The name of this business certainly prepares you for what’s in-store. OffBeat Emporium opened up on Elmwood Avenue a year and a half ago, and in that time they have earned a reputation for selling some very colorful (in more ways than one) furniture and accessories. The premise behind OffBeat Emporium us the second-hand nature of the wares – the crux of the merchandise is reconditioned, which means that there are plenty of quality finds without breaking the bank. This is a place where you can find “offbeat” chests and desks, chairs and tables, along with some recycled products such as candles made from discarded soup cans.
Although OffBeat Emporium is not the largest store on the block, it really packs a punch when it comes to space optimization. There are fun treasures everywhere you look, yet the store is well organized and easy to navigate. Take a look at the stunning wooden beams in the ceiling that apparently came from a historic Buffalo mansion at one point or another (anyone know the story behind them?). Not the sort of architectural element that you would expect to find in this sort of apartment building location.
Recently, owners Brandon Tallau and Samantha Tagliarino began to take on a few consignment pieces by local artisans, a trend that we are thankfully seeing more and more of as most furniture these days is overly homogenized. As for the furniture in OffBeat Emporium, Brandon and Samantha came up with the idea for the refurbished items when the two were out shopping for furniture and couldn’t find much that suited their own tastes. Or the prices were too steep. They soon realized that in this disposable world that we live in, people were constantly getting rid of perfectly good items after just a few years. That’s when it struck them to acquire the discarded pieces, restore them back to good condition, and resell them. Every time you stop into the store, the merchandise is fresh and “new”. There are some upbeat paint jobs added to boring pieces, while other furniture finds maintain their original look and feel.
If you’re looking for some offbeat furniture, swing by OffBeat Emporium. It’s a relatively small shop that packs a mighty big punch!
OffBeat Emporium – Open seven days a week
507 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
716.885.5077