There is no definitive closing date, although the process has already begun. Maite Ibáñez is retiring after a lifetime dedicated to interior design and decoration, and her sister, Cristina Ibáñez, will not continue with the business either. The two have therefore put the premises up for sale while gradually selling off their stock. “Businesses like this no longer exist,” they lament.
The Ibáñez Mora sisters have been connected to retail since childhood. “We’ve always had a business in Utebo,” they recall. La Colombe opened at this location in 1999, although they had previously spent seven years at another nearby establishment on Ossau Street.
A HISTORIC PREMISES AND A RENOVATION THAT STILL SURPRISES
The building also has its own past. Before becoming La Colombe, it housed the well-known Canudo stationery shop and forms part of the Casa del Prior complex, specifically the building’s former brothel.
Cristina and Maite, owners of La Colombe. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
When they arrived, the sisters carried out a complete renovation that remains one of the store’s main attractions today. “We did an impressive renovation and it is still completely up to date. The floors remain one of the things people like most, and when you stand at the door and see the full depth of the premises, it is striking,” Maite tells ARAGÓN DIGITAL.
The establishment has 257 square metres spread over two floors and is currently for sale or available for business transfer. The street-level floor has a large open-plan space with exposed brick, high ceilings and an interior courtyard that provides natural light. There is also a basement with a bathroom and loading area.
A LIFETIME DEVOTED TO CREATING BEAUTY AND HOME
Maite studied Decoration at Zaragoza’s School of Arts after taking up painting in Utebo with Mariano Viejo. She has worked ever since. Her speciality has always been imagining spaces and finding a balance between styles. “What we do is mix things. If someone comes with a very modern house, we soften it; if it is very classic, we update it. In short, creating beauty and a home is a way of life,” she says proudly.
In addition to selling furniture, La Colombe has developed interior design and furniture restoration projects, changing colours and finishes to give pieces a second life in a sustainable way.
After 35 years in business, the store has also become part of their family history. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
During the busiest years, six people worked there, although the crisis forced them to reduce the staff. “There came a point when it was no longer viable. We decided to run the business between the two of us, and that’s how we have continued,” she recalls. And, inevitably, that same crisis was also reflected in their customers. “Some had bought their furniture here and then came back, out of necessity, asking us to buy it back. We have witnessed so many stories…,” Cristina says.
A CUSTOMER BASE THAT RETURNS... TWENTY YEARS LATER
One of La Colombe’s greatest sources of pride is seeing how the furniture they sold two decades ago is still part of so many homes. “Some customers come back after 18 or 20 years and tell us that their living room looks just like it did on the first day. Then we tell them they could at least change a few cushions or update some detail,” Maite says with a laugh.
The loyalty of their customers reaches a particularly intense moment each year: the Christmas season. “People come looking for our Christmas collection. They have always said it is the best in Zaragoza,” she says. The store focuses on exclusive pieces imported from abroad and made by Spanish manufacturers, steering clear of more mass-market products. “We sell different things. Exclusive does not necessarily mean expensive,” she explains.
This year, for the first time, they began clearing their Christmas decorations earlier than usual.
“WE’LL CLOSE, BUT WE’LL TAKE THE MAGIC WITH US”
As Maite prepares to retire, Cristina is already thinking about a new professional project for which she will even use some of the store’s furniture and décor. “We do not have a specific closing date. The things here will gradually be sold off, and I will use part of the merchandise in the project I have in mind,” Cristina explains.
She acknowledges that small businesses are going through difficult times and that factors such as new technologies and high summer temperatures do not help either. Even so, she prefers to focus on everything they have experienced: “Every stage has a beginning and an end.”
The premises feature a renovation that leaves no one indifferent. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
When asked what she will miss most, she answers without hesitation: “We’ll take the magic with us.” She immediately explains what that word means to them: “The magic is what happens when people walk through the door. What is created inside here. Many customers ended up becoming friends,” she says emotionally.
After 35 years in business, the store has also become part of their family history. “With this store, we have supported our families. We breastfed our babies here, and our children did their homework among this furniture. For many years, coming here was less about working and more about having fun.”
They both agree that traditional retail has changed greatly. “There are no longer shops like the ones that used to exist on Alfonso or Don Jaime streets. We used to change the window display every week, but there comes a point when you run out of energy.”
Now they hope someone else will take over and give new life to premises that, long before becoming La Colombe, were already part of the history of Zaragoza’s Old Town.
