We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful BEETLE HILLERY. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with BEETLE below.

BEETLE, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

When I took my first trip to Palm Beach—after years of admiring Lilly Pulitzer and Suzie Zuzek—I felt this strange but wonderful sense of belonging. It was like discovering a second hometown! The similarities between Palm Beach and New Orleans were self-evident. Both destinations have this vibrant energy, rich culture, and a bold, joyful aesthetic that just pulls you in. They each have their own things going on, but celebrate life and creativity through color in such a beautiful way. Palm Beach is coastal and sun-soaked and New Orleans is tropical and has patina. Nature plays a huge role in both places—whether it’s the palms and ocean views of Palm Beach or the oak-lined streets and lush gardens of New Orleans. The architecture tells a story, too. Palm Beach has those grand Mediterranean Revival homes that feel so breezy and elegant and New Orleans has iron-laced French Quarter balconies and colorful creole cottages that reflect the city’s history and unique charm. What I really love is how both cities have their own vibes but revolve around the art of leisure. Palm Beach has this resort-style way of life—yachting, golf, relaxed luxury—while New Orleans thrives on music, food, and extravagant festivals like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Creativity and design are infused into each city, seen everywhere and valued. Palm Beach has manicured landscapes, distinct fashion and interiors and New Orleans is a melting pot of art and performance like the beaded garbs of the Mardi Gras Indians. Both cities are steeped in tradition but full of individuality. There’s so much appreciation for craftsmanship, local makers, and boutique experiences. That shared spirit—colorful, artistic, and full of life—is what inspired me to create Palm Orleans. It’s a brand that brings together the tropical sophistication of Palm Beach and the soulful, historic charm of New Orleans. It’s exciting to design fabrics and wallcoverings that are a perfect blend of both worlds.

BEETLE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in New Orleans — a city with a distinct and vibrant culture. It is filled with lush parks and gardens, ornate architecture, festivals, and a thriving art scene that instilled a creative spirit in me from a young age. My idea of playtime was being the editor of my own magazine or running a soap business (my cousin, Hillery, who currently works with me at Palm Orleans, drove me to a shop on the infamous Magazine Street to sell them — it was thrilling!). I loved the act of creating and pursued being creative in all endeavors. This led me to study and earn a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where I discovered that a recurring theme in all of my projects was pattern. While interning at Lily Pulitzer, I learned about the incomparable Suzie Zuzek, who was the artist behind the bold and joyful designs of the brand, and, also, that you could have a fulfilling and fruitful career as a textile designer. My path was set and I founded Palm Orleans in 2016 — a boutique fabric and wallcovering company that blends the unique charm of New Orleans with the sophisticated elegance of Palm Beach. The brand embraces the colorful and relaxed nature of both destinations, creating a style that is both playful and polished. Almost ten years later, I am living my dream as a creative and business owner. I work with my cousin out of a historic shotgun‑style house in the Bayou St. John neighborhood of New Orleans. The space is bold and joyful — a maximalist paradise with a pattern play of Palm Orleans fabrics and wallcoverings layered with rich textures, tropical touches and a menagerie of curated objects. It is visually stimulating and an engaging space that inspires creativity. Interior designers are welcome to visit our headquarters by appointment only as our business sells direct to the trade for now. We do, however, have a few retail items that we sell on Chairish from various collaborations and projects. Our neighbor happens to own an upholstery studio, called Spring and Twine, so we have been giving locally-sourced furniture a Palm Orleans glow-up! This has been a really fun venture that allows us to work with other individuals in the community — upholsterers, wood workers, chair caners, painters, estate and vintage sellers, etc. New Orleans has so much to offer that we practice gratitude on a daily basis that it is our hometown and continues to give us so much inspiration. We give back to the community and our city that we hold so dear by donating and participating in charitable events, like our favorite, Art in Bloom, that takes place every spring and benefits the New Orleans Museum of Art. We value community and enjoy participating in Design Social Pop-Ups around the US, where we can have face-to-face conversations with our dream customers and build relationships with others in the creative community, as well. We cherish these personal connections. We want to be known for pattern and color and thrills and frills, but also authenticity. Personal heritage, formal design training, hard work, and dreams came together to build Palm Orleans. We hope for our motto of revelry and rest to inspire living a balanced life full of jubilation and reflection and a home that holds space for celebration and relaxation.

How did you build your audience on social media?

It is of the utmost importance to consistently tell your brand story. Social media is an invaluable tool to reach your audience, maintain momentum, and grow your business. Keeping up with Instagram posts was a daunting task until we implemented using an app that allows you to create and schedule your posts ahead of time. Funny story — I was having a conversation with a colleague and complimented her social media presence of late. She giggled and told me that she’d been work and even phone-free for a whole month while on a rafting trip! She said she used PLANOLY to plan her posts and my mind was blown! I have used it ever since that day. It has made managing Instagram significantly less stressful and has helped us be way more thoughtful and strategic with what we share. We try to schedule and plan out each quarter so we have at least a post a week. This helped us build our audience and continually share our brand story. We also try to balance professional install pictures with hard sells like new product launches and upcoming events with fun behind-the-scenes snippets and inspiring quotes to be as authentic and varied as possible.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Building our dream website on Shopify has honestly been a game changer. We built the site thoughtfully and we’re so proud of how it’s turned out. We wanted our website to feel like you were walking into our headquarters in New Orleans — a colorful, welcoming space full of personality. Our target audience is interior designers so we made sure the experience would be carter to their needs. We still joke that it feels like we’ve hired a full staff! We wear many hats, my cousin and I, as most small businesses do, and having a well functioning website has taken so much off our plates. It has made it possible to keep our team small while still growing in a big way. Your website is a home base for your brand — an 24/7 accessible portfolio that is not only beautiful but a way to communicate your brand story effectively. It is working even when you are not. It can be a resource for your clients, a selling station, and an organizational tool for you as well. I cannot recommend investing in a website enough —it’s a labor of love and an expense but totally worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Palm Orleans
• Instagram: palmorleans
• Facebook: palmorleans
• Linkedin: Beetle Hillery

Image Credits

Alison Gootee Photography @alisongootee