In Brighton, we’re blessed with vast choices when it comes to preloved furniture, from the charmingly shabby to the achingly chic. Whether you’re desperate to furnish your home quickly and economically or love the idea of spending weeks painstakingly browsing for the ultimate armchair, the wealth of flea markets, charity shops, and specialist retro furniture outlets can’t fail to satisfy your needs. Here’s a round-up of great sources for secondhand furniture in Brighton and Hove.
North Laine Bazaar
Bargain-hunting Brightonians should immediately scour this antique treasure trove for reasonably priced antiques, retro furniture, and bric-a-brac stashed within what appears to be a tiny but wonderfully decorative terraced cottage on Upper Gardner Street. Head down the entrance ramp to discover an Aladdin’s Cave within, ideal for sourcing kitchen tables with character, quirky shelving units, and cupboards crying out for a shabby chic makeover. If you’re enjoying the hustle and bustle of the Upper Gardner Street Saturday Market or lunching in the Laines, a root around this hidden gem is a must.
5-5a Upper Gardner St, BN1 4AN
The Martlets Hospice Charity Shop
What better way to furnish your home, than by giving to charity in the process? Local charity Martlets Hospice makes this happen, with several of their charity shops around East Sussex now up and running. Their large, professionally managed stores on Blatchington Road Hove, and London Road Brighton are best for furniture. Their big sellers are retro coffee tables and sideboards from the 1960s and 70s, alongside contemporary wardrobes and shelving units from Heals, Habitat, and Ikea. There’s a fast turnover of donated bed frames, sofas, wall art, clocks, and rugs, so don’t hang about – snap decisions are the order of the day here.
87 Blatchington Road, BN3 3YG
Emmaus Brighton Secondhand Superstore
New stock is added daily at the excellent Emmaus Secondhand Superstore – a renovated Victorian laundry in Portslade Old Village packed with dining tables, bedroom furniture, household linens, and bric-a-brac. This massive 650 sq ft of sales space gives you room to browse at your leisure, and prices will delight too – sofas from £45 to £100, wardrobes £50 to £150. You can also find cool retro furniture and collectables in the Emporium, and funky garden furniture in the Greenhouse. Regulars rave about the peaceful landscaped gardens and the friendly café. Best of all, with three vans, Emmaus can collect donations and deliver purchases to your door.
Drove Road, Hove, BN41 2PA
Shabitat
Beloved of students and up-cyclers, the Shabitat warehouse on Lewes Road helps those on a micro-budget kit out of their homes. This recycling cooperative Magpie collects pre-loved furniture and household items to clean, restore and update, and sell at very reasonable prices. Shoppers typically buy desks (£20), wardrobes (£20), and chests of drawers (£15). A double bed with mattresses will set you back around £40. Shabitat also gives away items through its Homeless Furniture Project which started in 1995 in partnership with Brighton & Hove Council’s Homeless Section.
Saunders Park, Lewes Road, BN2 4AE
Bellerophon
For beautifully restored Art-Deco, Arts & Crafts, vintage 20th Century, and antique furniture, Bellerophon Antiques in the North Laine district won’t disappoint. This is the place to pick up a statement item such as an Edwardian stationery cabinet or a well-crafted mid-century chest of drawers (£495). You’ll find a vintage office and school furniture such as desks and stripped steel filing cabinets (£300), as well as a range of unique mirrors, pictures, lighting and ceramics. For those who value fine design and workmanship, investing in antiques and vintage furniture makes perfect sense.
96 Trafalgar Street, Brighton
Brighton Flea Market
It’s a little off the beaten track, but the flamingo pink-fronted Brighton Flea Market in fashionable Kemptown is well worth a browse for fabulous, rock-bottom-priced furniture. Formerly a coaching stop, today the building houses around 60 stalls loaded with eye-watering collectables, kitsch kitchenware, and bric-a-brac. Upstairs you’ll find larger items of furniture – tables and upholstered chairs from the 1800s, through to retro and modern desks, lamps, and mirrors. Some stalls have taken the pain out of updating pre-loved furniture and do the job for you – presenting tastefully distressed chests and vibrant pastel-striped tables and storage units. This is a great place to try your bartering skills too as many traders are open to offers!
31a Upper St James’s Street, BN2 1JN
Berry & Son
Berry & Son has operated out of its Seven Dials store for over half a century, and this family business is a must for those seeking mid-20th-century furniture at affordable prices. Snap up classic bedside drawers for £20, good quality solid wood bookcases in the region of £90, or how about a gorgeous renovated Welsh dresser at £165? Although their website is popular for sourcing furniture, we recommend visiting the shop to explore the full range and see, feel and decide at your leisure.
120 Dyke Road, BN1 3TE
YMCA Furniture Shop
Here’s another hardworking charity that provides an invaluable furniture collection and resale service in and around Brighton. The always busy, friendly YMCA store on Blatchington Road Hove is a goldmine for very low-cost electrical goods and furniture, with income from sales directly supporting YMCA projects with children, young people, and families across Sussex. You will find a multitude of bargain antique furniture finds in this wonderful shop in Hove, so don’t hang around!
66-68 Blatchington Road, BN3 3YH
Great list but since you published it a new charity furniture shop has opened in London. The large British Heart chariy shop is very near Martlets and stocks reasonably priced new furniture (especially bed & bunk beds) as well as vintage.