Vintage Finds
Retro furniture goes contemporary at SoHo Retro.
By Brannon S. Dawkins
After 36 years in banking, Steve Thomas decided it was time for a career change. In April, he opened the business of his dreams, a furniture and home accessory store called SoHo Retro, featuring mid-century modern pieces. He prepared inventory for the store for six months before he officially opened on 18th Street in Homewood. Thomas recently gave us a closer look at his store.
Why Homewood?
Homewood is just beginning to reach its true potential, Thomas says.
"Over the next several years, Homewood will really blossom as a destination
for retail shopping. That's partially because of the SoHo district."
The garage doors in the front of SoHo Retro create a welcoming, outdoor shopping feel, a quality Thomas says has lured people into the shop. "We opened without any advertising and without a customer list. We just opened.
"We're also on a really busy street at a busy intersection. This place looks like an open market. Sometimes it's hilarious watching people ride by, notice the store and then speed back around the block to park and come in."
A love for mid-century modern
Thomas has always been interested in antiques. "But I've most recently
come to really like the mid-century modern look," he says. "I felt
like Birmingham was lacking in a store that is mid-century modern."
That style highlights the mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture and urban development. Supplying shoppers with access to mid-century modern furniture items became the store's focus. "Everything else we do is something that blends well with that style," he says.
Before he opened the store, Thomas scoured estate sales and auctions for pieces he liked and he worked with pickers. A picker is someone who spends time shopping for items that dealers are looking for. "And I have a network of other dealers who know what I'm looking for."
What you will find
Thomas says the store tends to attract people
in their 30s and 40s. "So many people
come in and talk about how they remember
this or that from their grandparents'
home." And they're not just talking about the
furniture. Thomas also carries accessories,
such as lamps, decanters, trays, glasses and
vintage linens from that era. "These are linens
my parents used, but the people coming in
here remember them from their grandparents'
tables."
"Recently someone told me that this place just makes them smile," he says. "What a great compliment. They come in here and see little things that remind them of their past, but they see it in a different light."
Most of the furniture in the store is vintage furniture that has been reupholstered, Thomas says. "People love the clean, straight lines of the pieces," he says. "Contemporary furniture is popular today and these things work well with new contemporary furnishings. It's also all about the blending of vintage accessories with new stuff."
