With a 40-plus-year track record in downtown Atlanta, Le Chateau is synonymous with coveted French antiques. The family-operated business includes inventory sourced from auctions, historic hotels, chateaus, liquidation sales, antiques retailers and markets. Le Chateau was founded in Europe by Iten Ibriham in the late 1980s, and in 1999, Ibriham moved her family and business to Tampa.
Ibriham’s husband, Magdi Abdullah, still resides in Paris and is largely responsible for traveling the full breadth of France searching for one-of-a-kind treasures. Mohammed Abdullah, their oldest son, is also an expert in French antiques, and together with his mother, they meet and greet clients in the newly appointed, 20,000-square-foot Atlanta showroom, which celebrated its first anniversary in March.
“This local community is incredible, and we relish the opportunity to offer our pieces at a discount to them during our annual sale,” Mohammed Abdullah says.
The family is so immersed in all things French antiques, it would be difficult to find anyone in the United States who could rival their knowledge or inventory. “This is truly a family business,” says Abdullah. “I love that I get to work with my mom and dad every day. It really is a source of pride and pure joy.”
Exuding an enthusiasm that is contagious, the family makes it a pleasure to visit and discover what’s new in the super store, as evidenced by numerous clients and designers making several monthly visits.
“We work with designers and the general public in equal measures,” notes Ibriham, who has worked closely with her husband since Le Chateau’s inception. “Designers love to come to the showroom and hand select treasures for their clients. We also love when the public comes in to enjoy a glass of Champagne and browse for their own home décor. Recently, social media and our website have played a large role in us expanding and meeting a host of new people, but we’ve always had a history with designers, resellers and the public.”
It’s the ever-changing selection of timeless antiques and inviting ambience of the showroom that keeps the public and the trade coming back. The customer experience, as one might expect in a fine establishment such as Le Chateau, is worth the trip in itself.
“Stepping into our Atlanta showroom is like stepping through time and into another world,” says Abdullah. “Immediately, you’re enveloped in a multisensory experience, from French music and wine to spectacular furnishings—armoires, sofas, tables, chairs, lamps, chandeliers and rare odds, ends and accents that date from the 16th century to the 1950s.”
Centrally located in the heart of Atlanta, Le Chateau opened in 2006 following almost a decade in its Tampa location. The company has been growing its clientele base just as Atlanta has been attracting more residents. “We have really seen this city grow,” says Abdullah, who notes that the explosive growth has been good for business. “Our annual fall warehouse sale has introduced a lot of Atlantans to Le Chateau for the first time. The word has gotten out.”
For Abdullah, not surprisingly, Le Chateau has always been a big focus of his life. He muses that he has been working since the day he was born—and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love this business because I get to be challenged every day. There’s always something that comes up that needs real-time problem-solving,” he says. “It is a fascinating, absorbing and gratifying business.”
Magdi Abdullah’s partnerships with French antiques dealers go way back—about four-plus decades to be precise. “My parents have had a crazy passion for the arts, mostly French arts,” Mohammed Abdullah says. “My dad was always doing business in all parts of Europe. He partnered up with several people in the United States in the early 1980s, and he was basically a trusted source of several well-known antiques dealers in France. My mom was very young, and she was very much all in with the business from the beginning. She’s always had a great eye, and she’s beloved by the customers.”
Ibriham personally designs and selects the merchandise and has since the beginning days of Le Chateau. “We have a 10,000-square-foot warehouse just a few buildings down from our showroom,” notes Ibriham, who is responsible for the showroom’s layout, where she strategically assesses and adjusts the inventory and displays, ensuring that the customer experience continuously offers new historical pieces to discover. “Once the items are shipped from France, they are restored and then added to the showroom. The close proximity makes it easy for us to transfer newly finished pieces from our restoration warehouse to our showroom floor.”
Le Chateau’s team is comprised of 15 employees who do everything from restoration to customer service. “We have a great group, and everyone pitches in to help each other,” Abdullah says. “Whether someone is looking for that one perfect signature piece or wanting to furnish an entire room or house, we offer a complimentary design consultation for every customer.”
Open to the public and the design trade, Le Chateau has its own line of proprietary colors from Benjamin Moore. “We’ve done orange, blue, green and purple, as well as faux finishes,” says Abdullah. “Many of our local customers have discovered this and are seeking out this service.”
He also notes that there have been a lot of younger clients, people who used to come in with their parents when they were children and who are now patrons. “Younger couples with beautiful taste are now getting into antiques, and they are bringing their friends, so we are seeing a lot of new local faces,” Abdullah says.
In addition to the showroom, Ibriham says there are two additional warehouses, totaling another 50,000 square feet. “So, if a customer doesn’t find exactly what they’re looking for in our showroom or on our website, I always encourage them to just ask us,” she says. “Chances are we have what they need at one of our warehouses.”
Over the years, Atlanta’s residents have become familiar with—and look forward to—the annual warehouse sale. “This monthlong sales event is earmarked for the locals,” says Le Chateau’s marketing director, Gina Pulice. “When people come into the store versus using the website, it’s an entirely new experience. We love working with the local community. These are our neighbors, and this is a way of bonding with the community and also a way to say thank you.”
As Mohammed Abdullah says: “Ever since we started doing the annual warehouse sale, it was the local community that we targeted. For one month every year, we mark everything on sale, and we make space for the new inventory coming in. It’s a win-win.”
Combining luxury and functionality is the ultimate goal for Le Chateau, and building off of a customer’s inspiration is how the process begins. “Anything can be anything,” Ibriham frequently says, meaning she can transform any piece into anything the customer wants, which is undoubtedly another reason that Le Chateau has stood the test of time for 40-plus years and counting. *
Ellen Uribe is an award-winning journalist and a communications expert. She is a sought-after speaker, participating as a moderator and panelist at numerous industry events, conferences and broadcast outlets. She has contributed to Vanity Fair, Palm Beach Life, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and Time Magazine.