Our offerings include interior design, home staging, event decor, garden design, and outdoor living spaces. Interior Designer, Artist, Gardener, Taste Maker Julia Benn Born in Beautiful Barbados - the easternmost Caribbean island - Julia Benn is a celebrated daughter of the arts. Julia began performing as a little girl, honing artistic skills in stage productions/plays, studying piano, modern, jaz
z and Afro-Caribbean dance, and singing in both her church and school choirs. Her easily recognizable talent impressed her primary school teachers, who entered the young virtuoso in a myriad of competitions, including a national handwriting contest where she did her school proud. At the tender age of eight, Julia made her first trip to New york City, where her interest in the fine arts was sparked. It is from the kaleidoscopic, richly cultural environments of New York City, her native Barbados and extensive travels that she gets her inspiration and her work is reflective.Julia grew up in a household with her late mom and step-father. Her mother, Junifer was renowned for her sophisticated style and culinary artistry, her step-dad, a master joiner, from whom Julia developed her love and appreciation for bespoke furniture and fine interiors, was very instrumental in Julia choosing the interior design field. Julia also inherited creative genes from her father, Caribbean cultural icon, Dr. Anthony 'Gabby' Carter and from her late grand-father Unis Benn, who was a choir director and Agriculturalist.When she was 19, Julia took her first interior decorating course at the Barbados Community College. She later went on to further her studies at the American College in London (now called the American Inter-Continental University) and the Sheffield School of Interior Design, (renamed New York Institute of Art and Design) where she received an award of merit for excellence in interior design. She has consulted on Interior Design for the former All-Inclusive Almond Beach Resorts in Barbados and St.Lucia. She also decorated the Almond Beach Club's wedding centre and spa. Julia's design work is eclectic, fusing many different styles ranging from traditional and transitional to contemporary, creating interesting contrasts, evoking Caribbean and tropical touches. Her savvy skills are also beautifully demonstrated in calligraphy, tablescapes and special event decorating.Julia received her only formal art training at the Alexandra School, Barbados and is for the most part self taught. Her paintings and murals are both realistic and abstract and her topics include dance, carnival and dream-like landscapes. She does several other themes, among them nudes and portraits. Her works are in acrylics, oils, pastels, watercolors, charcoal and pencil.In 2009, Julia opened The JulBeArt Design Studio and Art Gallery in Speightstown, Barbados. During its four-year history, she featured her works as well as other local artists'. The studio was featured in a two part series on the television program 'Morning Barbados' and was often visited by countless Barbadian students.Having resided in: Barbados, Delaware, New York City, London, England; Cleveland, Ohio; Savannah and Marietta Georgia, Julia now makes Maryland her home. Her hobbies include music, dancing, writing, cooking, organic gardening and photography.
