STYLE: Tracey Wooster Launches The Tracery

Tracey Wooster, who launched her interior design business in 2020, is a longtime art enthusiast, too. As she built her client base, she developed a reputation for incorporating original artwork into her design projects. Eventually, Wooster realized she was spending hours online trying to find original artwork that matched what she and her clients had in mind.

“I was always on the hunt, trying to source artwork for various projects,” she says. “I spent hours scrolling Instagram looking for original art, and I realized the process can be pretty intimidating for new buyers. There are appointments required, and prices are at the highest end of the spectrum. Even some online galleries only share pricing on request, which can be deterring for clients.”

Wooster, a 34-year-old Charlotte native, wanted to provide a service that could bridge the distance between artists’ original works and the homes they might fit into. In August, she launched The Tracery—a play on her name and an architectural term for a delicate branching pattern—as an extension of Tracey Wooster Design. 

The Tracery curates original work by emerging artists throughout the Southeast. Wooster sources pieces from her vendors, some of whom she knows personally, others whose work she just admires. Anyone can buy pieces from her collection. But when Wooster acquires a piece she thinks would work for one of her design jobs, she coordinates the purchase and installation. The artists gain another market for their art; Wooster and her clients save time and energy; clients have access to original pieces that complement their homes; and Wooster makes money by taking a percentage of the sale.

Wooster started with a 30-piece premier collection, with prices that range from $150 to $4,000, and hopes to expand her offerings. “I’ve found my interest in specific things, like design, and become curious about certain aspects, like antiques,” she says. “Art became a curiosity for me, and that evolved through my work as an interior designer.”

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know artists in the collective,” Wooster says. “My hope is not just to inspire people not currently buying original art but also grow this in such a way that it’s a platform for these artists.” Photo courtesy, Heather Icon Photography

The idea had percolated for a few years. But once Wooster decided to launch The Tracery, it took about eight months to assemble the collection from an initial group of 11 artists. “I wanted a variety,” she says. “Landscapes, abstracts, mixed media … and not all on canvas. Some are on paper or panels. The goal of the first launch was to find pieces that could be cohesive with an array of interiors. I was looking for things I could envision in homes that I’ve worked on.”

Wooster came by her love of design naturally. Her father was a developer, so she grew up going to construction sites and watching him transform spaces. But interior design wasn’t her original career goal. She attended Georgetown University and majored in economics and English, then studied accounting at Wake Forest University, where her husband graduated from. “He’s now a surgeon in Charlotte, but we went on a wild adventure for his medical career,” she says, “first to Durham, then to Minnesota for his fellowship.” 

Wooster worked in pharmaceutical sales until the birth of her first son in 2019. When they moved back to Charlotte a few months later, she decided to make a career change. “I didn’t want to take time away from my family if I wasn’t passionate about it,” she says. “I wanted something creative that didn’t require me to travel.” 

She began working with interior designer Whitney Sturge to get some hands-on experience and learn the business. “(Whitney) trained me and taught me everything I know about interior design,” Wooster says. “Then, a few months in, she told me it was time to spread my wings and fly.”

Tracey Wooster Design has done projects in Cotswold, Myers Park, and Eastover, and she’s working on a mountain house in Banner Elk. Her boys are now 4 and 2, and her guest room has become her fulfillment space and office. “It’s a disaster, full of art and fabric, but that’s where the magic happens,” she says. “Some days I’m doing invoicing, some days I’m looking at wallpaper samples, so no two days are the same for me.” 

Wooster hopes to take The Tracery from 11 artists to 30, and she wants it to be a resource for other interior designers hoping to find original artwork. For now, though, she’s just happy to merge her two business ventures. “Hopefully, I can help evolve someone else’s curiosity for original art,” she says. “I love knowing the story behind these pieces, and it’s nice to connect with the art in your home. It makes your home feel so much more curated.”

TAYLOR BOWLER is the lifestyle editor.