The best vintage furniture shops in Melbourne

Don’t be deceived by the name. Upon closer inspection of the so-called ‘junk’, you’ll be delighted to find the walls heaving with 1960s coffee tables, rusty antique stage-lights, and cabinets and sideboards that have been knocked about to perfection.

The mixture of eclectic one-off pieces and approachable vintage furnishings makes this the go to place for retro cravings of any variety. And just as the name suggests, the entire shop seems to swell with the sense of history behind all of its furniture. If those Danish desks could talk…

Specialising in the exotic and unusual, a visit to Tarlo and Graham is a little like visiting the museum of odd curiosities. Church pulpits, dentist lights, shoemakers benches and a model plane rest side by side.

If you’re a bit of a vintage virgin, Red Rider will ease you into the swing of things with their simple, well restored 20th Century, Danish modern pieces. They also offer great prices too, so you might be able to really get your collection going with just one visit.

It’s only worth visiting 84 Smith Street if you have a discerning design eye, or the beauties that lie within won’t be fully appreciated. The owners specialise in locally sourcing the most original and eclectic items they can find. And even if you don’t buy any of the furniture, you’ll go home with a head full of ideas on how to decorate your home.

Bright, colourful, and filled with leather armchairs that will make you weep with remorse for the tatty sofa chair you bought from Savers when you were 21. This place is great for spending an afternoon fossicking through an abundance of industrial shelving units, drafting tables and American oak sideboards.

IKEA may have economically filled our offices and homes with unfussy furniture but it’s not exactly going to become part of the family heirloom collection, is it? At 20th Century Scandinavia you will find retro furnishings that are at once timeless and modern.

All of the mid-20th century furniture in this retro heaven is in perfect nick. Smokey glass-topped coffee tables, Robert Lyons wall art, and retro swivel bar stools will lend themselves nicely to an impeccably chic living room. Donald Draper, eat your heart out.

The folks behind Nook Vintage have acquired so much over the years that they have now opened an enormous warehouse space filled with just the sort of vintage/industrial furniture and home wares that seem to have captivated Melbourne’s imagination. Also, they deliver locally at no extra cost. If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.