Cool Stuff

Been here a few times over the years to check out pieces.
Every time I’ve been in, the sales associates have been wonderfully helpful in finding something I’m looking for and making recommendations.
Unique collection of vintage furniture. Can seem crowded some days.
Parking is similar to the rest of montrose and can be difficult on busier days

Intimate, uncluttered, unique selections.
Not a dusty sneeze allergy attack zone.
Suave and truly «cool stuff» gingerly placed throughout this gem of a store.
Its not everyone’s style, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a hater.
Cute. Fun. I liked it.
Wouldn’t furnish my home with it… but its someone’s cup of tea!

love. love. love. need all pieces!!!

For the most part I don’t write bad reviews about local places because if they’re competing with the big boxes, then they already have my vote, but today made me so angry that I had to write something down.
A few weeks ago I stopped into this store and looked around with my boyfriend. I spotted a wooden shelf that I liked and had the person working there price it out for me (FYI everything is coded and no prices are displayed unless you ask which may explain part two of this story). When he said $ 750 for a particle board shelf overlaid with rosewood, you could peel me off the floor. It seemed so overpriced (especially for a piece that was damaged) that I questioned the man working there and he told me that he was new and he didn’t know much about it.
So, a few days later I purchased a credenza from the sister store and despite some weirdness with that transaction, love my new piece. I also met the owner and he seemed super nice and knowledgeable. In the mean time, I talked myself into the shelf. I badly need a bookcase and this one at least looks like me.
When I went in today to buy it, I walked in and no one greeted me despite me being the only person in the store. I liked around and not seeing anything new from my previous visit a few weeks earlier, went back to the shelf. I asked the man (different from before) to price it for me and he told me $ 950!!! I was so shocked I didn’t even bother to hide my surprise. I told him that I had asked previously and it was $ 200 lower and he informed me that couldn’t be, either that or they had given me the «best price!» But upon further inspection he told me that he could only do $ 795 on it! Still
In shock, when he offered to call the owner and see if MAYBE they could POSSIBLY go as low as $ 750 (the price they originally gave me), I was so turned off, I started to walk out of the store saying that it was something I had really wanted but not for that price and this is when the salesperson said «I don’t believe you really were going to buy it. Otherwise you would let me call the owner.»
That, my friends, is how you lose not one but all future sales. I may not look like I throw down money for furniture, but I do. And this place treats their customers like crap. As it turns out, I’m friends with people that were in the market for a ton new mcm stuff for their business, and they won’t be shopping here either, I’m telling everyone I know what a terrible customer experience this place is.

As I wrote about Reeves antiques, their sister store cool stuff is WAY overpriced. 10 minutes on the internet could net you better pieces for far less money delivered to your door.
The reason I gave this 2 stars over 1 star is that the guy manning this store was significantly more friendly and outgoing to some out of towners than the guy in the Reeves store that helped us.
Go hit the antique markets around Houston, those people find much better pieces and the prices are incredibly reasonable.
All Hype, but if you want to pay the money go for it.

The hubs and I stopped in here last weekend as part of our antiquing weekend. What a drag. The store is itsy bitsy, and it’s mostly furniture, lamps, and paintings with price tags that will make your eyes pop out of your head. We walked around the store, which took all of 2 minutes, and there was not a single thing that interested me. Cool stuff? Nah.
Next door though… THAT place had some cool stuff!

I feel like such a debbie downer when I give local non-​chain businesses a «meh» rating. This place has promise it really does however the store itself was really rather disappointing to me.
–First and foremost it’s WAY overpriced. I mean, lets face it, a storefront in this prime location can’t be cheap but come on «Cool Stuff»…you’re pricing your wares at gallery prices. Way uncool if you ask me.
–The stuff in there really wasn’t even that cool! I’m expecting super unique mid-​century pieces all in an eye appeasing setting. I’m also hoping this store is Houstons version of Uncommon Objects (a store located in Austin which is also way over priced but it really does have some cool stuff). Alas, all I found in there was a bunch of over priced garage sale junk.
–If you really are looking for items like what «Cool Stuff» sells perhaps you should dig around my Grandmas house. I promise you she has some of the exact same couches/​tables/​and accessories and she’ll sell them to you at a fraction of the price (hell, she’s a nice lady… if you told her how much you loved her ratty old couch she’d probably give it to you instead of insisting you pay $ 2K).
I guess my point is if you are looking to spend top dollar on «vintage» goods that you can probably find just as easily at a yard sale then Cool Stuff is your place. Maybe I went during a weird time? Whatever the deal was I was not impressed. I’m pretty positive I won’t be coming back to this place which makes me sad because I would much rather give my patronage to a local business rather than a chain… it just won’t be this one.

am i just not looking in the right places? this guy had an alright collection. it was very meh. the only 3 things that caught my eye were a couple of danish loungers he wanted $ 1700 for the pair for — a vintage tulip table knockoff he wanted $ 700 for — and an orbiter lamp he wanted $ 950 for. .. .
the lamp price kind of baffled me, bc you can get a licensed brand new one for $ 300 and even $ 200 online. .. maybe it was the first edition, i dunno.
honestly, i’ve seen more stuff on craigslist than in this shop, but maybe i just went at a bad time.

It’s true – there is a LOT of cool stuff in here!
Houston gained Cool Stuff through Hurricane Katrina. The owner, a native New Orleanian, evacuated to Houston after the hurricane and ended up relocating his store to its current location on Westheimer. He’s been in the business for almost 40 years, and it’s apparent, because he’s got an eye for the best and hippest of the 1950’s. It’s SO cool that you can actually get up close and personal with one of Charles and Ray Eames’ pieces without having to see it in a museum… and you can even take it home, if your pocketbook is fat enough! Other than furniture, which seems to be Cool Stuff’s mainstay, there are also lamps, paintings, and various things like vases, radios and in particular this REALLY awesome bar set which features the elephants from the «bad dream» portion of Dumbo. I’ve been eyeing that one for a good while now.
The only downside is that since the owner is such an expert on midcentury antiques, he knows EXACTLY what he has and prices accordingly. Bargain hunters may not be in love with Cool Stuff, but it’s fun to look!