Clients like to shop at Rico, for its carefully edited contemporary collection. ABC can sometimes be a zoo. The Creation of Rico Espinet - of lighting design fame - Rico offers a minimal, contemporary style and, lately, lovely new touches of color.
Standing out from the motley assortment of furniture shops on Atlantic, Rico's large shop draws together an assured and complete stylistic vision from different sources such as Mitchell Gold, Dellarobbia, Maria Yee and Robert Abbey (which produces his lighting designs).
Seeing his picks will help narrow down your search. His prices run accordingly, between $500 and $5,000 for furniture, and lighting starting at $150.
Citysearch says: ...carefully selected...exquisite glassware...minimalist furniture...for the discerning decorator's living room, home office and bedroom...















I stopped in Rico off the street looking for a sofa in the $2000 range. Though he had little in stock that fit my price range, he (Rico) did spend a considerable amount of time to go through some catalog options of what could be ordered, fabrics, etc. Though I won't be a regular shopper at Rico until I enter another tax bracket I can tell you that the owner of the shop had excellent customer service skills and unlike the various Soho modern shops (Ligne Roset, etc) it's a place I'll be happy to support with my dollars.
we drove out there from manhattan after work and found an employee obviously ready to leave ...took a quick spin through and ended up heading out to the yellow barn in larchmont where we bought our dellarobia sofa for substantially less than we were told we could order it for at rico...wish we'd met rico himself...maybe it would have been a different experience...have to reccomend the modern furniture barn though...they were great...also liked the guy at solas in long island...
When we renovated our house we bought most of our lights from Rico. He makes very lovely modern pendants, sconces, and ceiling-mounted fixtures for really reasonable prices ($100-$150 apiece). I loved the furniture too, but it was definitely out of my range.
You have to give props to a store owner who reaches out to amend a shopper's negative experience...rico recently emailed me in reference to my above comment...he told me that he had instructed storeworkers not to rush last minute shoppers and that as a policy they tended to match or beat prices from other modern stores so i will look forward to trying rico again in the future...
What is the store is Larchmont that sells modern furniture?
I believe the modern furniture barn is in armonk, ny.
The one stop shopping concept that Rico embraces is really great as he and their staff have carefully edited their offerings so you don't have to: furniture, lighting, accessories. Rico has an art background so this is no suprise.
My experience to date with the salespeople working there is that they are knowledgable and happy to help guide you whether you are making a decision on a major sofa purchase or a tiny side table.
Worth the 10 minute subway ride from downtown.
RICO has beautiful stuff. My wife and I decided to buy our main room sofa there instead of one of the big name stores because it was a great design and we wanted to support local business. Unfortunately, we came to regret that decision painfully.
RICO promised delivery in 6-8 weeks. We got the sofa in the 12th week. Worse, it was damaged. There was a smudged, quarter-size hole on back of the sofa through which you could see the wood of the sofa frame. Not what you expect from a $2000 couch. Unbelievably, RICO has been extremely difficult about getting us a replacement couch, alternating from belligerence to completely ignoring us. When we finally cornered them (after sending photos of the damaged sofa by certified mail), their concession was to offer 10% (!) off of there floor model. After we declined that offer their "take it or leave it" stance was that they would pick up the couch, THEN order a replacement couch, to be delivered in their infamous "6-8 weeks". The matter is still unresolved more than four months after we put down a 50% deposit. They also charged our card for the full amount of the purchase over our protest.
So admire the collection, but cross your fingers you don't get a defective product.
view edverse's profile
I have purchased many pieces from various vendors at Rico over the years. The customer service is fantastic and the price / quality quotient cannot be beat in the City. If there ever was a problem or delay with a piece of furniture the staff has always been up front and done all they can to remedy the situation. I highly recommend Rico for persons who want something above average, something that is fine tuned to their taste or scheme.
But if you are going to shop at the “Modern Furniture Barn” I would also recommend the “Dress Barn” for all you homogenized clothing needs, and the “Candle Barn” for when you run out of that favorite vanilla scent.
view gavy's profile
Rico is both an incredible store and an impressive business owner. Rico and his staff go the extra mile for their customers. I have had the pleasure of being a client of Ricos for the past few years and his customer service is unparalleled. Not only am I proud to support a local business, but the product selection, merchandising and service are extraordinary.
I purchased a della robbia sofa that had a production flaw and Rico personally made sure that a new frame was provided immediately and followed up to ensure that the exchange took place.
His attitude and enthusiasm is carried through by his knowledgeable staff too.
Not only is Rico and anchor retailer on Atlantic Avenue, but a good neighbor as well, always participating in local events and community affairs.
If you are looking for great service and selection, shop Rico.
view esalpeter's profile
RICO, the best furniture store in Brooklyn. Shopping at Rico has been gratifying in more ways then one. The staff for one is very knowledgeable and courteous. There service is like no other and the furniture is high end quality at a great prices. Thanks to RICO my place looks phenomenal. I highly recommend shopping at RICO.
view Johnny Rivera's profile
I have bought over 20 sofas from Rico for clients over the years. I have to say that on the rare occasion that there has been a defect, their employees have addressed it immediately.
Edverse, however, seems to need some clarity. No matter my wildest fantasies, Rico is not responsible for a manufacturer's production time or quality and they do a great job of making sure they choose consistent and reliable manufacturers. Rico can only give times based on factory reports and then intepret the data giving their best judgement. But if the factory is having drama, c'est la vie, even if said vie is understandably irritating.
Of course he told you another 6-8 weeks if the factory has to fix it. You seriously think that he can fix it himself if it is as horrible as you made it sound or that the factory is going to change its production schedule? Come on. They were being truthful and you slammed them for it.
Trust me on this -- whining, blame and using typos in emails ala Edverse is not the way to win friends and influence people. Ick.
Why does Edverse end up sounding like a client who whines about making a decision they approved and then is looking for an excuse to back out of a transaction. And dear reader, you would be surprised at how many New Yorkers are like that. Or, maybe, you wouldn't be.
Enough of my own bitching,
Fed up with it Designer aka Dean
view dean's profile
Dear Apartment Therapy patron,
I would like to addresss some comments that have been made on this site as owner and proprietor of my own store. Rico has a terms of sale provided with every order placed and signed for by the customer. The terms clearly state that production schedules are estimates. You will find the same exact terms at any other reputable furniture store. The idea of promises never enter ANY offer.
We represent many brands of excellent furniture that, unless stocked or sold off our floor, are custom ordered. Although some of our furniture arrives in a few weeks, 6 to 8 weeks is an industry standard for special orders. To save on freight cost, some stores provide longer lead times. They bundle orders from a manufacturer for a lower transport rate. We do not practice this. We freight orders immediately when ready to ship from the producer to our fulfillment center. Our brands are reputable, and typically deliver within schedule. Delayed orders occur rarely, and if so it's usually because of a fabric back order or a freight company schedule. We always notify the customer in these instances.
Once we receive product in our fulfillment facility, it is inspected and prepared for delivery. This aspect requires a time schedule. The customer is contacted for a delivery appointment once the order has been inspected in our warehouse and the balance is settled. Sometimes a customer is so eager for their furniture that they press us to deliver faster than our primary delivery team can accommodate. To satisfy impatience, we use a secondary team that will retrieve the product from our warehouse, sometimes bypassing due course. Usually these deliveries go well but because of the haste this strategy requires, our center may not have the opportunity to properly inspect and prepare the product correctly.
Damages occasionally occur to every furniture store. It's inherent in the business, typically caused by the manufacturer, freight company or delivery team. What has cultivated good will for us is that we correct all problems regardless of fault lines. We will always support our customer even at our loss. We can only provide this support if given the time required to properly process the problem.
Upon delivery, the customer should inspect product before signing off on the delivery. If a defect or damage is discovered after delivery, we require photographic documentation. We absolutely are available to solve these problems and do not need to be cornered. Once a problem is brought to our attention, a dated log file is kept of every single interaction made and step taken to right the problem. Our files are open for review by special request.
I'm stating our procedures to set the record straight with regards to a recent matter listed by customer Edverse. The facts were weighed by American Express when the customer charged back the balance of their order instead of working with us to repair the sofa. American Express sided with us and paid us back. We still have the fabric for the repair, which would have come out perfectly as it was a small damage. We use experienced, expert upholsterers for all repairs. As noted before, we will work with the customer until he or she is fully satisfied in the rare instance a problem should occur. We are still willing to fix their sofa.
We are a favored destination for home furnishings and our own lighting products. We are well versed in offering quality sofas at great prices. We think that is why NY Magazine picked us as best sofa destination in their "Best of New York" 2007 issue.
Sincerely,
Rico
Owner
view shoprico's profile
For ten years of dealings with him, his shop and his gallery, BrunoMarina, Rico Espinet has shown himself to be a man of astute eye, great style and, above all, his word. In various business transactions with my husband and me, he has been above reproach in his customer, client, and artist relations.
Plus, the shop and gallery that function under his care are both joys to behold, and pleasures to step into, and filled with unexpected angles on life and design. See for yourselves, and don't let one kvetch discourage your own open minds.
view smith duncan's profile
What a JOKE !
Are all these glowing reviews paid for by RICO?
Atlantic Ave. Is changing we all know this.....less and less antique stores by the year, but come on!!!! Have any of you ever been in this snobby over priced pseudo "modern" store?
Over priced crap lacquered credenzas from the west coast, a shit Robert Abbey lighting line that everybody in the neighborhood seems to think RICO designs himself !?!?!?!?
Over priced look-a-like junk that is supposed to pass for vintage modern.
Skip it and go to a real vintage modern store and buy something with some character.....maybe even some history for a fraction of the cost.
It's stores like this that will eventually put an end to what made Atlantic Ave. a destination for people from all boroughs to come furniture shopping.
view BrooklynForever's profile