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Think social media sites are all fun and games? Charlotte interior designer Barrie Benson can prove otherwise.
Benson has succeeded in using Pinterest to push her own brand into the mainstream.
She was mentioned in the January issue of Better Homes & Gardens as one of the top designers to follow on the Pinterest, where members “pin” images of things they love to an online pinboard as a way to share them with others.
“Some people say Pinterest is a total waste of time, but I beg to differ,” says Benson.
Benson joined the social networking site a year ago and now has more than 2,000 followers, with an average of 100 more new people signing up each week to see what she pins.
As one of the top tastemakers in the South, Benson’s Pinterest pages have become a digital showroom for her designs, which are a blend of modern and traditional.
Among the images she has pinned is a photo of the little cafe tucked into Reid’s Fine Foods that she designed, a snapshot of the dark wood dining table that she paired with painted white chairs and a look at the closet she created for a friend.
Benson says she also promotes talented friends on Pinterest, under the heading “Talented Peeps I Know.” She includes Charlotte boutique owner Laura Vinroot Poole of Capitol and the Poole Shop, as well as fellow Charlotte interior designer John Bossard.
Underneath the image is the link to the site where each of her posts originated, which is great way to find new sources for things you’re interested in.
“I know all this new technology is cutting into what little time we have to be quiet, but I really do find Pinterest to be beneficial,” she says.
