Furniture for some is just a commodity, a necessary part of life but for Kate Hull and Adrian Popa of the recently opened Seattle Consignment at 2501 Harbor Ave SW it's a passion.

The pair are owners of the store located in the former Seaway Marine building and they've stocked the nearly 10,000 square feet of space with a constantly changing array of furnishings and accessories as an adjunct to their other business Seattle Staging Company which last year did the furniture staging for more than 350 homes for sale in the Seattle area.

That connection, between staging homes for sale and a retail outlet, provides the synergy for what they see as stores elsewhere, first on the eastside and later in cities like Portand and San Francisco.

Hull comes from an interior design background and is from West Seattle. "I've always had a passion for helping people get their homes looking great and stylish." She said she saw the huge demand for how a staged home helps it sell a lot faster and helped her aunt and uncle get their home sold which launched her on this path.

"We started this business to have a little fun but it just started snowballing. We started off with zero money in 2010," said Popa, " And zero inventory right in the middle of the recession." After a shaky first year during which they literally rented furniture to use in staging, they took their meager profits and began buying furniture wholesale. Popa, whose family has a series of automotive related businesses, brought his experience to bear and in combination with Hull's interior design skills the business grew.

The opening of a retail outlet is sort of a natural progression since they found themselves with so many pieces always in transition. But that means the pieces they get don't stick around long. Typically pieces on the floor might be gone within 30 days or less.

Adding the consignment aspect to the business means they can add to the mix of what's on the floor and provide a service to the community in the bargain. To get something sold through them Hull said, "They need to email us some photos with as much info about the piece, like where they purchased it or what they paid or the history of it, as possible. They need to tell us what they'd like to get for it." The company splits the sale 50/50 since they take on the task of showcasing, marketing and advertising it. After 30 days the price drops by 10%. "We do it by a 90 day block," said Popa, "and every 30 days it drops by another 10%. Items unsold after that are returned to the owner.

The prices for items in the store are sometimes almost shockingly low (though certain items carry a high value price tag too). "When we buy items we pay wholesale for them," explained Popa, And we use it for staging for a certain period of time like six to eight months then put it up for sale. Because we bought it at wholesale we can sell it basically at the same price or maybe just a little markup."

That might mean they not only buy but will sell low quality furniture (such as something you might assemble from a box) but that's not the case. "When I first started learning about furniture I would flip over a sofa and look at the construction and see something like a piece from Restoration Hardware and see they were getting $4000 for it. You might think they would have supreme quality product but it's not true." To keep their costs down they do have pieces made overseas but also have higher value items, priced accordingly, in the mix. When they have a multi million dollar home they must have the appropriate furniture. "We have pieces that are for the starter home for example a dinette with four chairs for $99," said Hull.

Beyond furniture they also sell paintings, vases, and accent pieces but surprisingly you won't find many bedroom pieces like dressers. Some do come through the store but it's not common. "We do have a lot of beds (not mattresses) but we have not pulled them out yet," said Popa. The store is furniture focused so clothing is not in their inventory.

The company is working with local artisans who make either furniture or art or accent pieces they'd like to sell and they'd like to expand that part of the business.

Hull gets her inspiration, not from design shows that seem to dominate certain TV channels (she doesn't have time to watch) but from design magazines. It shows in the artful way the furniture is grouped on the floor often changing so fast new pieces must be blended in quickly. Her skills as an interior designer can be called on too in two ways. First as a quick and free service, using furniture pieces in stock she can recommend what will work best for a room or home and second as a design consultant where she can discuss paint, fabrics, carpets, and furnishings for an hourly fee.

The company does most of its marketing for the staging company online, largely through Instagram where 6500 followers see their acquisitions frequently. But also through Facebook where they are developing an audience and through their website
http://www.seattlestagingco.com which is in the process of being made "More sophisticated" to let them tie it directly into inventory controls.

"We go furniture shopping almost every day," said Popa, "So it's like a constant hunt for treasures." That means that for those who like both bargains and quality furniture at a great price, Seattle Consignment is a constantly changing treasure trove too.

You can reach the company via email at contact@seattleconsignment.com or call them at (206) 395-7565 and the store is open seven days a week 10 am to 7pm.