Ellen Roberson
For more than a decade, design buffs and lovers of fine furnishing have frequented the much-loved Toby West Home for its wonderfully edited mix of furniture, lighting, accessories and art.
For others, the draw of the place has long included the possibility of securing a coveted English or European antique, discovered by Toby West on one of his many buying trips abroad.
Originally founded as Toby West Antiques in Highlands by Toby West and Tom Hayes, the store moved to Cashiers in 2012, quickly gaining recognition for its elevated design sense – an aesthetic that Atlanta Home Magazine defined as “synonymous with gracious Southern hospitality, with a little swagger.”
Following the death of West in 2019, associate Ellen Roberson joined the leadership team, committing to carry on West’s legacy and vision.
A longtime proprietor of a corporate Atlanta travel company, Roberson was already a Highlands homeowner for a quarter of a century when she moved to town full time and began working with West and Hayes in 2016.
Roberson brings her own creative energy and design sensibilities into the store and has been pivotal in expanding its product offerings, culminating in the introduction of the Mandeville Collection last year—an artisanal line of upholstered furniture designed by Tom Hayes, featuring sofas and chairs.
Stepping into Toby West Home feels like entering a meticulously designed living space – showroom artfully arranged to showcase the potential of one’s own home. An abundance of eye candy awaits. From heirloom classics designed to be passed down to the next generation to style fundamentals that transcends trends, all the essentials for a well-curated home are here.
Offering a wide array of accessories, from antique pottery to coffee table books, and candlesticks, Toby West Home stands out as the exclusive retailer of Charlie West pottery lamps and a sought-after destination for authentic antler chandeliers from Stag Ridge, crafted from real antlers in Cashiers. The collection also features original art pieces from skilled Southeastern artists, displaying a mix of artistic genres.
Roberson likes to boast that “we have an incredible team of individuals and so much of the success of our business is a result of a team effort. I couldn’t do this by myself. Hayes and West had the incredible foresight to put together an elegant and sophisticated store in the mountains, it’s a real gift.”
by Marlene Osteen
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