Bernabe Somoza has a story for every piece of furniture that fills his 10,000-square-foot warehouse. As he walks around the periphery, his eyes light up beneath hip, circular-framed glasses as he points out pieces. A red loveseat was in his son’s bedroom before getting new upholstery at Mission Avenue Studio, his Sarasota-based, vintage-furniture repurposing business.
The 65-year-old walks between isles of loveseats and cabinetry while giving a tour of the furniture. He pulls open a drawer in an unfinished ancient apothecary shelving unit to show the inscription of the herbal or chemical ingredient that once filled the drawer. He showcases the frames of a set of chairs from the 1960s and flips them over to proudly show the stamp of a high-end furniture maker — he’s learned the brand names since he bought his first piece in 2008. He still remembers it — a 19th century French Victorian sofa.
