Beth Claybourn by Kate Brevard
64
Inside New Orleans
BETH CLAYBOURN WAS SINGLE-MINDED about her career even as a child in Jackson, Mississippi. “Some of us can go through life and never know what we want to do. But, trust me, early on I knew that I was going to be a designer. One time, my father told me, ‘It’s a shame you can’t be a nurse like your sister because you’ll never make any money. This is just a housewife job.’ He passed away before he could see me become successful. But I know he knows that I made it.” This dynamo of an interior designer and businesswoman made her mark on Baton Rouge over 30 years ago with Beth Claybourn Interiors. Now, she’s turned her focus on New Orleans and opened a new store at 401 Tchoupitoulas Street in the heart of downtown. “It’s always been my dream to have an extension of my firm in New Orleans. I love the city. I have a lot of clients that I have done major projects for in New Orleans, Uptown and Old Metairie, and they all say, ‘You need to get down here, Beth!’” The designer speaks at a deliberate pace, her Southern accent as deep and rich as the Mississippi River. Beth is passionate about design and her clients. “I’ve had some clients for over 30 years. I would never have made it if my clients hadn’t been loyal to me, and I love them. Without them, I’d be nothing.” She works with her clients to achieve their goals, not hers. “I help people do what they want, not what Beth Claybourn wants. It can be contemporary one
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Designer Par Excellence!