially considering 90% of the... More

Located in Capitol Hill. Very interesting selection of furniture and accessories, all seem to be from the mid 60’s through mid 80’s. Items are rather overpriced; especially considering 90% of the population grew up with this furniture in their basement-slash-rec-room. But your mom threw it out. Some other kid’s mom was more forward thinking and kept the harvest-gold wool couch in plastic, knowing that in 30 years, people would forget that harvest gold went out of style for a reason, and would pay $6,000 for a couch that JC Penny sold in 1972 for $79.99. Oh well. Get your retro on and make your hip Belltown Pad look the way your garage did when you were in 2nd grade.
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With modern furniture design at an affordable price and a hip location to boot, Area 51 has found its niche. Its market consists of those who have moved on from IKEA and want products that are a... More

With modern furniture design at an affordable price and a hip location to boot, Area 51 has found its niche. Its market consists of those who have moved on from IKEA and want products that are a little more distinctive, but who aren't willing to pay high-end prices. One can find new and used products here, ranging from Dwell bedding to the occasional Eero Aarnio Ball Chair as well as modern sofas, tables and rugs. However, where Area 51 provides in product selection, it takes away in service. This change has happened recently because when it first opened, the service was outstanding. Two years ago, I purchased a chair from this store and got a great deal on it, as the owner knocked the price down significantly because the product had a negligible defect. Naturally, this kind of situation promotes repeat business. Yet, subsequent trips to Area 51 have proved its service completely inadequate. Last time I visited the store, which was about a month ago, I was looking for a specific type of bookcase. The employee was extremely unhelpful and would not even come up with alternative ideas on where I could find something similar; he just said, "We don't carry anything like that", and turned around. That's deplorable and it's why I'll be taking my business elsewhere. Unfortunately, the lack of options in this market make Area 51 just about the only place to go for affordable, non-mass produced design in Seattle. If anyone wants a money making idea, open a store similar to Area 51 and provide better service, which isn't hard to do.
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Area 51 has some great reproduction mid-century modern furniture. There are also so great original pieces in there from time to time. Although a lot of the furniture looks great, the quality of... More

Area 51 has some great reproduction mid-century modern furniture. There are also so great original pieces in there from time to time. Although a lot of the furniture looks great, the quality of some is so-so. If it is really cheap and seems to good to be true, it probably is and won't last. If you shop around, you can definitely find some good pieces to round out your apt/house, though. They are one of the few people to carry Dwell bedding, which has neat modern prints.
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With a combination of hip modern furnishings including platform beds and minimalist couches, Dwell Bedding, and vintage stereo components, Area 51 has everything you need to outfit your pad.... More

With a combination of hip modern furnishings including platform beds and minimalist couches, Dwell Bedding, and vintage stereo components, Area 51 has everything you need to outfit your pad. Plus it's just a fun place to shop, you will always see something in the window that begs you to come in and take a look around.
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Into high-end denim? Need to feel 25 again? Looking to outfit a bachelor pad with retro furniture? This boutique in the Pike/Pine retail corridor is your next destination. These guys have been a... More

Into high-end denim? Need to feel 25 again? Looking to outfit a bachelor pad with retro furniture? This boutique in the Pike/Pine retail corridor is your next destination. These guys have been a great source of everything from 70's style Scandie beds to open collar fitted shirts. Be sure and check out the micro-art shows in the back, too.
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Do you have the urge to decorate your bachelor pad with fake grass, sixties-era furniture, and medical carts? Well, come on down! Seriously, this place has some cool stuff, built locally, I think,... More

Do you have the urge to decorate your bachelor pad with fake grass, sixties-era furniture, and medical carts? Well, come on down! Seriously, this place has some cool stuff, built locally, I think, but some of it is just old. It’s expensive, too—bring your checkbook. The bottom line is that you won’t find this stuff in many other places, nor all of it in one place at once.
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There are so many cool items in this place, I don't even know where to begin. Fortunately for me, I have learned some restraint or I would have to have two home to hold all of my purchases. The... More

There are so many cool items in this place, I don't even know where to begin. Fortunately for me, I have learned some restraint or I would have to have two home to hold all of my purchases. The furniture is very minimalist and streamlined, which appeals to my inner anal-retentiveness. One other thing that appeals to me is how the space is very light. So many of the shops on Capitol Hill are dark and cramped, but this shop feels very spacious and gets plenty of light.
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Area 51 has a very large showroom of modern furniture. I would say that the furniture selection most resembles items that you find in the West Elm catalog. The furniture ranges from solid wood to... More

Area 51 has a very large showroom of modern furniture. I would say that the furniture selection most resembles items that you find in the West Elm catalog. The furniture ranges from solid wood to wood with laminate. Although they have a limited selection of bedroom furniture, I did find a bed that I liked there. It was made of sustainably harvested solid mahogany and cost $799 for a queen. I did not inquire about shipping but I do believe it is available.
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