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Direct Importer
of French Antiques
Furniture and Accessories
Garden
Accents |
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525 West Short
Street
at Greentree Close
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859· 252· 9030 |
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A
Closer Look
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Greentree Antiques and
Tearoom—
In 1999, John E. Martin, Jr. and Windell Gay Reading, Jr., acquired
the first property which was to become part of Greentree Close. The
house at 521 W. Short Street was purchased to serve as the staging
kitchen for John’s Ginkgo Tree Café at Ashland,The Henry Clay Estate.
As John and Gay developed plans for the use of the building and
outfitting of the kitchen, they were joined by Karen Wiley Hollins.
Gay, who has a design degree, was working for the Blue Grass Trust for
Historic Preservation in a curatorial position. Karen was dealing in
fine antiques which she enjoyed finding and collecting. Both John and
Gay were collectors of antiques with more inventory than space to
house it.
It was natural that the three would find an antique shop of their own
attractive. John had been providing well received teas in the winter
and spring at the Hunt Morgan House, then managed by Gay.This activity
seemed to be a good fit with the operation of an antique shop with
a professional kitchen. |
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The tearoom, really a place for elegant luncheons in an urban
setting, evolved. The dining rooms also became the venue for
private functions.The three were delighted to be joined
by L.V.Harkness and shared the retail space until the real-estate arm
of the business acquired the adjacent properties. Karen later withdrew
from the corporation to devote more time to her family—her
contributions to our development will always be appreciated. |
L.V.Harness & Company—
L.V. Harkness & Co. opened as a small gift shop in August of 2000 in
the Greentree Antiques and Tearoom. Owned by Meg Jewett, the company
soon found it had outgrown its space. Fortunately, the owners of
Greentree were able to purchase the Brown and Shea machine and welding
shop just across the driveway, and offered to lease it to L.V.
Harkness. Meg hired Len Cravens as the architect, and slowly the
building transformed into the L.V.Harkness of today. The grand opening
of the present store was on December 13th, 2001. Meg has always had a
passion for all beautiful things, especially those in porcelain and
crystal! While traveling around the country, she noticed that many
American stores seldom offered the depth of product that was offered
in European stores. She wanted to change that and be able to offer her
customers things they had not seen before in our country.
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All of her buying and planning for the store happened to coincide
with the emergence of Eastern Europe from behind the Iron Curtain.
The manufacturers and artisans in these countries, long denied
access to Western markets, found themselves rather bemused by the
fast paced marketing of the West. Their challenge was to adapt to
the new “instant gratification” world without sacrificing their
magnificent craftsmanship and pride in their work that is uniquely
theirs. They were, in a very real sense, finding their way at the
same time that Meg was, and a strong bond was established between
many of these manufacturer and L.V. Harkness. Meg quickly made a commitment to carry
the works of these fine craftsmen,
researching their archives on site and suggesting which pieces
would be marketable in our country. One such friendship produced
“Bluegrass” by Meissen Porcelain, a fabulous dinnerware service
exclusively found at L.V. Harkness, and thus a true collector’s
dream. Disturbed by the disposable, mass market mentality, Meg has
used the pride and unique characteristics of eastern European
craftsmen as a benchmark to encourage western European and
American manufactories to create special work. She is pleased to
offer such works to her clientele,whom she sees as those who crave
not only the different and unusual, but the classic and timeless
beauty of fine objects for the home. |
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Belle
Maison Antiques—
Tony
and Debbie Chamblin were having lunch with Rodney and Frances
Smith of New Orleans’ well-known Soniat House Hotel and Antique
Shop in 1999 at the Prix de ‘l Arc de Triomphe at Longchamps race
course in Paris. Debbie, whose passion for French antiques began
with her first visit to that country in 1988, expressed her
interest in starting a business. The Smiths offered encouragement
and suggestions, and the idea soon blossomed into reality. |
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Within months Debbie was scouring the Marche aux Puces, Paris’
famous flea market, and the entire
French countryside in search of unusual pieces dating from the
1700s to the 1940s. From the beginning it was a mission of love.
“Most American dealers who sell French antiques merely travel to a
warehouse in the United States that sells items brought over by a
wholesaler. As a direct importer,we eliminate the middleman and
pass on the savings to our customers,” she said. For two years
Debbie held semi-annual container sales in rented warehouses
featuring a two-day preview and one-week sale. In 2002, at the
invitation of the owners of Greentree Close, the Chamblins opened
a full-time business at 525 W. Short St. They chose Belle Maison,
which means “beautiful home,” as the name for the shop. In its
five-year history, Belle Maison Antiques has attracted buyers from
coast to coast and an international clientele from countries as
distant as Israel. “I love the ‘hunt’ and negotiating prices with
the many antique vendors in France with whom I have established
business relationships,” Debbie said. Her quest is to find
interesting and special furniture and accessories for the home and
once discovered, to purchase them at reasonable prices. Many
customers of Belle Maison have commented on the “good feeling”
they get from visiting the shop. “That makes the traveling,
scouting, negotiating, buying and importing all worthwhile,"
Debbie said. |
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Zooming in on Greentree Close:
BELLE MAISON ANTIQUES
:
525 W. Short Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859.252.9030, www.bellemaisonantiques.com. A
direct importer of French antiques, Belle Maison specializes in
furniture, accessories and garden accents. Debbie Chamblin also
offers in-home consultation and a popular request card service.
Clients interested in specific items can provide details such as
price range and dimensions and she searches for them with no
obligation on her frequent trips overseas. Photos of shop
inventory are displayed on the Belle Maison web site.
GREENTREE ANTIQUES AND TEAROOM:
521 W. Short Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859.455.9660, (fax) 859.455.9130, greentree@qx.net,
www.greentreetearoom.com,
www.greentreeantiques.com
Greentree Antiques specializes in fine period furnishings and
accessories from the 18th century and early 19th century. We
feature enduring classics. We also consult on period design
installations. The Tearoom offers dining in elegant simplicity at
noon for luncheon Wednesdays through Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on
Saturdays. We offer on site catering for other special functions.
Reservations are required. This is where
"tradition meets style".
L.V. HARKNESS & COMPANY:
521 W. Short Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859.225.7474, (fax) 859.255.5300, toll free 866.225.7474,
www.lvharkness.com
L.V. HARKNESS & CO. offers shoppers the unique experience of three
stores in one location! We are not only fine gifts, tabletop, and
full service bridal registry, as many people know, but we are also
complete corporate and executive gifting, and phenomenal trophies
for any occasion imaginable. The most recent addition to our
family is a fabulous Design Center, where you can select not only
furniture, lighting, floor and wall coverings, and occasional
pieces, but fabric for any budget. With our on-site workroom and
talented staff, we offer infinite possibilities for your home or
office-from window treatments and bedding to accessories. Our
designers can help you with your selections, or you may browse in
our extensive library. |
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A
Closer Look
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Featured story, "A festive Development"
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Historical Evolution of Greentree
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