“Our start with antique doors was the first house we remodeled,” said Don Charlet, co-owner of The Corbel. He and his wife, Susan, have lived in thirteen different homes they’ve either built or remodeled, and every house has featured at least one antique door.
Although The Corbel has evolved into a home and interiors store that specializes in new and antique furnishings and upmarket décor, Don and Susan credit a major part of the business’s initial success to the antique European doors their business has always offered. The Corbel has been sourcing and selling antique doors for more than twenty years, and at any given time, the store stocks between 500 and 700 from Europe and Egypt to choose from.
Doors sourced from France and Belgium tend to be older than those coming from Egypt.
“If you’re an importer of antique doors in the U.S., chances are most are coming from Egypt,” said Don, referencing the French occupation of the country. Between 1798 and 1801 during the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Campaign brought Egypt under French control, and during the nineteenth century, a large community of French emigrants established itself there. ”The French very heavily influenced design in Egypt, building homes and businesses with wood from France and with French designs,” Don noted. “Now, the Egyptians are tearing down buildings and replacing them with skyscrapers and more Arabic-style buildings. As they are torn down, we’re getting the doors.”
"With a door from France or Belgium, we can often tell a customer exactly what building it came out of."
Many more of The Corbel’s antique doors hail from France and Belgium, which, Don explained, makes them harder to come by. Fewer buildings are taken down in those countries, and the doors the Charlets are able to get come out of buildings undergoing adaptation—the refurbishment of a school building into apartments, for example. Doors sourced from France and Belgium are usually older than those from Egypt, and because of their age, Don must be more selective. He only buys doors in good condition, those he feels confident can withstand constant use in a new home. Despite (or perhaps because of) the sourcing challenges, The Corbel stocks more doors from France and Belgium than any other company in the United States.
“We have a better edge than anybody in the U.S. on actual European antique doors, and we’re proud of what we show in pure European doors,” said Don. “They have very different detailing because of their age, and with a door from France or Belgium, we can often tell a customer exactly what building it came out of.”
Being highly selective on the front end has another advantage, Don explained, “We buy doors that don’t need a lot of work. They’re structurally sound and straight. We might have to replace some glass or strip off the old paint, but largely when we get the doors, they are ready to show.”
The Corbel sells directly to homeowners, contractors, or designers, and ships all over the United States. A selection of exquisite doors can be viewed on their website, with more available for viewing at the St. Francisville showroom. Or visit thecorbel.com.
