|
Michael Markley got his start
in the antiques business by accident, when he accompanied Meril on a two-year
assignment in Paris. When his
promised work permit never materialized, he found himself in the position of
putting his lifelong love of learning to good use – not only to find furniture for
their unfurnished apartment but to satisfy his curiosity about the styles and
techniques that make French antique furniture both beautiful and durable.
What started out badly turned
into the experience of a lifetime. Drawing
on skills learned in his earlier careers as a lawyer, a homebuilder, a
retailer and a lighting designer, Michael needed only to learn French to make
his dream into reality and his passion into a thriving business. Thanks to the kindness and enthusiasm of
many French dealers, Michael picked up the “antique French” necessary to learn
the business from the inside out and to negotiate and buy his inventory.
After returning to the U.S.,
Michael established M. Markley Antiques as a division of The Markley Group,
Inc. in order to offer the Château des Bois CollectionTM
to those in the U.S. who treasure
beauty and fine craftsmanship.
|
Meril Markley is an International
Tax Partner
at UHY Advisors TX, LLC and was formerly an aid to Congressman Kevin Brady
(R-TX).
She also helps Michael
with the antiques business they both love. Like Michael, she has had several careers and adores the
antiques business because it combines creativity and passion while ensuring the preservation of the work of gifted craftsmen of centuries past.
Meril is responsible for
research and preparation of the descriptions of each piece. She brings to that task a background in
the fine arts. Her four years spent
as a music student in Vassar College's Skinner Hall
cemented her devotion to French Gothic architecture
and Gothic Revival furnishings. She spent
years studying at the Music Academy in Vienna, Austria
and singing in Europe, taking the opportunity to
study the art and architecture of the great European cities where she
lived and performed. As
a result of her overseas experiences, she speaks
three foreign languages (Spanish, French and German)
and can order a beer in several more.
Until recently, Meril served on
the Board of Trustees of the Houston Grand Opera. She continues singing, mainly in Europe, but experienced
the thrill of a lifetime when she sang the National Anthem at an Astros baseball game.
|
