Movables Funked for Furniture
Kendra Anderson is fabulously individualistic, radiates excitement for the unusual, and couldn’t be happier that she kissed good-bye her days in corporate America close to a decade ago. She is a furniture artist who owns and operates Movables, a consignment store in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Her focus is on selling home furnishings for consigners, while giving pieces a fresh look with updated funky fabrics and finishes, as well as reaching out to people in search of a home-decor piece that undoubtedly will amp up any conversation.
Anderson always has considered herself to be an artist, but her talents were refined and intensified when a Minneapolis man known for his work in the trade taught her how to upholster furniture. At approximately the same time, she was working in the travel and banking industries, both of which were impacted dramatically by the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Combining her passion for art and interior design with her firsthand knowledge of the economic shift, Anderson has targeted customers searching for the perfect quality interior accent piece on a budget. Consigners from all niches in the Twin Cities sell through Movables, anticipating their once-loved furniture will find a new home with individuals in search of a new treasure.
Anderson chooses styles that range from contemporary to antique. Many pieces from the 1950s and 1960s are in immaculate condition, some given new life with fresh fabrics and colors of today.
However, Anderson stays away from, in her words, “just about anything from the ’80s, and if it was in your dorm room.”
As she began to discuss the furniture-revamping process, Anderson shared, “It’s amazing what you can do with a little Old English!”
After Anderson approves the items to be sold on the showroom floor, she spends endless time staring at each chair, couch, vintage chaise lounge, daybed, dresser, or even dining room buffet, forming innovative visions from the inspiration of clean lines and smooth, elegant curves. It leads into her decision of fabric color and pattern choice, including other ideas that make her pieces just as individualistic as the artist herself.
As I began to jam out to the lively Top 40 music, absorbed by the trendy Movables showroom, I asked Anderson, “As a business owner and furniture artist, what do you want people to know about your store?”
Anderson didn’t hesitate to reply, “Fun!”—adding, “I want people to enjoy the unique, one-of-a kind furniture, and to get excited about a good deal. I don’t want to project an image of pieces being thrifty, or to make people feel like they are lowering themselves because it’s secondhand.”
Clearly, Anderson’s class-act persona is projected through the Movables timeless, sophisticated styles.
Anderson premieres four new collections annually, at the start of every season. Her next one, “Everything Is Better in Pairs,” which debuts September 17, features antique Victorian styles with a modern twist.
Expect more jaw-droppers, and begin thinking of areas in your home that could use a redo of their own.
In early 2010, Movables hadn’t been open a year when The Best of the Twin Cities named it “Best New Consignment”—anticipating the store’s future success, and revealing one of the metro’s best-kept secrets.
Whether you rent, own, or still are living with Mom and Dad, it’s never too late—or early—to begin investing in stylish pieces you can grow with. Allow yourself to be movable.
Movables
1228 2nd St. NE, Mpls.
(612) 746-2929
www.movablesconsignment.com
