Finding the Perfect Pieces at The Paradise Antiques
Written by Diane Helentjaris | Photos by Caroline Gray
There’s a sign on Zulla Road at the north end of the Middleburg Tennis Club. “The Paradise Antiques,” it says, hinting at wonderful things. Simply turn down the lane and you will find them. Atop one of the rolling hills, a sparkling white barn with black shutters oversees Ariane Carlés Solari’s antique shop.
A new wing will soon offer a display area for her special pieces, as well as a dedicated place to host events. Since its opening seven years ago, The Paradise Antiques has been the setting for a number of occasions — charity fundraisers, holiday sales, and more. Solari is excited about new opportunities to attract visitors to The Paradise Antiques. As with everything else in her life, she is approaching the future of her business with a combination of deliberation and risk-taking.
Solari is well versed in her trade. She was raised in Argentina, with her mother originally from England. The family traveled back and forth to Europe. Solari grew up with her mother and grandmother both keeping a “beautiful home,” she says.
Her mother began selling antiques when Solari was small. Initially she sold her goods out of their home. Solari jokes that even the bed she slept in and the table beside it sported price tags. In 1986, her mother opened her own antique shop in Buenos Aires, Rainbow Corner, and eventually expanded to two locations. Solari says, “I got the bug from her.”
In her wallet, she carries a note she wrote as an 11- or 12-year-old: “When I grow up, I want to be an interior decorator.” Solari studied interior design in Argentina. She then worked in a design shop for a year, followed by a decade at Rainbow Corner with her mother. Though she does offer interior decorating services through The Paradise Antiques, she particularly enjoys working with other interior decorators and helping them find the perfect pieces to meet their clients’ needs.
In 2009, Solari, her husband, Enrique, and their two small children moved to Phoenix, Arizona. She recalls looking out the window of the airplane as it descended into Phoenix and telling her children, “I think we’re landing on Mars.” While there, she missed “the green.”
A friend lived in Middleburg and invited her for a weekend visit. “You little English girl, you will love it,” the friend had promised — and Solari did. Now, her family has lived in Middleburg for more than a decade. “I grew up with very strong roots,” explains Solari. “I didn’t see myself as a nomad.”
The Paradise Antiques maintains a fresh, evolving inventory. Solari travels three times a year to Europe to refresh her stock — in February for the summer, in June to explore and investigate new ideas, and in October for the holidays. The new inventory goes into her “barn,” a curved building across from the shop built to mimic a line of horse stalls. There she sorts everything and prepares it for display. Her larger pieces are also kept there.
Grand mullioned windows generously light the main shop and set the antiques aglow. This is a curated selection, one united by Solari’s taste. “I cannot sell what I don’t love.” She readily admits to favoring the French style, particularly that of Louis XVI, but does not limit herself to French antiques. Japanese cloisonné vases and delicate Neapolitan watercolors join with an 1830s French barometer. Bolstering the antiques are modern-day elaborate Portuguese bedsheets, stationery, Italian linen cushions, and refreshing specialty scents.
The Paradise Antiques is open to the public. Goods in the shop can also be purchased online at theparadiseantiques.com. Along with photos and prices, Solari includes measurements to help customers with their decisions. ML
Published in the June 2026 issue of Middleburg Life.