A Tukwila road map for furniture bargain hunters

It's time to replace your sofa or buy a sectional. Maybe you need a dresser or a dining-room table? You can find the piece you're looking for at almost any price in six square blocks of the Tukwila furniture district.

There are nine national chains represented in the district. After you have browsed these great showrooms, national sales and standard prices, check out these alternatives. Discretely woven within and even behind these large stores are several more budget warehouses, scratch-and-dent clearance stores and local factory direct retailers.

If you're looking for a special deal and don't mind putting a little elbow grease into your furniture shopping, here are a few places to check out.

Factory-direct warehouses

Sansaco Furniture

Distribution Warehouse, 5950 S. 180th, 206-575-0811, closed Wednesdays

Low overhead, a wide array of offerings, word-of-mouth and an inexpensive ad in the Yellow Pages have been the equation for this Steady Eddie outfit located in an almost secret location in the Tukwila furniture district. Even though it's been there 20 years, you won't find it without a keen eye or the Dania and Regal Cinema it's nestled in between.

Sansaco has a jammed-packed customer warehouse with lots to look at. On a recent trip, I found a four-piece sectional for $699 and a round glass coffee table for $99.

Style at Sansaco ranges from classical to contemporary. It offers special orders and buyer requests with a choice of price points and quality. There is no other store like it in the region.

Tip: Due to its low overhead, its capable noncommissioned staff may be overstretched, so be prepared to linger, or plan to come by on a weekday.

Rock Bottom Furniture Outlet, 575 Strander Blvd., 206-838-7054, closed weekdays

This wholesale liquidator caught me by surprise as I followed the sandwich-board salesman to an alley warehouse carrying couches, sectionals, bed frames and other quality furniture for unheard-of prices. I found a solid wood king bed frame for $399, a five-piece dining set for $318 and a sectional for $782.

Style at Rock Bottom is more contemporary than formal. The quality-to-price margin equals a steal. These same pieces of furniture can be found at Costco or other stores for almost twice the price.

Tip: This store does not have the variety of Sansaco, but you may find exactly what you're looking for and leave with a few extra bucks in your pocket.

It also has another nearby store, called Elliott Bay Furniture, a wholesale distribution site, at 581 Strander Boulevard. Same furniture style but different manufacturers. 800-530-1766, open weekdays.

Furniture Factory Direct, 402 Strander Blvd., 206-241-9277, open daily

This store has just about everything for everyone. Its large showroom gleams with dressed-up windows and collections of furniture at reasonable prices. A leather sofa and love seat sold recently for $899, a king bed for $499 and a 5-piece dining table for $249.

Tip: Salespeople are on commission at Furniture Factory Direct, so expect a hard sell and higher prices than Sansaco or Rock Bottom.

Scratch, dent, discontinued and clearance stores

Macy's Furniture Clearance Center, 17750 Southcenter Pkwy., 425-656-6850, daily

Macy's lone furniture clearance center in the state resides in Tukwila. This store offers the same Macy's furniture for a percentage of the retail price depending on its condition.

Tip: Visit the Macy's Furniture Gallery across the street first and compare prices before you buy.

National Furniture and Bedrooms, 790 Andover Park E., 206-575-7422, open daily

Seven National Furniture stores feed their clearance, discontinued and scratch-and-dent items into this retail store. I recently found a leather sofa and love seat for $749, a solid wood bed for $649 and a fabric chaise sofa and chair for $499. The furniture here is contemporary.

Tip: It offers no-tax deals on the weekends.

Direct importers

Furniture City, 512 Strander Blvd., open daily

This startup business offers imports directly from China. The styles are varied from ultramodern to classical. I recently found a dresser for $399 and a five-piece dining-room set for $549.

Tip: The sales staff will bargain prices with you.

Danny Furniture, 1181 Andover Park W., 206-575-2977, open daily

Danny Furniture offers classical imported furniture from the Pacific Rim. The furniture style is very formal. I found a five-piece dining set for $599 and a three-piece sectional for $299.

Tip: If you're looking for something more contemporary or modern, skip Danny Furniture.