When Amanda Louise Campbell started designing a home for a family friend at age 22, she never imagined she’d be running her own business with clients across the country. But that’s just what she did, and 10 years later, she and her team at Amanda Louise Interiors in Greenville, South Carolina are working on 30-40 projects at any given time. Even as the list of clients grows beyond local borders, Campbell attributes much of the company’s success to support from her local community.
“We’ve grown organically in the best way,” Campbell says. “One client in the beginning championed me and convinced their friends to hire me also, and it really grew from there.”
Amanda Louise Interiors is deeply rooted in its community, so it’s no surprise that supporting other small businesses is near and dear to Campbell’s heart. Below, Campbell shares some of the ways shopping small has yielded big benefits for her clients — from the paint she selects to the artwork she adds to make each room feel truly unique.
1. Collaboration Fosters Creativity
As Amanda Louise Interiors exemplifies, word of mouth is a win-win for small businesses and clients alike. Being based in the arts district in Greenville has meant connecting with other local designers and artists. “There’s one gallery that [functions] like a clubhouse for designers. It’s really created a community,” Campbell says.
There is a symbiotic relationship between her team, the artists they work with and the homes they design. “Everyone is so collaborative and welcoming, and it’s really great for my business to work with artists whose work we can insert into projects. That’s supporting them and our projects, too.”
2. Personal Relationships Have Perks
When it comes time to pick out paint colors for her clients’ homes, Campbell recommends Benjamin Moore every time.
“Benjamin Moore is the best quality, and equally important to me is knowing that they are the only paint sold at locally owned stores,” Campbell says. “We’ve gotten to know the people that work at the Benjamin Moore store here in Greenville, who are primarily artists themselves. It’s where all my artist friends go,” Campbell says. “The people that work there offer insights into which Benjamin Moore paint tones are going to best flatter your home and personal style.”
Another perk? Convenience. Knowing she had a trusted retailer nearby was especially convenient when she was painting her own home deck. She even found precisely the right shade of green. “It may have involved me trying about 50 samples of green paint,” she says. “Now I know the perfect olive green is Benjamin Moore Mediterranean Olive 2142-10.”
3. Shopping Small Means Finding Unique Products With Personality
Local art invites the opportunity to bring in a personal touch that many clients crave for their homes. For Campbell, adding a statement painting or art piece is essential to creating a personal experience for her clients. “We [at Amanda Louise Interiors] love adding that personality to a house by incorporating original art,” Campbell says, claiming many clients get bit by the “local art” bug in the process.
Finding unique products with personality makes the shopping part more fun — and the results that much more rewarding when individuality and joy are brought into each home.