“When people walk in, they breathe a sigh of relief.” it’s an unusual business metric, but for Brandon Glenn, founder of Glenn Atelier, measuring his customers’ stress levels is the secret to success.
Just three miles from Buckhead’s shopping district, Glenn Atelier is a hidden gem that has become Atlanta’s best-kept secret for luxury home furnishings. The upscale boutique specializes in custom upholstery, textiles and carefully curated accessories. It also offers something increasingly rare in retail: an authentic, personal shopping experience that puts passion over profit.
Glenn is a business management graduate who later attended Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). His professional life has always straddled two seemingly different worlds: competitive cheer coaching and interior design. Glenn found himself at a crossroads when the pandemic hit in 2020, and it became clear that it would be a long time before competitive sports would resume. What started as a side project making pillows for a friend’s Buckhead shop quickly evolved into something much larger. Encouraged by another friend to focus on the Scott Antique Markets, Glenn began combining his talent for design with his business acumen, buying antiques online that needed restoration and building an inventory of custom pillows.
“When I started at Scott Antique Markets, I had people come back to me every month asking for new designs, so I developed new products to add to my inventory of European antiques,” he says. The positive response was immediate and overwhelming, which told Glenn that Atlanta’s design community was hungry for the kind of authentic, curated selection that he was offering.
Glenn’s transition from market vendor to brick-and-mortar retailer happened organically. Drawing on his post-college experience staging houses, an endeavor that had led him to amass eight storage units full of high-end furniture, he seized an opportunity when an artist friend moved her studio from a commercial space back to her home.
“One thing led to another, and the business grew,” he says. “You can’t just have antique chests and pillows, so I acquired more brands, including upholstery, lighting, rugs, accessories and gifts.”
His philosophy was clear early on. “I decided that if I’m going to do retail, I’m doing it for the passion and the love of it, not necessarily for the money,” he says. “I invest everything back into the business, and I only sell things I would actually buy myself.”
This authentic approach to curation has become Glenn Atelier’s defining characteristic. The store is one of only two stocking dealers that carry Coley Home, a regional brand founded by a mother-daughter team featuring high-quality furniture handcrafted in North Carolina. This exclusivity extends throughout the store’s inventory.
The lighting collection features pieces from Visual Comfort; handcrafted pieces from Palecek, an award-winning, environmentally sustainable brand; and Verellen, known for heirloom-quality furniture made in the United States using traditional techniques. For those seeking European sophistication, the store carries BENNETT To The Trade, which directly sources unique, bench-crafted and hand-painted furniture from Italy.
The textile selection is equally impressive, featuring luxury fabrics from renowned houses, including Schumacher, Thibaut, GP & J Baker, Holland & Sherry, Kravet, Samuel & Sons and Perennials performance fabric. These materials are sent to skilled workrooms to create the custom pillows that Glenn Atelier has become famous for—and the store is still known for having the best selection in town.
International influences also appear throughout the store, from European-inspired sustainable items by etúHome to luxurious organic linens from Libeco Home. There are delicious French-inspired candles from Voyage et Cie and luxury bed linens from John Robshaw, Sferra and Peacock Alley. Whatever your preference in bedding, Glenn Atelier likely has everything you need.
The store’s rug collection features natural fiber pieces from Rush House, complemented by a wide selection of curated artisan ceramics and objects. For the intellectually curious, Glenn Atelier stocks beautiful coffee table art books from Rizzoli and luxury, limited-edition gift books from Assouline.
Glenn Atelier’s design philosophy centers on what the owner describes as upscale coastal without being beachy. “You could take this style anywhere and it would work,” he says. The store’s palette of blues, white and greens and organic materials create an environment that’s both sophisticated and serene. This aesthetic choice isn’t arbitrary; it reflects Glenn’s intentional approach to creating spaces that calm rather than overwhelm.
“When I’m coaching, I am in a crazy environment. There are lots of kids and parents and loud music,” he says. “My aesthetic in the store and in my home is calming. The color palette is soothing, the music is soothing, the lighting is soothing, and it smells very calming. The calm touches every part of the senses. People say my home is like my store, but it’s really the other way around. The store is an extension of my home.”
This commitment to creating a peaceful environment has resonated powerfully with customers. The store has gained a devoted following from Buckhead and Midtown residents who view it as an oasis of calm with an ocean of beautiful things to look at, touch, experience and take home.
Maybe the most essential aspect of Glenn Atelier is the personal attention customers receive from Glenn himself, who is present during all operating hours. His background as a coach and professional home stager translates seamlessly into his role as a design consultant, helping customers discover their own aesthetic. “I’ve never met a stranger; I connect really well with everyone,” Glenn says. “I want to help every customer find out how to make their space more beautiful. It’s more important to me that you’re happy than how much I sell.”
This approach extends to his design philosophy. “More than anything, I’m a coach,” he says. “I know what I like, but I can coach you into figuring out what you like. It’s teamwork. I’m happy to give you my opinion, but ultimately, I want to lead you in the direction that will make you happy.”
Glenn is excited about emerging design trends, particularly Atlanta’s gradual movement away from the gray and beige palette that has dominated local interiors for years. “I’m excited to see people introducing color and mixing patterns,” he says. “It’s an art to be able to style all of these different patterns and textures to work in the same space, and we can help.” He’s particularly pleased to see people embracing an uncluttered evolution of maximalism. “You can have color, pattern and interesting objects without veering into ‘grannycore.’ I believe your home should be beautiful, but it should also be livable. I want families to be able to enjoy their things. Your home shouldn’t be a museum.”
Because it’s located in Smyrna, the store can offer lower overhead costs than Buckhead or West Midtown locations, allowing Glenn to maintain competitive pricing while providing exceptional quality and service. For Glenn, the true measure of success isn’t financial; it’s the satisfaction of doing work he genuinely loves. “I’m a genuine, authentic person, and it’s part of why the store has gained a bit of a cult following. When you’ll do every single part of the business for free, that’s when you know you really love your work.” *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.
