Carole Brown Complements Furniture with Art

For Anderson Artists Guild member Carole Brown, the gateway to art was furniture.

Currently the manager of Rogers Furniture in downtown Anderson, she learned about design and decorating at Rhodes Furniture, then spent 26 years as the decorator for Terry Furniture before accepting her present position five years ago.

One of her responsibilities has been to design store vignettes—those rooms within a room which entice customers to purchase furniture as well as accessories. “You have to build a vignette that will be attractive to clients and that will work well with the total color scheme,” she said.

One type of accessory is artwork, including her own abstract pieces, which she now sells through 17 stores and design galleries. Her style is the result of a painful journey that led to a happy accident. “Six years ago I was depressed caring for a family member,” she said. “I began painting again, but I couldn’t get it like I wanted. I couldn’t sleep. I messed up. But the next day I liked it. Then when I couldn’t find contemporary art for the store on my buying trips, I brought my own art in, and it started selling immediately.”

Her pieces always begin with color, often to complement a set of furniture. She pours and drags and blows the paint around with heat and lately has begun adding gems. “During the pandemic, I decided that my art could use some dimension,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how people would receive it, but it immediately did well.”

Over the years, she has worked as a consultant. This has included design for numerous banks and other commercial projects, some from the build up and one a converted restaurant. She chose everything from furniture, carpeting, and drapes to the artwork for the walls. She has also done the same for private homes, including once for a private mountain home where she relied on a virtual tour. Projects have different needs. Sometimes, for instance, she’s called in for paint consultations. “I like working with colors, textures, and room balances,” she said.

For more information about Brown, visit http://www.flipsideartbycarole.com/. Or view her videos at https://www.facebook.com/watch/acrylicartbycarole/.