Talking Shop

Local aficionados of the corner used-furniture store might fondly remember the Cluttered Closet in Congress Park, which sadly shut its doors last fall. It was one of those places where you’d find a new/old sofa by serendipity as you walked through your neighborhood; the treasures were always plentiful and the prices were right. Part of that was owed to the good instincts of the original owners — Patrick Vigil and the departed Louis Coleman — and a long line of employees and buyers, including Dorothy Bowie, a faithful customer who finally just moved in behind the counter.

Once a antique freak, always an antique freak: “We’re just junkies at heart, honey!” Vigil says of his addiction for collecting stuff. Bowie nods and adds, “It’s a sickness. My mother did it, all of my family did it, and I do it. I think it must be hereditary.”

Their homes now bursting with too many Closet-worthy items, Vigil and Bowie have decided to do it again, this time in a South Broadway storefront renamed the Cluttered Corner. The pair draws the line at used appliances and clothing, leaving plenty of room for an ever-changing supply of overstuffed chairs, dramatic wall mirrors, Oriental screens, bric-a-brac, old jewelry and lamps of every size and shape, including a handsome pair sporting alabaster bowls. “We have everything — from antiques to Pier One,” Vigil says.

After an elaborate grand-opening celebration this past weekend, the Cluttered Corner is open for business at 210 South Broadway until late summer; after that, it will move a few doors down to a larger space coming vacant, making way for adding consignments and, yes, more stuff. Great stuff. For details, call 303-777-7526.

Starts: June 1. Daily, 2007