Featured Designer / Lauren Liess
Today we are excited to share an interview with Lauren Liess, a designer located in Virginia. We have always admired her extensive portfolio filled with beautifully timeless designs. Read as she gives insight to her path to design and inspirations behind her work.
Tell us about yourself. How has your career developed?
Lauren: Knowing I eventually wanted to open an interior design business, I started out staging properties for sale before shifting into full-service design. I started out working alone and eventually hired an assistant and then my husband (who was an English teacher at the time) as project manager. We now run the business together and since then, I’ve branched into product design, writing books, and flipping houses and we’ve opened up a brick and mortar and online shop, Lauren Liess & Co, along with a local real estate brokerage. We’re currently designing our first ground-up spec house for sale and I’m really loving the process.
What’s your favorite part of the design process?
Lauren: I love figuring out the vibe for a house and/or property and creating a project language that will guide the entire process. I especially love looking at projects holistically with a way of living in mind that incorporates gardens, food, music and general enjoyment of and excitement for living a special kind of life.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Lauren: I find a lot of my inspiration from nature, or maybe it’s that I feel more inspired when I’m out in nature…I also love visiting and looking at photos of historical properties and love all of the details seen in crumbling old European country homes and in primitive Colonial houses. I love plaster details and primitive, raw-feeling elements often found in photos of ancient, abandoned places. I don’t get to travel the way I’ve always wanted to with our 5 kids situation, but hope that we will get to a few years from now. I’m mostly living vicariously through photos online, on Instagram and in books right now.
Who are your biggest influences?
Lauren I love everything Brooke and Steve Giannetti do…I’ve known them since the early days of blogging and Brooke has always been a sort of mentor to me. Seeing the beautiful farm they’ve built always makes me want to add more pets to our menagerie.
