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In the apartment of our dreams, there are rooms filled with velvet-upholstered club chairs, Hesterberg Propeller tables and gently used zebra rugs. And everything costs, like, $50 or less. Back here in reality, it takes serious moolah to furnish a place with age-old brand names. Still, this shop is packed with retro-repro finery and inspirational ideas for the midcentury modern palate. Highlights include a swan-shaped brass magazine stand ($850), unique handblown glass table lamp ($950) and Mongolian pillows ($200 each). 262 Elizabeth St between E Houston and Prince Sts (212-219-9903, areaid.com)
Bergen Office Furniture
It may sound Staples-dowdy, but this 30,000-square-foot Chelsea showroom is stocked with hundreds of cool ex-office pieces (vintage desks, tables, storage units, etc.)—all refurbished and sold at a fraction of their retail price. On our wish list: green medical cabinets ($750 each), stripped-steel tanker desks ($950) and cherrywood U-shaped desks ($995). 127 W 26th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-366-6677, bergenofficefurniture.com)
Brownstone Treasures and Yesterday's News
These near-identical shops sit within ten blocks of one another. Why? "You try selling furniture out of 600 square feet!" says owner J.P. Ferraioli, whose family-run business welcomes new inventory seven days a week. That steady flow means there are always bargains to be had—like a Heywood-Wakefield vanity and stool for $350, dressers for $100--$300 and desks for under $100. "My philosophy is to sell quantity as fast as possible," says Ferraioli. "And it definitely goes out as fast as I bring it in." 220 Court St at Warren St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-237-1838, brownstonetreasures.com) * 428 Court St at 2nd Pl, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (917-375-1631)
Center44 Antiques and Modern Marketplace
This 25,000-square-foot market showcases new and used furniture from 75 international dealers. The prices are pretty steep, but there are a few (relative) deals to be had—like a Sputnik chrome-ball chandelier for $3,200, a 1960s Swedish bow-tie desk for $3,800 and a wooden table with a marble top for $950. 222 E 44th St between Second and Third Aves, second floor (212-450-7988, center44.com)
Furnish Green
Redecorate your apartment while helping the environment at this eco-friendly shop, which specializes in making secondhand items feel so fresh and so clean. Hot picks include a Deco-period end table ($83), a wicker-and-metal wine rack ($86) and a faded teal coatrack ($71). And don't forget to check out its reverse auctions online: Furnish Green spotlights a piece of furniture and reduces the cost (up to $50 off) until it sells. 1261 Broadway between 31st and 32nd Sts (917-583-9051, furnishgreen.com)
Furniture Market
If you feel a sense of dj vu when you step inside this showroom, that's because you've probably seen the pieces before—on Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Rescue Me or Ugly Betty. Furniture Market has been selling and loaning items to films and TV sets for 15 years. "People come in here and spend six hours easily going through everything," says manager Pedro Gonzales. And it's no wonder why, with prices like these (an Emerson piano for $600, desks for as little as $20, etc.). 22-08 Astoria Blvd at 22nd St, Astoria, Queens (718-545-3935)
Regeneration Furniture
Featuring a mix of midcentury pieces from American and Danish designers, as well as more contemporary furnishings, this 16-year-old, two-story shop specializes in rare and unusual objects. Nothing too crazy, though—"I never buy anything I wouldn't want in my own home," says owner Chris Miele. Current steals include a 1960s rocking horse ($1,200), a 1970s George Nelson swag-leg side table with aluminum base and white laminate top ($650) and a bamboo-shaped brass side table with a glass top ($1,800). 38 Renwick St at Spring St (212-741-2102, regenerationfurniture.com)
RePop
Ninety-five percent of RePop's stock is recycled, and includes everything from midcentury stacking tables (a set of three for $95—$200) to a 1950s surgical lamp on wheels ($950). Like your crazy-awesome aunt's house, this gold mine is chaotically packed—be prepared to sift through clutter to find anything. 68 Washington Ave between Flushing and Park Aves, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-260-8032, repopny.com)
Ugly Luggage
This teensy shop brims with old-fashioned charm, thanks to tristate scout and owner Jim Lanning. The prices are fab too: Industrial metal chairs are priced to move at $100 apiece, and they'd go quite well (if not bizarrely) with a $400 Italian lacquered dining table. 214 Bedford Ave between North 5th and 6th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-0724)
White Trash
Midcentury first-aid kits, oddball vases and other quirky items abound at this East Village shop. Recent faves include a 20-inch-high Task lamp from the '70s ($145) and a Salterini Ribbon chair for $100—less than half the price at most other high-end furniture shops. 304 E 5th St between First and Second Aves (212-598-5956, whitetrashnyc.com)