We recently heard about Trove, and while our curiosity was piqued, we didn’t expect much.
A warehouse full of discontinued merchandise? Sounds like the Crate and Barrel Outlet on Fourth Street in Berkeley -- okay, but hit-and-miss, and not really worth crossing the bridge. But as soon as we walked into Trove, we were struck by the lovely simplicity of the store itself. Then we noticed the items for sale. None of it had that usual discontinued merchandise feel, and all of it was beautiful.
The prices are incredibly inexpensive, especially for the Bay Area. Vases are priced under $20, lamps under $99, bamboo doormats for $12, striped French cups for $4. Even the simple, ebony-colored, Asian-inspired benches, chairs, tables, and stools are all priced under $400.
We suddenly had a vision of a clean, simple, lovely apartment, furnished with Trove’s Zen-like furniture and accessories . . . We wanted to buy everything, re-do our entire apartment. . . but we were restrained and left with just a $10 black lacquer tray. Next time, however, we may well just buy up the entire store.
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Damn it! Yet another Bay Area shopping destination to add to my already growing list! (Thanks for the hot tip. This sounds like it's right up my alley. Now, how do I transport everything back to L.A...)
thanks for the heads-up on this place! Sounds very promising, price-wise. More resources like this, please, for those of us desperate to expand beyond IKEA & Target (though I've got nothing but love for them both, don't get me wrong).
Having visited today, this store immediately made me think, "This is where Turquoise would shop if she lived in the Bay Area." Clean lines, capital-GT Good Taste, very grown-up style.
Its shopping center also includes a Smith & Hawken outlet, along with a couple of ethnic/travel stores.