Design Within Whose Reach?

As a fan of modern design, we don't want our house to look like it's been pulled striaght out of Ikea, but we also find Design Within Reach, well, out of our financial reach. And we're too damn lazy to do a ReadyMade project every time we have a hankerin' for a new coffee table.

That's where San Francisco company Design Public's sample sale, which is running the entire month of July, comes in. Just log in to their outlet store with the password sweetfreedom, and you'll have access to their SOMA (300 Brannan, at Second) warehouse, which is filled with “like-new" returns and floor samples at a deep deep discount.

Since this is a sample sale, there's a little bit of a hassle involved: all sales are final, and you'll have to pick up your stuff at their warehouse (preferably on a Friday afternoon). But we're not above kissing up to our truck-owning pals if it means we're getting classic modern pieces at 30% or more off, especially when we're talking about buying from a locally-based, 6-person company. Cheap, independent, sharp-lookin', and local: it's the San Francisco dream!

Image of the Medium Legna Pendant Lamp (scroll down), down from $250 to $175. No, it's still not Target priced, but it's so pretty! Anyway, there are only 3 left, so act fast.