Mollie Creason is a born and raised Southerner, the kind that believes the mark of a good home is one that’s filled with “your grandmother’s antique dresser alongside a contemporary mixed-media painting, because it creates layers, and most definitely tells a story.” In other words, she’s the perfect example of the New Southern.
Furthermore, Creason is making waves in her native Louisville, Kentucky, as a young art broker and entrepreneur. She launched Well + Wonder in 2015, an online collective of carefully curated art from a talented group of emerging Southern artists. “From the beginning, it has been my motivation to present artwork to customers who may be intimidated by buying art. My overall goal is to make art and up-and-coming Southern talent accessible to clients. My artists are young and talented from all over the South, which creates an aesthetic that numerous people are drawn to, not just Southerners,” Creason explains.
We sat down with the ultimate champion of Southern design to get her take on trends, travel, and the importance of being truthful.
Alyssa Rosenheck: Have you always lived in your hometown?
Mollie Creason: I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, by my parents who engrained traveling and collecting art in me at an early age. During my college years, I studied art history and English literature at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. I loved it there, so I decided to spend several more years in the city before moving back home to Kentucky. Once I settled down, I married my husband, Scott, and I now have two young children (William, 5, and Francie, 2,) who keep us very busy.
AR: What makes a house a home?
MC: A home needs to feel lived in. In addition, a home needs objects and treasures that cannot be purchased in a store, as well as have value. My home is filled with family heirlooms (and “hand me downs”) and art that I have collected from traveling and visiting artists across the South, but more importantly, it is a gathering spot for our family and friends.
AR: In your line of work, what trends are you seeing in Southern style?
MC: I see clients who are not afraid to mix traditional with modern
Sallie Robbins, Downy III
Hannah Betzel, Pillow Talk
Sallie Robbins, Whisp
Susie Bettenhausen Painting
Caroline Swetenburg Studio
Amanda Norman, Palm to Palm V
AR: What do you attribute Well + Wonder’s growth and success to?
MC: I believe our growth has happened organically, which has played a huge role in our success as a company. We have grown by presenting our talented artists, traveling new places, and telling our story to everyone we meet along the way. Because of these opportunities and experiences, we have really gotten to know our customers, as well as learned how to meet their demands.
AR: What advice do you have for young, female entrepreneurs?
MC: Jump in! I dove in and began the process of starting my own business while I was six months pregnant with my second child. You really cannot wait for the perfect time, but take the risk because I promise it is so worth the reward
Chambers Austelle Studio. Photo: © Leslie Ryann Mckellar
Jenn Thatcher, City on a Hill
AR: Where do you go to get inspired?
MC: Everywhere! To me, there is nothing more inspiring than travel. I love the beach, but I also have to get to the mountains. My husband and I are in the middle of planning for our next big overseas adventure—the south of France.
AR: What advice have you gotten along the way that made all the difference?
MC: Be honest and be authentic. As cheesy as it sounds, staying true to you, both personally and professionally, will take you farther than you’d ever expect.
AR: What’s your favorite housewarming gift?
MC: A watercolor painting of the family’s new home by Nashville artist Amanda Norman. Or, if I am short on time, a bottle of bubbly
EMYO Artist in Studio
AR: Design book you’ll always have on your shelf?
MC: Beautiful by Mark D. Sikes. His style is stunning and timeless, and I am all about blue and white.
AR: The greatest color combination that ever existed?
MC: I adore anything and everything with a pop of red
