Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Stephen Brown's Glitterville Studios

From a dreamer to a doer, Stephen Brown creates a unique handmade aesthetic in his studio called Glitterville, where he takes designs dreamed up on walks and brings them to life on the studio floor. As former actor, costume designer and 5th Avenue window display artist, Stephen's creative streak runs deep. “I always loved holidays," Stephen says. "My Nana would always craft with me, and we would start crafting for Christmas in June. All the other kids were getting really excited that Christmas Day was coming, but the closer Christmas came, the sadder I got. Because the minute people unwrap their gifts on Christmas Day, it’s pretty much over. So I remember one Christmas my nana saying to me, ‘Well, we have to get up tomorrow and we have to make something else because we have to make every day a holiday.’"

"I was always sort of a dreamer kid," Stephen says. "I have a report card where the teacher said, ‘He’s always daydreaming. And that’s going to cause him trouble.' And while that’s probably true, the flip side of that is when you’re a creative person and you have an imagination, unless somebody else tells you that you can’t do these things, then everything is possible."

"After I graduated high school, I went to study costume design for television and film," Stephen says. "I immediately moved to New York, started working lots of crazy jobs and doing things that people said you can’t do, like designing windows on 5th Avenue."

While in NYC, Stephen started making ornaments for people while he was working as a costume designer. One day someone mentioned he should start trying to sell them. He took the chance, traveled to AmericasMart in Atlanta and was able to successfully sell the ornaments, accepting a deal with holiday collectible Department 56. He worked with them for a few years before moving on to found Glitterville with Bryan Wilkerson, head of the art department at a local college, in 2003. Bryan eventually returned to his teaching position after the birth of his son, leaving Stephen to continue developing the Glitterville brand. What originally started as a small studio operation has now grown into a glittery, multi-city operation with trade showrooms in several states. You can also visit and shop the Glitterville Studio Store in Knoxville, Tennessee.