Today we’d like to introduce you to Carey More
Hi Carey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve worn a lot of hats! I’ve always been independent and run my own businesses. I started life in London, modeling and acting with my twin sister Camilla. Double mint commercials, Friday 13th Part 4, Once Bitten with Jim Carrey, and then starring in the French movie “Le Jumeau” with Pierre Richard. I settled in Paris and eventually married and had my daughter Manon. But photography has always been a passion of mine since starting darkroom classes at 17. My mentor fashion photographer, Mike Berkofsky thought my talent was in Landscape photography. I was drawn to being in nature and catching different lights, loving foggy and misty as well as sunrises, so I focused on that and working with my father writer Julian More we collaborated on 7 landscape books (“Views from a French Farmhouse, Views from the Hollywood Hills, Views from a Tuscan Vineyard, Impressions of the Seine, etc) and 2 cookery books. “A Taste of Provence” won the Alexandre Dumaine award for best culinary book in Paris which we always found to be quite comical as we are English! My books led me to work on magazine articles for GQ, Elle Decor, the NY Times, and other publications, and upon moving back to Los Angeles in 1991 l started selling my photographs in a gallery in Pacific Palisades. My boyfriend was a brilliant carpenter and we framed the works very artistically. Suddenly people were asking if I could frame their works of art and before I knew it I had developed a line of mirrors for Shabby Chic. This grew into a complete custom line of furniture, from a baby line to beds, armoires, and lamps, called Carey More Designs. I moved up to Santa Barbara where I had a warehouse and 8 employees creating the pieces to ship out weekly across the country. I loved designing the furniture, inspired from visiting the flee markets in Provence, and my interest in interior design and appreciation for homes and style grew. After 9/11 unfortunately a lot changed in the furniture world and I found myself unable to compete with the Chinese knockoffs and I did not want to go to China and change with the times. So I closed the business and moved back to Los Angeles It was a very sad moment in time. But from this, I started over and created Hidden Chic Villas! Starting in France, I began collecting beautiful furnished rental properties for short-term holiday vacations. It was before the big companies like VRBO and Air B n B started up and I had great fun building my website of properties around the world! Especially visiting them and getting familiar with the different countries. I’ve had the company for 12 years now and I’m known at The Agency for being the go-to person for Luxury rentals. I have some very loyal clients who come back to me every year wanting to go somewhere new! I got my Californian Real Estate license nine years ago when I realized that a lot of guests in my rentals were also looking to buy property and I thought it would be beneficial to be able to help them with that too! Ive been with The Agency in Beverly Hills for 2 years now and I love it. It was always my dream to make it into The Agency so now what’s next???!!!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel I have been very fortunate in many of the opportunities that have come to me, through people I’ve met and situations that have presented themselves. But it has not been a smooth ride, though I do believe when one door closes another will open. I have been incredibly broke, unable to see where the next penny is coming from, as being a photographer does not always bring in a lot of money. There is prestige in having books published and a lot of joy, but the residuals are not huge. I realized that making money was very important if I was going to travel and see life the way I wanted to. So my decisions to create Carey More Designs and the Hidden Chic Villas sprung naturally out of a desire to succeed in life. Juggling the profit and loss in any business is very important to control, as if you spend too much or have too many employees you can get into trouble. I try to keep a tight ship, but also like to splurge when it’s time to celebrate!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I just like to do my best at everything I do! Whatever the business I want to learn how to be the best I can be. I enjoy being creative and helping people. Today I still really enjoy photography and am trying to give myself more time in nature to pursue that. I’m working on another book about the South West of France with my sister, where she has a beautiful home.
Buying and selling Real Estate in California and running Hidden Chic Villas is where I make my money, and I love to travel and see new places. Life is short so take the trip! I have a beautiful daughter, Manon, who is getting married this year. I’m very proud of her and I love my dog Cash.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I love to hike everyday early in the morning with my dog Cash. I find it peaceful and inspiring, before the world gets going, to just be in nature and contemplate the beauty of life, and how grateful I am for everything. My favorite hikes are in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.careymore.com, www.hiddenchicvillas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenchicvillas/https://www.instagram.com/careymoreproperties/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenchicvillas/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carey-more-1314a514/
Image Credits
Carey More
Sebastian Giefer
Manon Manoeuvre
