“From the time I was young I’ve loved to build things,” explained Don Charlet, contemplating the small scars on his hands that he earned while working in his dad’s shop, where he could usually be found from the age of nine. Don and his wife, Susan, own The Corbel, a flourishing antiques and home décor business that also offers an extensive selection of hand-built furniture. “I’m the creator, but my wife is the visionary,” noted Don. “She is an amazing buyer for The Corbel.”
The Corbel founders, Don & Susan Charlet, on a recent buying trip to France.
Custom Furniture, Interior Design, French Antiques
Since founding The Corbel more than twenty years ago as an extension of their work as builders and restoration experts, the Charlets have built an old-meets-new furniture and interior design business with a national following. In 2023 they relocated The Corbel into a 12,000-square-foot, purpose-built St. Francisville space that showcases Don’s hand-built furniture alongside antique furnishings and high-end architectural salvage sourced from France and Belgium, and upmarket gifts. Although the Charlets approve each item brought from Europe, they longed to make the process more personal. So, in December, 2023, the couple made their first trip to France to try their hand at picking antiques themselves.
French Antiques: North vs. South
“It was a very eye-opening experience,” said Don. “We knew that furniture from northern France and Belgium is different than that in Paris and the south. Paris is a mixing pot of the whole country. In the south, the furniture is more regal, more refined, more quintessentially French. In the north, It’s more gothic with French bones. A lot of clients like that, but also many like the provincial style. It takes a trained eye to see the difference, but to some people, it’s like apples and oranges.”
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During furniture buying trips to Europe, the Charlets select fine pieces in a diversity of styles—from the simpler, more austere lines of northern France and Belgium, to the ornate, provincial styles found further south.
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French provincial-style armoire, repurposed for use as a cabinet.
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When Don and Susan planned a buying trip to Paris and through the southern provinces, they found just what they were looking for. The furnishings, ceramics, and mirrors they discovered in the south differed in style from pieces sourced from northern France in the past. The trip confirmed that they had made the right decision.
“I love what our importer buys us, but we also wanted to source and see it ourselves,” said Susan. “It was a great experience. I loved it because I got to choose things I was drawn to. I’m not looking for specific items, but anything different and cool, something with a great patina or a great conversation piece. I think people will really like what we pick.”
Looking to the future, the Charlets are planning more buying trips to Paris and southern France, while continuing to work with established importers to source furnishings from northern France and Belgium, as well as The Corbel’s signature antique doors. It takes around two months for items purchased in Europe to be shipped to Houston. When a shipment arrives, the Charlets travel to Texas to photograph and label all of the items before bringing them home to St. Francisville.
European Antique Furniture Drop
On Saturday, May 4, antique furnishings and decorative pieces Don and Susan discovered during their December trip will be unveiled to the public during The Corbel’s first ever European Antique Furniture Shipment Drop. On Sunday, May 5, these items will debut online. Be among the first to experience them at The Corbel’s St. Francisville location, 5741 North Commerce Street, or at www.thecorbel.com.
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