Fresco Furnishings

Definitely not the friendliest place and don’t expect to use a coupon without getting harassed, especially if something is already marked down. Snapping at a customer and informing them they «should have bought something the other day» is not a way to retain business. If you’re looking for unique consignment pieces, save yourself some time and hit the other shops in Grandview/​Short North.

Frescos has friendly staff who welcome you with a smile and the offer to help you. At first glance things appear to be nice and of quality. But they just aren’t current. Most of what is in stock can be found on Craigslist for a fraction of the cost. It’s outdated stock leaves me curious how they stay afloat in this economy. I managed to find a lamp I liked but I’m looking for a matching pair so this wasn’t a successful trip.
Oh on a last note, many items seemed newly ticketed to keep the prices high. I could be wrong but it seemed odd that they’d have received a majority of their stock so recently.

Fresco is just like Revue in the Short North only smaller. I feel like they have a quality selection of used items for the home that are overall nicer than One More Time Etc. and on par or slightly below Revue.
They use the timeline markdown system where the price goes down a certain amount past a certain date. Of course the best price is when it’s been sitting in the shop the longest. I’ve been in the shop probably 2 – 3 times and I can’t tell really how fast things are turning over because I’m not in consistently enough.
Staff is friendly and they have complimentary coffee with fixings for your enjoyment. I’d definitely recommend stopping here in your home goods hunt.

This is a great shop, can be a bit pricy, & you need to return often, but it is worth the time to stop in.

I have been into this shop a few times and always had a pleasant experience. The staff is nice and don’t meddle while I browse. The pricing structure is fun and helps bring down the cost of some items considerably. Each month the price is reduced and you know exactly how much and when it will change. This adds a nice dynamic, you could wait for the price to go down, but it might sell before you get back. My most recent exchange with them was particularly great. They don’t have a return policy but they do have something called ’24 hour approval’ where, mainly on big items like dressers, they will give you 24 hours to make sure it works. In my case I was purchasing a knife block for a nice set of knives I already owned. The concern was that if my knives poked out the bottom of the block then it would be useless to me. They let me take the 24 hour grace time to make sure it would work. It did, and I called to let them know. Very nice people who did something nice for me.
Only thing holding them back from 5 stars is that they don’t tend to have all that much great stuff in. That could be a sign that no one brings in the goods or that they sell fast. Either way, with good customer service and a well managed shop I expect that to change sooner than later.

Both art and fashion are in the eye of the beholder. Fresco Furnishings has eclectic tastes. Being someone who’s always walked to the beat of their own drum, most wouldn’t consider me fashionable. However, I tend to look at things individually and find a way to make it fit fashionably.
Each room has a different feel to it. One room looks rather country with a touch of antique or classic. Another has a contemporary art look. Yet another is kind of European combined with Asian. You can find contemporary pieces like a glass sculpture that looks floral, almost like a Chihuly piece. Or an antique Singer sewing machine, table and chair. Fresco has furniture such as office desks and chairs, bedroom sets for adults and children, and couches. Artwork like paintings, photography and sculptures as well as décor and other miscellaneous items are dispersed about the place. You may find yourself getting a little hungry when leaving the place because the smell of food wafts over from the Red Door Tavern next door. Bacon is fried up on Tuesdays if you are a lover of the pork product.

Not the best quality. They do have some nice pieces of art and some niche trinkets here and there, but the best stuff all seems to have a «sold» tag on it. How they get sold so quickly, I don’t know. There is rarely a person in there.
I don’t completely understand their buying and selling process. What was explained to me is that you can bring in your stuff to be sold by Fresco. You will not get paid until it’s purchased. You will be notified when and if your product was purchased. Then you get paid. I think there is a time limit to how long they hold your items. I don’t remember what that was, but when you reach the deadline, you will be notified and you can either come back and pick it up or let Fresco donate it to their charity. It’s a charity that gives furniture to those that need it. They said something about how anyone who needs furniture can go to this guys garage or house, and take whatever they need. I don’t know, like I said, I’m a bit uncertain about that process.
Back to the quality. I bought a simple black wooden chair, one that probably had a twin at some time in it’s life. I just wanted a decent looking clothes rack for my bedroom. That did the job. I carried it home and put it to work. I have to say that it’s a good thing I only use it to drape my not so dirty clothes on, because if I used it as a chair, you know-​to sit on, I’d probably break it. You’d think I’d notice at the store. But amongst all of the bargains, I guess I was distracted. It was $ 18, not a big loss… and still being used.

Fresco Furnishings claims to be «upscale retail.» As clever of a tag line as that is, it’s a bit misleading. The furniture, accessories and such that find their way into this large shop may indeed be upscale; however, they aren’t particularly fashionable.
Most of the items I saw seemed to be plucked out of a late ‘80s upper-​middle class living room. I’m sure they cost a pretty penny back then. I have a tough time paying $ 400 for an awful looking dining room table and chairs — bargain or no.
The help was delightfully non-hovering…and so the two-​star rather than one-​star review.
If you’re on 5^th near Grandview and looking for a piece of furniture, it wouldn’t hurt to stop in here. Just don’t get your hopes up.