In a recent interview for Manner of Style the owner of Niche Interiors, Matthew Bees, divulged his not so typical artistic and decorative influences. Bees, a University of Alabama alum and avid sports fan to boot, claims that initially he had intended on pursuing a career as a lawyer. However, in his own words, "It only took one semester of Latin and Philosophy for me to find my way over to the Interior Design program," and the rest is history.
Growing up in rural Southern Alabama, Matthew drew his inspiration to pursue interior design from a combination of his grandmother's background as a floral phenom and his parent's entrepreneurial spirit. Matthew claims he,"took note of those works, and I began to experiment. However, my parents were both entrepreneurs and busy starting and running their respected empires. So our property was well manicured and low maintenance, similar to what one finds surrounding a hospital. So I took to the woods. I would spend hours on my four wheeler searching for wild flowers and grasses. Each day I would bring my finds home and arrange them for my mother. (Lucky her!!!) Sometimes she would bestow my creations on her office staff. They just couldn't believe I had done these floral masterpieces." Thus began his journey to develop his passions into a lucrative career in interior design.
Throughout his adolescence he had the pleasure of working for several event design firms. These opportunities helped him cultivate and hone his decorative and interior design skills. Bees argues that event design became somewhat depressing, "Here I was, designing these amazing spaces, hours and hours on end, up and down ladders, running to beat the clock, the drama, the sweat, the weight loss all for a few hours of splendor. I needed something more, and when I say more, I mean more permanent. I wanted to design something that stood the test of time, not a mere few hours. So I set out to open Niche."
In his description of Niche, you will also find why the interior design firm is sure to be a Charleston mainstay: Bees knows, "there is a new movement/momentum in Charleston that caused me to open Niche. These persons are finding themselves inheriting their parent’s homes and their parent’s furnishings. While Great Grandmothers camel back Chippendale sofa is a classic, Mothers butlers’ tray coffee table is less than desirable. Why not add a stylish coffee table that is pleasing to a younger aesthetic? That is what Niche is all about. Interpreting the old in a new way. The juxtaposition is the NEW classic."
Visit Niche Interiors at 163 King Street or call ahead to make an appointment for consulting services. Stop in and find your Niche!
