Midtown Memphis along Central Avenue (between Cooper Street and East Parkway) is known as one of the most upscale decorative and fine arts districts in the city. The Palladio Group's collection of shops, studios and galleries are located at the very heart of that district within a block either way from the intersection of Central Avenue and South Cox Street.
The Palladio Group is the unrivaled destination for distinctive furniture, fine art, garden elements and architectural reclamations for sophisticated homes, gardens, work spaces and construction design. Our customers continually tell us they have never experienced a shopping venue that could equate to that of The Palladio Group. We have many regular customers within a 200-mile radius including owners of the region’s finest homes, respected interior designers and architects, informed art collectors, nationally recognized locals, celebrities and quiet folks who simply want the best.
Our expertise spans solutions for interior spaces, upscale decorative needs, custom-crafted furniture and architectural elements, garden décor and fine art collections.
The genesis of The Palladio Group dates back to 1996 when in the midst of a down market for home construction, Memphians Mindy and Frank Roberts decided to invest their love of antiques, historic homes and vintage architecture into the revitalization of Midtown Memphis’ historic Cooper-Young District.
- The venture began with the purchase of 1-year-old Palladio Antiques & Interiors (now known as Palladio Antiques & Art) in December 1996. Immediately, a one-year program of extensive interior modifications was initiated to double the size of the showroom and create space for a lunchtime cafe.
- Market Central Antiques (now known simply as Market Central) was acquired in 2002, creating a “group” of two decorative arts businesses. Within a year after acquisition, an extensive remodeling project was begun to upgrade and more effectively use floor space, as well as to radically improve the aesthetic shopping experience.
- Café PalladioLLC, located within Palladio Antiques & Art, was added to the ownership and in-house management of The Palladio Group after remodeling the space in 2006.
- A struggling art gallery was taken over from the tenant and operator in early 2006, and a deliberate change in the business model began immediately. The plan included extensive building modifications to transform the interior into a sophisticated gallery space for fine art, Gallery Fifty Six, which opened in March 2009.
- Properties adjacent to Market Central were acquired in 2004, and a program of rehab and adaptive reuse was begun by son Frank C. Roberts, a recent engineering graduate. These new spaces led to the addition of Art Factory, a community of private creative studios in 2006; Memphis WaterWorks, a garden and architectural elements retail gallery in 2007; and Architectural Arts in 2010.
- Sources for the reclaimed building materials used in the rehab and adaptation of the 100-year-old lumber shed that housed Memphis WaterWorks continued to produce reclaimed materials after the building was finished. The Franks seized the opportunity to merge this growing inventory of reclaimed materials and architectural elements with their appreciation of new things made from patina-rich old wood and produce a new brand of creations for their existing customer base. In 2008, this morphed into what is now known as Crafted Classics, which encompasses custom-designed, handcrafted and hand-finished furniture, accessories and architectural pieces.
- The highly successful remodel of the WaterWorks building birthed a space exhibiting a charm and ambience unique to the venue, and customers began requesting to rent the space for private events. Thus, the need for TPG Venues was generated, and it now hosts event rentals, not only at WaterWorks but also at Gallery Fifty Six, Palladio Antiques & Art and Café Palladio.
Having grown accustomed to continued growth, what does the future hold? Known for being innovators and not being content with the status quo, our future plans include:
- MemphisWaterWorks Annex: opening June 2011, just across Cox Street from the main showroom, with frontage on bustling Central Avenue
- Architectural Arts: enhancements to the warehouse to improve the aesthetics of the property, enrich creature comforts and create a more effective display of architectural reclamation
- Art Factory: doubling in size with the formation of 17 additional studios for artists working in two dimension
- Crafted Classics: relocation to new, larger quarters as it continuously outgrows its space within the Architectural Arts building.
- Ongoing improvements to all properties and businesses to add value, to contribute to the renaissance of the neighborhood, to keep the shopping experience fresh and to increase the synergistic draw to an even larger geographic market.
This is Palladio LLC, d.b.a. The Palladio Group.
