Showroom at the Home Consignment Center in Corte Madera. (Photo by Stuart Lirette)
Consignment
By Design
"Used" is the new "Green"
by pj bremier
images by nikki ritcher
W
hen Johnny Crowell stepped outside his
newly opened Home Consignment Center in
hand furnishings has gone mainstream.
And, the popularity of the Home Consignment Center proves it.
Newport Beach a few years ago, he found
Since Crowell and his three partners founded their flagship store
his rental car surrounded by a Rolls Royce, a
in Danville 19 years ago, the chain has launched 15 other stores
Porsche and Bentley sedan.
A short time later, when the Bentley sedan was replaced by a
Bentley convertible, he knew he had found the right location for
throughout California (including one in Corte Madera), one each
in Las Vegas and another in Austin, and a few stores in the pipeline. All told, they bring in $45 million in annual sales.
his upscale consignment store.
"I had a million dollars worth of cars around me and no one
was afraid to be seen shopping there. They were proud!"
That's the power of home furnishings consignment shop-
It's all about the "green"
Why the shift in acceptance of consignment shopping? Times
have changed, Crowell insists. "The country is moving in a new
ping. Whether it's about finding the perfect piece that doesn't
direction and we're trying to reuse things and not waste so much."
tax the wallet or doesn't tax the environment, buying second-
Personally, we like to change, too, he says. "My dad wore the
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