Sotheby’s Home: A Design Aficionado's Dream

We all have a friend who has such fabulous style and covetable objects that we’d eagerly jump at the chance to snag her cast-offs. Imagine all these friends aggregating their most beautiful furnishings in one place, for sale, online – dreamy, right? Well, that’s Sotheby’s Home, the world’s fanciest online consignment store for pre-loved luxury furniture. 

Sotheby’s Home culls the most covetable pieces from interior designers, showrooms and design savvy individuals looking to redecorate or move. Anything but sloppy seconds, the pieces available on Sotheby’s Home are from venerable brands, in a wonderful mix of styles and eras – Christian Liaigre, Knoll, Holly Hunt, Mies van der Rohe, Ligne Roset, among many others. And it gets better, these pieces are sold at a fraction of the cost without the wait. Because all the pieces sold on Sotheby’s Home are top quality, they are great candidates for revitalization! (Read this other post to see our top Sotheby’s Home picks to revitalize.)

We sat down with Sotheby’s Home stylish CEO, Elizabeth Brown, to get her thoughts on design. 

What is your self described style?

Classic, tailored, and simple. 

You recently renovated your Gramercy Park home. What is your favorite piece from sotheby’s home?

I'd have to say our Nella Vetrina lacquered dining chairs. We found the set for an absolute steal on the site, and all we had to do was reupholster the seats to bring them back to life. Plus, they are incredibly comfortable!

What do you consider to be the best workhorse pieces of furniture in a home?

Lighting. The right fixture is functional and beautiful at the same time - almost like a standalone piece of art. We were fortunate to have commissioned a custom fixture from Stephen Antonson that runs the full height of our 2-story staircase. Not only does it illuminate a tricky spot in our home, but it also serves as a visual focal point that looks just as stunning turned off as it does when it's on.

Sotheby’s Home has been growing rapidly - now consigning in 12 cities in the US. What new areas of expansion are in the future? What are you most excited about right now?

We will continue to expand over the next 12-18 months with a goal of having curators in every city with a strong design community. A few cities on our radar are Seattle, Denver, Charleston, and Scottsdale. Beyond geographical expansion, we are excited to continue growing our base of manufacturer and brand partnerships. We are proud to work with over 200 high end furniture lines who work with us to sell floor samples and excess stock, and we are planning to double that list over the coming year.

Any business advice for entrepreneurs in creative fields?

Understanding the fundamentals of finance and accounting, particularly cash flow management, is so important for an early stage company where capital is always constrained. Investing in the right accountant, or even a part time CFO, will give any entrepreneur an enormous amount of leverage and confidence especially when it comes to fundraising.