Uptown Modern is a vintage/antique store in North Austin, situated in a treasure trove of vintage and discount clothing & furniture venues on Burnet. There are two buildings, separated by an outdoor patio with beautiful wrought iron furniture (very New Orleans) and looks like something out of Great Expectations. When you walk into the first building, best described by the owner – you feel like you’re in an ice rink. It has a very heavy 70’s vibe – disco balls, foil Christmas trees, white patent leather couches, it’s like a scene out of Blow. Deco lucite chandeliers hang, psychedelic print pillows, and eclectic mid-century chachkies pull you into the twilight zone. Unlike most vintage and antique stores I’m familiar with in New York, everything was in great condition and priced exactly right – there wasn’t a ridiculous markup and everything was very within reach (arm chairs ranging from $150 to $250 depending on upholstery). The owner clearly has a trained eye when it comes to retro antiques, I’ve never seen a selection of 70’s furniture that was so easily translated into today’s living room.

Uptown Modern is also very well known for their vintage jewelry archives – which I could have browsed for days on end – and are definitely a little more pricey in terms of perceived value than the furniture (I saw a Chanel cuff), but exquisite eye candy regardless. I actually ended up picking up a glossy wooden log of a clock in the back building (which is a sea of turq), which was listed as only $35 – and the owner actually ended up giving me a 10% discount because it was dusty. That’s the thing about Austin, people really appreciate your business, rather than expect it. To me – Uptown Modern has become a kind of go to source for inspiration – I plan on taking my best friend when she visits, I know she’ll die – it’s a lot more than a store, it’s like time travel.

Visit Uptown Modern - 5453 Burnet Road, Austin, TX - or www.UptownModernAustin.com