I was thrilled when I got to meet Amy Howard at High Point market. I first became familiar with Amy Howard and her furniture collection while reading a Southern Accents magazine a few years ago. I fell in love with the collection immediately. I was so taken with her furniture collection that I convinced a friend of mine to use her furnishing in her newly renovated home. We furnished my friend’s home almost solely with Amy Howard furnishings. I love her collection because it is high styled without being overly fussy. I find that it has a Southern charm. When I met Amy, I was not the least surprised that she radiated the same Southern charm.
Amy began her career as an artist, studying decorative arts and mural painting in New York and San Francisco. In 1984, she returned to her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, where she taught decorative arts while painting murals and finishes in homes and commercial establishments. Although she enjoyed the work, her real dream had always been to design and build her own furniture.
Beginning in 1991 Amy Howard’s dream was realized as Amy and Gene, her husband, whose support and partnership have helped launch a dream into a reality, began creating decorative room divider screens in the garage of their Memphis home. That year her antique screens, based on 17th Century design elements, were sold to antique stores and individuals in the Memphis area. The business soon outgrew the garage as Amy began restoring and hand-painting antique furniture for her customers.
Eventually, Amy was able to grow this small endeavor into her full-fledged dream: The Amy Howard Collection, in which she designs and builds her own furniture with its unique style and unfettered class. Today, Amy’s furniture collection includes more than 300 high-end pieces and is sold by retailers across the nation, as well as by many interior designers.
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