Exploring the exquisitely designed showrooms of Foxglove Antiques Collective, one of the premier sources of well-curated antiques and accessories in the Southeast, has continually delighted discerning clients for nearly a quarter of a century.
Sourcing directly from Europe for the finest antiques, Foxglove offers one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture, lighting, original artwork and accessories. Located about a 10-minute drive from the heart of Atlanta, Foxglove Antiques was named for the flower—the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, a biennial, herbaceous perennial from Western Europe.
With its 16,000 square feet of unique and classic inventory—which is largely shipped in containers from Europe—Foxglove is a favorite of designers throughout the Southeast and across the country. Located on Miami Circle, in the capital city’s landmark antiques district, the business was founded by the late Sheila Benson, who passed away a little more than a year ago, leaving behind a permanent imprint on the antiques community in Atlanta. “The Benson Family continued operating Foxglove, maintaining the vision that Sheila had for the business,” says Staci Davidman, who has been one of its 15 international dealers for 23 years and bought Foxglove in September.
“The largest portion of our business is to the design trade—interior designers, homebuilders, developers and architects—but we are not exclusively to the trade. The majority of our business is repeat business. Atlanta is very much an antiques destination. The South has always been a leader in home design, and it is evident throughout Atlanta,” Davidman says. “Foxglove is known for the quality of the merchandise that we carry. All of our pieces are ready to be placed in a home. Careful attention has been given to each piece to ensure ease for our customers. Our pieces are restored if needed, waxed and polished, and our lighting has been rewired.”
In addition to the design trade, Foxglove is open to the public, who often visit to browse through the French, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, English and Swedish finds that arrive regularly. “The inventory is constantly changing,” Davidman says, adding, “We are known for our customer service—you can feel it as soon as you walk in the door. We are here, and we are available to help.”
Since Foxglove’s origins in 2000, the operation has been carefully nurtured—first by Benson and now by Davidman, both of whom aspired to the highest industry standards. The company’s website states: “From the beginning, our collection has been full of contrasts. Our choices reflect patina and soul and an enduring style that anyone would find irresistible. Antiques enrich our surroundings and lives, creating welcoming homes that inspire and give us comfort.”
Foxglove is divided into vendor galleries throughout the shop and also has blended areas to showcase communal design concepts. Though it is large, it feels cohesive and there is a comfortable flow. The showroom is filled with unique pieces that make it easy to create an individual look that is not only beautiful but practical. “Approximately half of the square footage within the shop is occupied by Foxglove, with the remaining divided among the 15 vendors that are part of our collective,” Davidman explains. “We all shop and import independently, buying from a variety of sources, including international trade fairs, markets and quaint villages, as well as through our established relationships overseas.” Foxglove’s vendors primarily shop based on what they see as the current trends. “We all have a good sense of what people are buying, and we make sure it is unique and high quality, as well as decorative,” she says. “We always have our eye out for certain staple items, such as mirrors, chests, dining tables, chandeliers and lamps. Our latest finds were purchased on a recent buying trip to Italy, which will be arriving in our shop in mid-December.”
Once items are purchased in Europe, Davidman says it takes about two months to get the items collected, crated, shipped and unpacked before they are placed on the showroom floor. “As a part of our inventory process, all new items are photographed upon arrival and uploaded to our website with pertinent product information, including measurements and pricing,” she says. “The website is maintained daily, which is particularly helpful for our busy designers and out-of-town customers to help as they are searching for something specific.”
For Davidman, Foxglove is a labor of love, and she is thrilled to carry on the vision that Sheila Benson, whom she considered a mentor, started. “Sheila was an extremely smart business woman and incredibly driven,” Davidman says. “She left a legacy of incomparable customer service and gratitude that is still the keystone of Foxglove today. In addition to that, she was also a great friend, collaborator and a shopping buddy. It is an incredible honor to carry Sheila’s groundwork and vision for Foxglove Antiques forward.”
Davidman’s love of antiques was fostered from a young age. Growing up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, she was taught to cherish family, friends and home. “When we traveled, we often stopped to explore antiques shops and art galleries along the way, which is probably where my early antiques interest and education began. My husband, Evan, and I had an opportunity to live in the Netherlands for his work when our children were young. That is probably where my desire to get into the antiques business began. I was always scouring the markets and shopping the antiques shops there. When we moved back to the United States, I missed that and knew that I needed to find a way to make that a part of my life,” she says.
Davidman admits that there is a definite thrill in the hunt, and that she thoroughly enjoys everything about the business. “It doesn’t feel like a job to me. I love shopping, and I love finding the treasures—and I love sharing them almost as much as finding them,” she says. “It’s also really gratifying to examine an antique piece and try to decipher the best way to bring back its luster. I love the process of figuring out the best solution—either by painting, refurbishing or refinishing to make it shine in today’s environments. When we place our purchases in the shop and see someone fall in love with it, there’s a real sense of satisfaction.”
Some of the specialized vendors in the Foxglove collective include Carrie Beskin Antiques, Persimmon at Home, Huff Harrington, Joli International, Le Cochon Royal, Hunter Antiques, Light Craft, Ma Maison Antiques, Creekside Antiques, Heather Cook Antiques and Lusso Home.
“All of our vendors have been here for years, and that says something great about Foxglove,” Davidman says. “It is helpful for me to be able to see things from the perspective of a dealer. Over the years, we have all been through a lot together. We are a very tight group and genuinely enjoy each other.”
That cohesive group also includes six employees, including a customer service team of multiple buyers, a website manager, photographer, social media specialist and an inventory management professional. “We also have a variety of restoration specialists that we work with,” Davidman says. “There is a lot of juggling that we do, and we are all willing to pitch in and do whatever we can. We all multitask as necessary.”
Long a worldwide destination, Atlanta is the perfect locale for Foxglove. “There is so much emphasis on hospitality and tradition that are a very big part of our lifestyle here in the South. We have customers who come from all over the country to shop in our store,” Davidman says. “There is something very gratifying in sharing Foxglove antiques with our customers. It makes us so happy when something that we found and love is loved by someone else, too. When a client sees a piece that has just arrived and hasn’t even been tagged, and they want to buy it, it just affirms that we are doing it right. It doesn’t get any better than that.” *
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.