By Staff
CREATIVE FRIENDS Cheryl Rainey, left, and Carol Brown are the owners of Redesigns a business the gives homes a fresh new look. Photo by Penny Randall/The Meridian Star
By Penny Randall / staff writer
June 22, 2003
It's common for Carol Brown and Cheryl Rainey to walk into someone's home and start moving furniture and knickknacks around.
Brown and Rainey say they have found their niche in life with their 4-year-old business one that helps homeowners create a fresh, new look using existing furniture and decorations.
Just like the name of their business, the two "redesign" people's homes.
Brown describes herself as favoring a contemporary style of home design, while Rainey said she prefers a more traditional style of design.
Brainstorming ideas
The idea for the business came about when Brown visited a local country club for a meeting.
Following the meeting, Brown walked into the clubs manager's office and introduced herself. She told him about her idea and asked if she could redesign the room.
Brown and Rainey don't consider themselves interior decorators.
Learned experience
Brown and Rainey gained experience from years of remodeling and decorating their own homes.
The women became friends in their early 20s, when their husbands were attending Mississippi State University in the late 1960s. They have remained friends even though both have re-married.
Rainey has worked in the retail clothing industry and in advertising. Brown has worked in real estate and formerly owned Something Special in Meridian a women's boutique.
Brown said her dream was to be a designer. But, she said, "I was from Chunky, a small town, and my mother said to me, You need to go and get an accounting degree.'"
You do it so well'
But it was the two women's children who inspired them to consider starting a business.
When Brown and Rainey start a job, they ask the woman of the house a few questions: Where does her husband sit to watch television, what side of the bed does he sleep on and what's important to her.
Rainey said that people tend to make the mistake of thinking they need more stuff when they actually have too many things in a room.
Three main rooms
Brown and Rainey start by redesigning the living room, master bedroom and dinning-and-kitchen combination. They also have done children's rooms and bathrooms and even organized closets and kitchen cabinets.
Their service is for all incomes and all homes. Most redesigns can take place in a days time.
Said Brown: "When you have a calm house, you're calm. If you are organized then you don't spend your time looking for things. You spend it having fun."