A Bells & Becks woman is someone you know even without truly knowing her. She’s smart, savvy, put-together, accomplished—and doing it all with flair. These are the women we know, admire, and have in mind when we design. Featuring some of their stories here feels like the best way to celebrate all they’ve accomplished (plus, how they’re doing it with joy and great style). We hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us.
Take one look at Reed Smythe & Co., the legendary Nashville home goods store, and you know you’ve stumbled into something utterly one of a kind. Hand-blown glass ornaments, artisan-made pottery in the 19th century mochaware style, vintage walnut commodes, handsome bronze bottle openers crafted to capture the profile of a beloved canine companion—they all feel strikingly beautiful and unique, yet telegraph an eclectic, gently playful sensibility. That sensibility is Keith Meacham’s, whose curated collection of uncommon artisan-made home goods honors tradition while feeling perfectly at home in modern life.
Just don’t ask those artisans to hurry their works. “We are all about supporting artisans and bringing pieces to our collection that you don’t see coming and going,” she explains. “I’ve learned in working with artisans—who are making each piece lovingly by hand—that you can’t expect to get a beautiful ceramic platter or set of handblown glasses a week after you order them.”
We caught up with Keith for a window into her world, where she revealed her wisdom on major midlife career changes, party planning, her signature style uniform, and self-care goals for 2025—plus her tip for the season’s most thoughtful holiday gift.
How do you describe Reed Smythe?
Reed Smythe & Co collaborates with artists and artisans across the south and beyond to bring to our customers beautiful, unexpected goods for house, garden and table. We are all about supporting artisans and bringing pieces to our collection that you don’t see coming and going.
As someone who sells gorgeously giftable items, what is your go-to gift? And what do you want to receive this year?
My go-to gift changes based on the new artisans and pieces we bring into our collection, but I would say my top gift is a pair of our handblown bulb vases in jewel-toned colors, copied from Victorian originals. I give them with a pair of narcissus bulbs and instructions on how to force bulbs during winter or to fill with daffodils in spring. I also love to give a large sterling silver wishbone object to newly-married couples. It’s so pretty and speaks of good luck and best wishes.
What have been some of the most notable wins while building your career?
I am most proud of having had the courage to totally change careers in midlife. I spent the first 25 years of my career in the field of public education, education reform and education technology. And I loved it! But when I turned 50, I started feeling the urge to dig deeper into my creative self. And so I took a risk and co-founded Reed Smythe. Sourcing craft and art to bring beauty into people’s homes is quite different from thinking about the way public schools are run. But I use a lot of the lessons I learned in my first career in my second.
Mix up the guest list so the people invited don’t all know each other. Makes it way more fun. And serve delicious food! My go-to menu is heavy on Southern party foods that my mother and grandmother served at their parties. Cheese straws and toasted pecans in silver bowls on the bar. Bite-sized biscuits with a slice of Virginia ham passed during cocktails. Bacon-wrapped dates. And lots of booze! I always have a full bar.
As you look forward into 2025, what are some of your top goals (personal or professional)?
- To schedule quiet time away from work, technology and people. I have one friend who wakes up an hour earlier than her family to read, meditate or even sit outside with a cup of coffee looking at the trees.
- To stop wearing Lululemon leggings when I’m not working out.
- To map out my business plans by quarters and not weeks! I’ve learned in working with artisans—who are making each piece lovingly by hand—that you can’t expect to get a beautiful ceramic platter or set of handblown glasses a week after you order them.
- To keep technology out of my bedroom. Every new year I set a goal of leaving my computer and phone in the kitchen at night. If I need to work late, the theory goes, I will go into my home office. So far, I’ve never kept this resolution. Many nights I fall asleep with my computer and phone in my lap! Not good!
Which best describes how you shop for your clothes?
Online and badly. I get boxes and boxes of clothes from brands I’ll see on Instagram, and nine times out of ten, I send all of it back. I seem to be good at choosing dresses for special occasions—a wedding, a charity party, a luncheon—but my day-to-day wardrobe is pretty boring. My closet looks like I wear a uniform.
What is your go-to outfit and why?
White blouse (usually with a little embroidery), black Nili Lotan pants, and flats. I have more flats than I do pants. I also love wearing my clogs and jeans with a cashmere sweater on the weekends.
What is the thing about your wardrobe that gives you the most joy?
It’s simple and reflects me. I don’t go in for many trends because they don’t work for me. Classic lines and lots of black, white, brown with a pop of bright yellow or green from time to time. No patterns. I love wearing dresses in summer…with flats or sandals.
How does wearing a great pair of shoes make you feel?
Shoes are so much easier than clothes and they elevate an outfit instantly. I can wear my uniform of white blouse and black pants and then I put on a pair of gold Mary Janes and the whole thing feels more fun and fresh. And anytime I’m invited to an event that requires a long dress, I wear the same Richard Tyler Couture dress I bought in 1996 but I buy a pair of hot pink or emerald green silk shoes and a new bag to make the whole look totally different.
Shoe Lightning Round
- Flats or heels? Flats
- Brights or neutrals? Both
- Trends or classics? Classic
- Pointy toe or round toe? Depends
