For several weeks this past summer, visitors to in Keego Harbor were greeted by a monumental painting by renowned pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
The colorful, showstopping piece β hung over classic 20th-century furniture arranged in eye-catching vignettes β is just one of countless special objects sold by Le Shoppe over the years. And itβs a fitting introduction to the 25,000-square-foot showroom, which feels closer to a lovingly curated museum than your average antiques store.
Until earlier this year, Le Shoppe Modern was known as Le Shoppe Too β so named for the two businesses (consignment and estate sales) operating under its one roof. But as the companyβs list of services grew, co-owners Julie Sundberg and Deborah Slobin decided it was time for a rebrand. The new name reflects the shopβs focus on rare, iconic objects from the Midcentury ModernΜύera to the present.
What is now metro Detroitβs largest upscale home goods consignment store started in 2013 in a 3,000-square-foot storefront in Walled Lake, close to Sundbergβs home. Before opening the shop, neither Slobin nor Sundberg had much retail experience, but Sundberg had always loved fixing up and reselling antique furniture, and she knew Slobin to be a great resale shopper in their circles.
βWhen I saw that the space was available, I called Deborah up and asked, βHey, you maybe want to open a store?ββ Sundberg says. βNeither one of us had a lot of extra money, but the beauty of consignment is that people bring things to you, so you donβt have to purchase a lot of inventory. We just got started and busted our butts.β
βWe had a passion and were going to get through every obstacle,β Slobin says. βWe knew within a year that we were going to need a bigger boat.β
The βbigger boatβ was their Keego Harbor showroom, which they gradually took over floor by floor. Most recently, they added an additional 3,000-square-foot annex with gallery space and room to host special events.
The co-owners credit their success to the βthree Dβsβ β determination, dedication, and discipline β along with savvy business tactics, a passionate team that feels like family, and the timelessness of great 20th-century furniture and art.
Sundberg and Slobin decided early on to pair consignment with estate sales: When a piece doesnβt sell at an estate sale, it can go to Le Shoppe for consignment. Quarterly auctions were the next addition, and the two women added Terri Stearn β founder of , and now co-owner of β into the mix.
βWhen I came here, they had really cool art, but it was more decorative,β Stearn says. βI had these clients who wanted to sell big names, like Warhol and John Singer Sargent.β
βIt was a perfect marriage,β Slobin says. βWe worked really well together, and we happened to like each other, too.β The growing staffβs enthusiasm for their work (and for one another) drew art consultant Trista Leigh Maltby and experienced eBay seller Harry Nouhan to Le Shoppe. With Maltby and Nouhan coordinating auctions and e-commerce, the shop now offers thousands of listings online, with descriptions and curation that rival a world-class museumβs.
Le Shoppe Modern draws a global clientele for its online auctions but is proudly based in metro Detroit. The unique pieces in the shop are a tribute to the wealth and power of the automotive industry.
βDetroit is known as the hub for really good midcentury modern,β Slobin says. βYou walk into these houses, and youβre just blown away by the design, the art, the furniture.β
The staff at Le Shoppe are enthralled by the history of these special objects. While much of todayβs mass-produced furniture lasts just three to five years, the pieces in the showroom have stood the test of time. And in 2023, amid concerns about the post-pandemic supply chain and the amount of waste put into the environment, the case for investing in high-quality resale pieces has never been stronger.
Though walking into a space filled with furniture made by iconic designers like Herman Miller and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe might seem intimidating, the team insists that thereβs no special training necessary to appreciate great art.
βI have absolutely no background or schooling in design,β Slobin says. βI just found a passion for learning the stories behind the designers.β
For anyone wondering where to begin when it comes to modern art and furniture, Maltby says, βThe more you surround yourself with it, the more you read or go to museums or galleries or stores, the more youβll learn to trust your gut.β
Slobin agrees. βIf you come into our store and never buy anything from us, that really isnβt important. Whatβs important to me is that you come in and you feel the joy and connection to us and the space.β
This story is from the October 2023Μύissue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. Read more in our digital edition.
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