36 February 28 • 2019
jn
STEFANI CHUDNOW SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PHOTOS BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY
Mecca for
Mid-Century
Modern
Le Shoppe Too will launch
online auction house in March.
L
ooking at its exterior, you’
d never
know that an internationally
recognized consignment shop
sits right on the cusp of Keego Harbor.
While modest on the outside, Le Shoppe
Too is Metro Detroit’
s largest upscale
mid-century modern store at 17,000
square feet. This shop boasts a substan-
tial fine art and iconic 20th-century
furniture collection, much of which is
shipped all over the world.
Opened in 2013, the shop is owned
by three Jewish women: Deborah Slobin
of Farmington Hills, a member of
Temple Israel; Leslie Weisberg of West
Bloomfield, a member of Bais Chabad
and Congregation Shaarey Zedek; and
Julie Sundberg of Walled Lake. Terri
Stearn of Farmington Hills, a member
of Congregation Beth Ahm, operates
Detroit Fine Art Appraisals from the
same building.
With multiple credentials, includ-
ing Stearn’
s rare art accreditation and
Weisberg’
s high-ranking estate liquida-
tion accreditation, this team of strong
women is dynamic.
“We’
ve got a consignment retail store,
an estate sale company, art appraisals, an
auction house and in-house shipping,
”
Slobin said. “Nobody else does all of that
under one roof. We have so many dif-
ferent avenues to take care of our clients,
from furnishing their homes to selling
their pieces.
”
With all their knowledge and exper-
tise, it’
s no surprise this team is equipped
to handle a lot. Sometimes, they’
ve even
come across hidden treasures no one
thought were worth anything.
“One time, we went to a house to do
a preliminary appraisal for an estate sale
and the family didn’
t know what they
had,
” Slobin said. “Because of Terri’
s and
Leslie’
s expertises, they were able to spot
a small sculpture that the family thought
was a nothing piece. It turned out to be
a Harry Bertoia, who is a very important
designer here in Michigan. It sold for
more than $25,000.
”
Weisberg said often people think
“shiny, pretty and old” is valuable,
“when sometimes rugged, vintage and
not-so-attractive to the naked eye is
actually more valuable.
”
Another time, Stearn came across
what the owners called a “junk chair”
they were going to throw out. Le Shoppe
Too ended up selling it for $6,000.
Some customers aren’
t always so ready
to get rid of their possessions, however.
“There’
s a lot of emotions when giving
away your possessions,
” Weisberg said.
“We become like therapists, in some
respects, because we need to get them
through the process and realize that this
is an emotional thing and it’
s not always
cut-and-dried. That’
s how we get so close
to our clients.
”
Throughout its 16 years in the estate
business, Le Shoppe Too has forged
deep connections with many individu-
als. Their iconic furniture can be found
in people’
s homes around the world. It
can also be found in an Oscar-winning
movie, thanks to one of their favorite
clients.
“We joke and say that we technically
have an Oscar,
” Slobin said. “Last year
at the Oscars, the movie The Shape
of Water won Best Picture and Best
Production Design. That connects back
to us because Shane Vieau, who won for
his set decoration, is a client of ours. He
actually came to our store and bought
the furniture for that movie.
”
Michigan is significant to mid-cen-
tury modern collectors. A great deal
of mid-century modern artists came
through Cranbrook Academy of Art.
retail
arts&life
ABOVE: Julie Sundberg of Walled Lake, Deborah Slobin of
Farmington Hills, Terri Stearn of Beverly Hills and Leslie
Weisberg of West Bloomfield. FACING PAGE TOP: Pair
of purple Jean Michel Frank style benches, $5,200, and
a Milo Baughman sectional on Plinth base with Tenor
Larsen fabric $5,500. CENTER: Overall. BOTTOM: Selig
Chrome elliptical chair $2,800.