A native of North Carolina, Betsy Drake attended East Carolina University on scholarship and graduated in three years with a BS degree in interior design and went on the complete her Masters. For nearly twenty years, she owned and operated one of the largest independent high-end furniture and interior design businesses in eastern NC. She taught interior design at local community colleges for over eight years.
Betsy and her husband, fellow artist R.B. Hamilton, live in Greenville, North Carolina. They commute on weekends to their art studio on the Inner Coastal Waterway where they get inspiration for their unique and exclusive products — Betsy’s and R.B.’s original art printed on Betsy’s custom-designed pillows, wall art, placemats, tablecloths, coasters, guest towels, and even furniture.
Betsy conceived the idea for her products when she retired (temporarily) and closed her showroom. The remaining inventory of designer drapery fabric contained colors and prints that looked like they would coordinate well with her paintings. After designing several prototype pillows, she began offering them wholesale to local retail outlets. The rest is history. Betsy’s and her husband’s products now can be seen in numerous gift shops and home accessory stores.
