By Lauren Flynn Kelly
Photo credit: Courtesy of Austin Hill, YRN Photography
The pandemic has dragged on for two years, and you’re sick of looking at the sofa you bought 10 years ago that has been violated in various ways by pets and/or small children. You select the perfect replacement sofa, only to learn that there’s an estimated wait time of eight to 12 weeks that news reports suggest might even be much longer. Sound familiar? Well, did you know that Hyattsville has its own used furniture store showcasing a rotating selection of contemporary sofas and other home items?
BackStage Store considers itself a hidden gem, both because of its off-the-beaten-path location and because of the treasures housed within. It is tucked away next to the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, at 4502 Hamilton Street, and across from public gathering venue, The Spot. I might not have noticed it if I didn’t take so many walks along the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail.
According to sales and marketing manager Sadé Lemons, Tiffany Parker opened the shop in 2020 as an extension of Parker Staging, a home interior staging company that has served the Washington, D.C., area since 2009. BackStage’s inviting space houses lightly used items that have all been repurposed from staging jobs and are priced at about 50% less than their original purchase price. Dining chairs and stools — all appearing in like-new condition — range from $15 to $75 apiece, while sofas are priced anywhere from $195 to $350, depending on their condition and quality. Lemons described the furniture selection’s style as modern transitional. While most of the items in the store are neutral colors, I did spot a few bright green pieces, like a set of repurposed chairs from interior stylist Cat Guerra (@interiorstylingsbycat).
The store also showcases pillows, art, lamps, planters, end tables and accent chairs, and it supports local vendors who sell their furnishings and décor. And some items may have been upcycled, repaired or touched up by the business’s DIY arm, BackStage Creates.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Austin Hill, YRN Photography
Whatever isn’t sold may get rotated back to the firm’s warehouse space or sold at pop-up shops from here to Baltimore. For Women’s History Month, BackStage Store partnered with Green Owl Design on Baltimore Avenue to host a sidewalk sale featuring women-owned businesses. In fact, it was Green Owl that suggested Parker check out the Hamilton Street location when she was looking for a place to sell her gently used items, according to Lemons. The space also offers Parker a chance to showcase her staging business, as home sales continue to boom in this area and sellers can see added value from a nicely staged interior, Lemons said.
BackStage Store is currently open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., and it may open Sundays during the warmer months when foot traffic is higher, Lemons noted. Customers shopping online can reserve items through BackStage’s Instagram page (@backstagestoremd) and peruse additional items not available in the store at backstagestoremd.com/shop. Cash, major credit cards, Venmo, Paypal and CashApp are all accepted forms of payment. And you can arrange delivery of your items within a 20-mile radius of the store for $75.
