Get to Know Darlene

This month, we are bringing you an inside look at “Avery Lane’s Shop Girl” Darlene! The host of our monthly videos and owner of Avery Lane, Darlene does it all. Keep reading to find out some interesting information about Darlene you may not have known. And share your great experiences at Avery Lane with us here! We love to hear your positive feedback.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Montana, but I've lived in Arizona for 30 years with short stints in New York, Sonoma and California for work projects.

How did you get to Arizona?

I followed my eldest brother here. He had a successful car restoration business and I'd been to Arizona on holiday to visit his family. Leaving sub zero temperatures in Montana and coming to 80 degrees in the winter was definitely a selling point.

What made you want to start doing consignment?

I'd spent 25 years in the private golf development arena and had a wonderful career but after my company went through a hostile takeover, I took stock and realized I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Consignment was a natural as I've always loved quirky beautiful shops in Europe, San Francisco and NY and realized no one was doing it fully in Scottsdale. My clientele in the golf communities, plus all the realtor and designer affiliations made it a natural to springboard into this new business. They've been so supportive of Avery Lane and the reason for our early success.

Did you have a background in design?

Just as a hobby decorator and I watch a lot of HGTV and passionately read design books and magazines. I was involved in designing and building major estates in Desert Mountain, DC Ranch, Mayacama Golf Club etc. -- so I became a student of these top

designers and much of what I do is basically copying from the best and....being fearless at mixing things together.

What are your most frequently asked questions?

Where in the world do you get all this amazing stuff.

What is your busiest season?

October thru May, but Feb, March and April are the busiest months of all

Do you have an all time favorite piece of furniture?

A gorgeous Belgium Secretary with amazing inlay wood and seeded glass cabinets. I really wanted to take that one home but it was way out of my price range. And probably too big for my home......Maybe someday, right?

What is your favorite part of this job?

Meeting new clients and visiting their homes to preview consignment furniture. I get to see some spectacular estates with remarkable art collections, views, etc. Plus my clients are soooo interesting, well travelled and cultured. I learn something from my clients nearly every day.