OneOff restores vintage pieces (shown: Roche Bobois’ Bubble sofa) in partnership with retailers.
NEW YORK — Anyone who has ever perused a secondhand luxury furniture marketplace website understands the “needle in a haystack” analogy. Once a specific search produces an actual match for a favorite furniture piece, the questions start almost immediately: What is the true condition of the item? Will this vintage piece work with other furnishings? Could it possibly be refurbished for a modern household?
Purists might naysay “upgrades” to vintage pieces, but for individuals interested in iconic designs partnered with a side dose of modern comfort and prolonged sustainability through extended product life cycles, the option of having both in one package is at the core of a growing business, OneOff. Founded by Vinko Lakic, a former retail director for Roche Bobois North America, OneOff has a focus strategy that is built around combining the past, present and future of fine furniture.
“The concept for OneOff actually started with what is now the Vault: a dedicated e-commerce marketplace for high-end modern furniture, sold through photorealistic 3D renderings instead of traditional photography,” said Lakic. “Because of my experience in the industry, I knew that most brands struggle with the same issues: returns, after-sales pieces and showroom samples piling up.
“The idea was simple at first — take a minimum supply from their clearance stock, remove the burden from the brands of pulling pieces from tall warehouse racks, photograph them, list them online and handle low-margin sales. I had lived that reality at Roche Bobois while working with Sotheby’s Home, 1stDibs and Kaiyo; it’s extremely time-consuming and often not profitable for the brand.”
Technology that included 3D rendering and AI made it possible to skip the photography step, according to Lakic, but sales for the Vault lagged. He cites three main reasons: buyers were hesitant to purchase high-end pieces “as is” without seeing the condition; the risk of issues like defects or comfort after the sale was high; and in the luxury furniture segment, consumers still want to experience the product in person.
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Lakic said that the first version of his business model made OneOff feel like “just another resale marketplace” where pieces can “sit forever until a miracle buyer appears,” and he realized that few buyers want a used sofa unless it fits a very specific vintage aesthetic. With those thoughts top of mind, he started rethinking his business strategy.
“The real aha moment came when I shifted from selling pieces ‘as is’ to restoring them to ‘as new’ with a curated but limited customization option,” said Lakic. “It’s the best of both worlds: the experience of buying new with the economics of pre-owned.”
The revelation sent Lakic on a tour throughout New York’s Tri-State area in search of artisans who could restore luxury vintage furniture to like-new condition. He evaluated several workshops with his own personal inventory to assess the craftsmanship, speed and pricing of the artisans and once satisfied with their work, he brought them into the vetted OneOff network.
The group in place, he pivoted his business model, first allowing clients to customize pieces before restoration via the e-commerce platform and renderings and then solving the ‘online only’ limitations by creating a second channel through the brand’s own showrooms and outlets.
“This second part was the key,” Lakic said. “Brands already invest heavily in their showrooms and staff, and they already educate the client on quality, comfort and image. If a piece is restored as new, there’s nothing to hide. It can be presented proudly on the floor.”
Lakic launched the B2B pilot program with Roche Bobois through its main outlet in New Jersey that consolidates clearance from 12 showrooms in the Northeast. To date, OneOff is restoring between five and 10 pieces a month for Roche Bobois, with Lakic noting that the first sofa his team restored had been in inventory for eight years and sold in three months.
Cindy Susilo, vice president of marketing and sales for Roche Bobois North America, said that the company’s customers appreciate the opportunity to rediscover iconic Roche Bobois designs that have been updated with a “modern aesthetic at an attractive price.”
“In today’s fast-paced market, many consumers are drawn to authenticity, craftsmanship and sustainability,” Susilo said. “They want to invest in pieces that tell a story. OneOff perfectly addresses that need. By giving a second life to damaged or aging Roche Bobois collections, we’re able to reduce waste and offer our clients the opportunity to own a piece of our design at a more accessible price point. It’s a meaningful way to align our values of creativity, quality and environmental responsibility with the evolving expectations of our consumers.”
Lakic said that restoration of iconic pieces has become the fastest-growing part of the OneOff business, no small designation given that costs for restoration in the New York Tri-State area can vary from $2,290 for a club or design chair to $3,990 for a sofa and $6,490 for a two-piece sectional, all dependent on materials and amount of repair needed.
“Most of the pieces we work on are designer or branded items from houses such as Roche Bobois, RH, B&B Italia, Pierre Yovanovitch, Cassina, Baker, Bernhardt Design, Natuzzi and others, as well as some OneOff–curated pieces made in Europe and North Carolina,” he said.
“We structured our pricing to be clear and immediate; we want it the opposite of the ‘garage’ experience, where you leave your car and wait for a surprise bill,” Lakic continued. “Our prices are based on the shape and composition of the sofa, and they are essentially all-inclusive. Re-delivery and local taxes are the only extras, and we list them clearly.”
Tariffs, the economy and housing supplies notwithstanding, Lakic believes the time is right for a business model such as OneOff.
