No search for MCM furniture in Washington DC is complete without a stop at Good Eye, a vintage store that has been operating in Friendship Heights for over a decade. A small store packed floor to ceiling with magnificent finds, Good Eye is a labor of love for proprietor Steve Cheek...
The clientele is a mix of experienced collectors and passersby - the day we dropped in, fellow shoppers ranged from a television producer on the hunt for vintage appliances and accessories to an older woman engaging in a bit of nostalgia over a chair just like one she had once owned...
The store originally opened in 1997 under the ownership of local designer and MCM collector Travis Smith. Current owner Steve Cheek began shopping at Good Eye when furnishing his Adams Morgan apartment; he eventually moved from customer to supplier to owner of this MCM gem.
Though the store is small, the high ceilings and skylight on the main floor help keep it from feeling cluttered, and the merchandise is arranged in pleasing vignettes that certainly drew us in.
More merchandise can be found downstairs in the basement; we fell in love with a white lacquered wood sofa with orange cushions hiding underneath some boxes (and therefore not pictured here) and the wonderful 8-ball lamp.
Steve has the heart and soul of a true collector; though the store will maintain a wishlist if you’re searching for a particular item, many customers drop in every Thursday to cherry pick new through the new inventory.
Steve recommends buying what you love and what you want to live with rather than pedigree buying; his own collection "has its fair share of just cool stuff" he has never been able to identify. Steve himself prefers designers who worked with natural materials; Vladimir Kagan and Gio Ponti are two particular favorites.
Fallen in love with a particular piece you see pictured on the web? Never fear- contact the store and it can be yours. Good Eye will arrange to ship anywhere in the US- contact the store directly for more information on shipping rates. You can also purchase Good Eye merchandise through eBay if you can stand the uncertainty of the auction process.
- Colleen Quinn
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Comments (11)
I love this store- such a great resource! I think AT DC is off to a great start.
I can just smell the outrageous prices. Sweet place though!
i think this might be the "white lacquered wood sofa with orange cushions hiding underneath some boxes" you found:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelmoon/2569051842/
i bought it from good eye, and it was delivered the other day!
Drooling here. I could spend hours in there. My thoughts exactly volvoguy. I probably couldn't afford it either.
I just bought a desk identical to the one in the photo with the 3 yellow chairs -- the desk under the buffet (dresser?). Now I wish I could go to D.C. and browse, though I'm kind of scared of what I'd see on the price tags.
rachelmoon, that is indeed the piece I fell in love with when I visited. It looks wonderful in your space, and your kitty sure looks happy with the new seat. I'm pleased the sofa has a new home, though I'm jealous it isn't my home!
Colleen
I've bought a fair amount of stuff there and it's actually pretty reasonable in terms of prices. They're also happy to keep an eye out for specific pieces if you ask them.
It would help if the sales associate could part their lips to at least say "hello" Too much attitude for not too fabulous stuff....
It seems they are closed now...
Does anyone know this is true?
Wow, so sad to see these photos, full of fabulous stuff, now that the store is indeed closed. It was a very cool part of DC's modern scene.
Good Eye's web site is still live and, oddly, makes no mention of the store closing. Maybe it's going to reopen somewhere else? I hope so.
I'll really miss it. :-(
It would be really nice to meet this guy-so called collector! I bet his house is full of the best stuff!!!! Just kidding steve, I enjoyed looking through this page. Happyto see you better off than ever, and futhermore a pleasure to say hello to a visionary entreprenuer such as yourself! Hats of for being a true collector! Please continue to search for items, for it would be nice to return favors... Thanks for all your support back in DC!!!! Love the new items