Photos by Ryan Lely
Every cloud may not have a silver lining, but at least one does. The combination of environmental awareness and shaky financial times has meant a boom in the consignment store sector. Recycling possessions is preferable to throwing them away, not to mention more lucrative. On the flip side are folks who, rather than pay full retail prices, prefer scouting for bargains in furnishings, home accessories, clothing and more at consignment shops. In the Sonoma Valley, the owners of six such businesses have joined forces to create a detailed map card to draw attention to their shops, all of which are located along Highway 12 between downtown Sonoma and Kenwood.
From south to north, the so-called “Consignment Corridor” starts near the Sonoma Plaza.
Sisters
Chris Johnson loved the small-town ambience of Sonoma when she moved here from San Francisco in 1999, but was disappointed to find so few consignment stores, her favorite type of retailer. After taking early retirement from her job as a business planner for Levi Strauss & Co., she opened Sisters in March of 2007. She stocked it with a seasonal selection of clothing at reasonable prices, especially skirts, pants, tops, sweaters and accessories, as well as evening wear.
“Over the past two years, I’ve learned what my customers want to buy,” Johnson said. It turned out that they definitely didn’t want to buy business suits, for example, so she no longer stocks them. She is still tweaking the mix, adding jewelry from local designers; she is especially keen on pieces made from recycled materials.
120 W. Napa St., Sonoma; 707.933.8422.
Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and Monday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Sandbox
Gently worn clothing for girls and boys (to age 12) – plus some new baby gear such as strollers, car seats and booster seats – are the stock in trade at this Sonoma Marketplace shop. Liz Bahrenburg bought the Sandbox in July after spending nine years as a stay-at-home mom, before which she worked in the toy industry. In addition to used clothing for infants, children and mothers-to-be, the Sandbox also carries new items in the same categories.
201 W. Napa St., Suite 8, Sonoma; 707.938.2699. Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Vignette
A few blocks to the west, Naghmeh Alikhani owns and operates Vignette, a furniture consignment store. Alikhani honed her innate sense of feng shui at the California College of Arts & Crafts, where she earned a degree in environmental design and architecture. She says she has not intentionally grouped tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, rugs and other accent pieces according to themes, but the 10 rooms flow smoothly from one to another as if the bungalow were an actual home. Proximity to the Sonoma Market, Safeway, Wells Fargo and more recently, the Valley Wine Shack helps attract the local residents. And while they are shopping, they can ask about Alikhani’s interior design and consulting services.
565 W. Napa St., Sonoma; 707.933.9345;
www.Vignettesonoma.com
Open 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
Rooster’s Nest
Although Rooster’s Nest also carries some furnishings, the store specializes in fairly high-end (but not necessarily expensive) antiques and collectables. The typical chair here, for instance, is apt to be done in needlepoint. Asian boxes, Turkish rugs, European paintings and a mix of textiles provide layers of visual interest; pieces date from the 1850s to 2008. Francis Felix, who had been teaching porcelain restoration and conservation in Mill Valley until moving to Sonoma about three years ago, opened the business last July with her daughter, Shelly Kershner, who is studying for her certification as a personal property appraiser.
What distinguishes the shop is that almost everything in it has an “architectural feeling,” said Felix, who has begun making and selling her own jewelry.
Rooster’s customer base has grown rapidly; at this point, it is working with 103 consignors.
740 W. Napa St., Sonoma; 707.935.6400.
Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday
and 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday.
Plain Jane’s
A lot of people who drop into this consignment store are not looking for anything in particular; they just like to see what new goodies have arrived since their last visit. And there’s always something.
Janie Raymond, a veteran garage sale shopper, found the perfect if slightly ironic setting to open her own store: an old auto repair garage, built in the 1940s, with soaring ceilings and huge windows that allow plentiful natural light. Since founding Plain Jane’s in 1996, Raymond has developed an excellent eye and can make an instant decision as to whether a particular item will fit into the eclectic mix, which ranges from love seats to rugs, framed paintings to table-top collectibles.
18495 Hwy. 12, Boyes Hot Springs; 707.939.7875; www.plainjanesconsignmentstore.com.
Open 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Vita Bella! and Vita Bella’s Armoire
Early last year, Janis Jennings Snyder opened two consignment stores in the Kenwood Village Shopping Center. It was a natural progression in a career that had included design work, mural painting and staging homes for sale – which had provided her with the initial inventory to supply Vita Bella. She took over a space formerly occupied by a video store, and in the process discovered two wonderful wooden beams that had been obscured by a loft. The rafters set a rustic tone that fits the antique furnishings such as settees, unusual mirrors and collectibles she sells. “I look for things that have a European feel to them,” Snyder said, especially French and Italian.
A couple of weeks ago, Snyder renamed the second store Vita Bella’s Armoire to focus on clothing and accessories such as pashmina scarves. She designed the space on “the European model,” with chic, comfy seating where women can sit, chat and perhaps sip tea or wine while shopping. Both shops carry aromatic lotions, soaps and candles.
8910 Hwy. 12, Kenwood; 707.833.1233.
Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
How consignment works
Different from thrift shops, a few of these stores also buy new merchandise to add to the mix, which often evolves over time. It’s a good idea to call before taking anything in for consignment. All the shops require submissions to be in good condition and offer consignors either 40 or 50 percent. Prospective consignors review each shop’s written guidelines before making a commitment.
