When interior designer Marie Curtis relocated to St. Louis from her native Jackson, Mississippi, seven years ago, she didn’t know a single soul.
“The first thing I did to learn about the city was compile a list of all the antique stores and malls, because that’s what I love; I went to all of them,” she says in a sweet drawl.
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Last fall, Curtis opened her own window-front booth in the popular Warson Woods Antique Gallery. It’s stocked with some of her favorite French and Italian antique furniture and accessories, including her signature line of restored antique picture frames. She discovered the frames through her grandmother, also a collector, and began searching for them on trips to antique malls.
“I’d find them and they’d need complete refurbishing, and before I knew it I had a large collection. I basically restored them,” says Curtis. “It was a process to learn how to do it, and a lot of trial and error.”
The frames and other accessories, including small French opaline boxes, helped Curtis build relationships with other local designers, who began carrying her collectibles in their own storefronts. Through these collaborations, referrals, and word of mouth, Curtis expanded her St. Louis network and built a clientele.
“If there’s a designer looking for a particular piece for a client and they come into the booth and see a rug that’s the right size, they reach out to me [for additional pieces], so I’m doing a lot of sourcing and I’ve made a lot of great friends. I’m just thankful for the other designers’ support,” she says.
Curtis’ booth at Warson Woods allows her to run a brick-and-mortar space without having to be there full time, which is perfect for her schedule as a busy professional and new mom. She spends as much time as possible with her baby daughter, Mabel Rose, between meetings with clients and regular trips around the country to source furniture and accessories. This week, she’s headed to Atlanta to check out some pieces and is awaiting a shipment of others found in Louisiana, California, and Texas.
“What I love about an antique mall is that you have so many different dealers in one space and everyone has a different look,” she says. “When you walk into my booth, you’re seeing some of my favorite pieces. These are things that inspire me and that I love.”
Right now, those include a couple of rare French terra-cotta urns and a pair of vintage hand-painted Parisian wallpaper panels that she’s had custom framed.
“You could call me a hoarder or a collector,” she laughs. “I wanted to make these things accessible to other designers and individuals, but when I’m working with a specific client, I just try to help them achieve their vision.”
