As an enterprising businesswoman, Charlene Miller has traveled the world.
And her world now includes Greenwich where she’s settling in with a new business venture—Global Consignments. The home furnishings and furniture emporium—with a decidedly Asian theme—is tucked inside a 3,600-square foot space at 205 Railroad Ave., a block from the Greenwich train station.
Miller says she wants to capitalize on the growing demand for high-end Asian antique furniture and accessories. “We did a lot of market research and the high-end furniture and accessories are the fastest growing sector in America,” says Miller, whose retail and merchandising career in fashion spanned 30 years working with such signature names as Bloomingdales, B Altman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ann Taylor.
“I reached 50 and realized I hated clothes,” Miller says with a laugh. So she decided to use the knowledge gained during her world business travels and grow a business with her interest in fine furnishings.
After all the market and finance research she did with her investment banker son, Miller laid out the groundwork to open Global Consignments selling not only her vast collection of antique furniture and home accessories, but those of clients with the same discerning taste. Global opened a few weeks ago and Miller plans a formal launch in June.
“I decided to open in Greenwich because our research showed that there was only one furniture consignment shop with (antique) furniture,” says Miller who had a weekend home in Greenwich when her two sons were growing up.
During a visit to the store, Miller showed off a 1776 Thomas Wheeler longcase English clock, a French armoire and a collection of rosewood Brazilian country furniture from the late 1800s—a server, dining table that could do duty as a desk, and a coffee table.
For accessories, there is a selection of paintings, Chinese porcelain and silver including a sterling silver service by the famed Italian jeweler and silversmith Mario Buccellati.
Miller, who also plans to eventually expand the shop to include jewelry, say her business plan includes more outposts in Fairfield County and eventually selling franchises.
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Location: 205 Railroad Ave., Greenwich.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Telephone: 203 869-1534
www.globalconsignments.com
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