Photo by Julia Fay
Ariene Bethea
Quintel Gwinn
Ebony Staten
Eye On Style:
Sisters Step Into the Design Space by Angela Lindsay
When it comes to selecting pieces for Ariene Bethea to showcase in her boutique vintage furniture shop, it has to “stop me in my tracks” and be something she’d want for her own home. The self-proclaimed “chief huntress” is the owner of Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio, which offers an artistic collection of designer and designer-inspired vintage home decor and furnishings, in fresh color combinations and graphic patterns mixed with ethnic pieces (African, Asian, Indian, Italian and Moroccan) for what she calls a “soulful feel.” “I've always been interested in design, but originally it was fashion design. My mom loved decorating, and I grew up in a home infused with art, objects and an appreciation for different cultures that has greatly influenced my design style,” she says. Bethea began her entrepreneurial journey by selling small objects, lighting and decor online with Etsy. She also did local pop-up shops through Vintage Charlotte, before starting her own furniture pop-ups with partner Elle & Bae, and then being approached by national sites such as One Kings Lane, Hunters Alley and Chairish to sell furniture
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and lighting. In 2014, she opened a booth at Slate Interiors, and later opened her first brickand-mortar store in Optimist Park in 2015. The Washington, D.C. native, who also does interior design consultations, felt Charlotte would be the perfect city for her business, because of the number of high profile interior designers here and its proximity to High Point Furniture Market. However, she contends her concept is uniquely different. “Besides being Black-owned, the beautiful thing about selling vintage furniture is that there isn't much competition, because we don't have the same items,” she says. “Vintage pieces are one of a kind so the chances another shop will have the exact same piece in the same color and/or finish is slim to none. My pieces are one of a kind, in excellent vintage condition; some I've had upholstered in modern and playful fabrics, painted in bold colors or refinished. Many are in their original condition. I also bring in new pieces weekly, keeping my inventory fresh and rotated.” Her style advice for the average person looking to design a space: Don't worry about trends. Buy what you love, and it will always work.
Photos courtesy of Ariene Bethea
The Hunter: Ariene Bethea