May 11, 2020

A bit of restructuring going on over here & our new shop

For years as I’ve been designing interiors I’ve thought about how when we design a home, we design a life and how every “purchase” we make and every little THING we bring into our lives is a design decision whether make it consciously or not.

We launched our new LAUREN LIESS AND CO shop just one month ago but it’s been years in the making. Before I opened my design firm when my first son, Christian, was a baby this store concept was a dream of mine and Dave’s and where we started before I landed on interior design.  (We originally named it “October Rain” because a huge drought had ended on our wedding day in October with a massive deluge and we 🤍d the day despite it being the worst weather ever.  (And we also love a good thunder storm.))  We’d just gotten married and were in our new home and I had this desire to create a collection of my favorite things- some that I would have made and others that we would buy from artisans.  But we met with manufacturers and very quickly discovered we didn’t have the capital to get it going so we put it aside.  The internet wasn’t what it is now and there weren’t nearly as many small artisans and businesses who were willing to work with smaller quantities that could be easily found.

Seven or so years later after that, we opened a showroom location for Lauren Liess & Co. open on Monday through Fridays in the Great Falls Village.  We ran our interior design business out of it and also sold furnishings and one-of-a-kinds to the public out of it, but after a year or so of it being open, I had to close the doors to the public because we couldn’t afford to properly staff it.  There wasn’t enough traffic to justify hiring an employee to handle customers, but enough customers that too much of my/ my design staff’s design time was being used in the shop and we were killing ourselves to keep up with our projects.  We stayed there a couple more years and offered hours by appointment, but when we bought this current house we’re living in, we tried bringing the business home again- I’d just had another baby and wanted to be home for her and we were trying to save and build a studio on the property.  Within a few months of trying the business at home again, we realized we needed to go back to a separate studio so we rented again at the Village and then eventually bought our building with our Property Collective partners.

This entire time we’d say “we need to get the online store up and running” but things just kept coming up and we didn’t have a spare second.  It was something that really nagged at me but we just kept pushing it off.  Every year I’d think how much I’d wished we’d started the online shop already and was a little frustrated that we hadn’t been able to get it together yet.

Enter quarantine -and the loss of some significant projects at work- and we figured, “it’s now or never.”   It’s not so much that we have extra time right now- because with five kids at home that’s a joke and my work hours are all sorts of reduced and messed up with feeding this crew- but it was this total disruption of our “normal” life that allowed me to step back and get some perspective.  I realized that even with everything going down around us I was worried and about pleasing (or displeasing) others from the moment I woke up to the moment my head hit the pillow.  People were dying and I was heartbroken and scared but still worrying about curtains.  Over the years, I’d allowed the pressure to please my clients (whom I seriously love) to grow until it was a way of life and everything else came second to it.  No matter how hard I tried to put my family first in terms of giving them time (I’ve never lost sight of that) it just kept feeling harder and harder.

I schedule in quality time with the kids so it doesn’t get skipped over.

To explain it properly, I’m not someone who necessarily “stresses…”  I feel okay inside because I spend all of my time and energy in action, trying to make things go well, but I get disappointed when I “wake up” from work and see how much time has passed and how much I’ve missed in real life.  I figured out a while ago that for me, there is no true “balance” of work and life and that things are always changing and I always have to be fighting for some sort of “balance,” and that at sometimes I get more family and sometimes I get more work time and that’s okay.  But this time quarantined has made me realize how being on call almost all the time for so many people is becoming too much for me.  I love what I do but I can’t keep it up at this pace.

Photo by Jonathan Timmes for this article in Northern Virginia Magazine

I love my clients so much, but as I have begun to add product lines and opened up a real estate brokerage, started flipping houses, manufacturing textiles, knives and a bunch of new things, writing books and creating weekly videos, I have realized that to be truly good to them and to have any semblance of motherhood at home, I need to take on a smaller number of projects per year, which of course, majorly reduces the profitability and income of Lauren Liess Interiors, our main source of income.

I’ve had a shop before and I know all-too-well that it too can be all-consuming, but I’ve realized that a lot of the pressure I feel comes from being so highly involved in so many projects at once- my head space just isn’t clear enough.  I’m the lynchpin for most things at work and with the shops and product lines, I’m not the only one.

Del & Tara at Taylor King, who I’ve partnered with for my upholstery collection. Total lynchpins and I’m so thankful for them!!

Before the virus hit, we were (and still are!) planning to open a brick and mortar shop again in the Village Center with a kitchen showroom and design studio component, and so I’d already started ordering product to sell for our opening (planned for May) and it had started arriving in droves. When the stay-at-home orders hit, we realized we had to push go on the online store now or our inventory would be sitting for months and months.

We’ve started by going off our original “October Rain” catalog – many of those pieces are actually in my furniture lines today!- but are adding categories like “KIDS” and “APPAREL” that we didn’t really have any thoughts about when we were 25 years old but that we now see have an impact on daily life at home.  Every day, we are receiving product and I’m photographing it all as soon as possible, loading it online and then trying to share it on social media.  99% of our purchases currently come from Instagram and I’ve learned that if I don’t post about the shop every day on there- in part I think because it’s new and in part because I think this is how life probably is now- we don’t sell much.

Dave now works literally ’round the clock packing (He was up for 33 hours one day last week packing) and we are total newbies in this new business just trying to learn and make a go of it.  He’s exhausted but so glad we’re doing it.  He says I seem more present and more free again… To be honest, I want this to work so badly that it makes me teary to even hope it could work.  I haven’t exhaled yet and am afraid to believe things could change but I’m hopeful.  I know everyone is saying online sales are crazy right now because of the virus so I’m preparing myself for when it’s over and trying to figure out how to make sure our brand/ shop has staying power.  I have gotten in more time with the kids because Dave’s been so busy packing and I’m cherishing it.  We’re up half the night trying to enter products and purchase new ones because any spare minute is spent on client work or packing.  In about a month and a half, we’ll begin moving the operation out of our house into the warehouse where our cutlery company will be shipping out of and we should get to a more sustainable pace at home.  If Dave can be freed up a bit from backing, he’ll be able to help me with inventory loading (we have thousands of products to add right now!) and management and I’ll have more time to create new products and keep our design projects and my books going.

I get lots of emails from people who want to start design firms asking how we started ours (I’ve written a few posts on it in the past if you’re interested) but the biggest eye-opener for me in business is that I have NEVER feel like I’ve “made it.” I used to think, “Oh when this happens, it’ll get easier” or “If I achieve this, then it will work out” blah blah but the truth is that whatever level of business or a career you’re operating at, you’re ALWAYS trying to achieve something and keep paychecks for you and your employees coming through the door.  I’ve talked to friends in the industry who are way further along in their careers than me and they’ve shared that they have these same challenges.  No one seems to feel like he/she has it figured out and we’re all constantly shifting and adapting.  When you expand, you have more bills to pay and have to take in more business/ income, and when you shrink, you have to get deeper into the weeds.  I’ve done it both ways and both present their own challenges.  At different phases of life, certain things work and certain things don’t work.  I’ve learned to try to be fluid.  So what I know about what we’re getting into is that there isn’t some  magical “fix-all” for me/ our business but I know that I’m a “man of action” (Princess bride anyone??) and I like to make changes to try to better my situation, knowing I can continue to adapt as needed.  I really try not to ever give up on improving our businesses and the overall structure into which they all fit.  So, here we go with another baby business and I’m hoping she can eventually make it!

I’ll be sure to post as we add new things.  I’m still learning our numbers and how much inventory for each product make sense so please forgive me for the “sold out” stuff- I’m working on it and we’ve got more on the way! I’m working on my photography and apologies in advance for the LL APPAREL pics- I’m not a model in any sense of the word but I’m all I’ve got right now so we’re just going with it.  One day I hope to be able to have real models.  We’re going to keep trying to improve it.

And before I head out, I want you to know that I hope you’re doing okay.  I know so many of us are worried out loved ones and have lost them and are struggling to pay bills and have no idea what the future holds and that seeing all the “pretty” things on social media can be hard or painful and feel like a slap in the face.  I’ve heard from moms who live in apartments who are watching their children struggling with being stuck inside all the time who have said their kids like our pictures and from grandmothers who haven’t been able to see or hold their grandkids and some who haven’t even been able to meet new grandbabies who said they enjoyed hearing about our kids seeing my mom through the windows.  I generally don’t share a lot of my fears and negative thoughts on social media because I personally like to feel uplifted by what I’m viewing on social media and I have so much to be thankful for that I don’t want to complain or be ungrateful.  I don’t show photos of our bed covered in laundry or the kitchen bombed beyond recognition or some of the more difficult parts of my life because I want this to be a generally positive place for people.  Most everyone of those I hear from say that they like to see the bit of “pretty”/nature/ family/life/ interiors I share and that it’s a bit of an escape for a moment, but a couple of you have expressed that it feels like showing off when others are struggling so I want you to know I’m sorry about that.  None of what I share is ever meant to show off, I honestly share it because I think a lot of people actually get enjoyment out of it and because my family’s income literally depends upon in.  So if I have hurt you by sharing positive parts of my life or photos of pretty interiors, I’m truly sorry about that hurting you.  My intentions are to make people feel good and excited or inspired to try things around their homes- never to make them feel bad.  I don’t believe that not posting is a solution though – and have gotten a lot feedback from readers asking for me to continue as I have been- and I really hope you can try to understand where I’m coming from.  I truly wish everyone reading the very best and don’t ever want anyone to feel excluded or uncared about.

Hang in there and am sending love to you all.  Be safe.

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Guest
3 years ago

Lauren! You are a beautiful breath of fresh air, and probably the biggest reason I still have any social media. There’s a hopefulness, substantiveness (is that a word lol??), and an honesty to your work and posts that is genuinely inspiring. And that sets a refreshing tone in the industry and on social media platforms—your leadership is admirable. Lots of prayers for this newest venture for your fam!

Guest
jennibell
3 years ago
Reply to  Leah Moss

Yes!!!

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  Leah Moss

Aw thank you so much Leah!! Sending you love!!!

Guest
3 years ago

HI Lauren, Your life-sharing blog is inspiring to so many! With a big family, I can only imagine the dishes in the sink and the laundry waiting to be folded, etc. Your are blessed and a blessing to others. Perfection does not exist–and it’s the imperfect that makes things whole. Blessings for the new adventures. Mary

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago

Thank you Mary!!
xo

Guest
Pursuit99
3 years ago

Oh Lauren, people have no idea what it must take to create your awesome blog. We all aspire to live beautiful lives; the photos you share are wonderful. We promise (or, at least I will) to remember those pics don’t just happen and that you are a real person just like the rest of us. I’m always excited to see an email notice from you. Just hang in there and ignore the crankies; they just haven’t figured it out yet.

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  Pursuit99

Thank you so much! xo

Guest
Teri
3 years ago

Don’t let the negative, judging comments get to you. You are doing an awesome job, and I appreciate EVERY post. We are all just trying to do our best in these difficult times, and you are making it easier for me to endure!

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  Teri

Aw I’m so glad to heat it helps- thank you so much!! xo

Guest
jennibell
3 years ago

I love your posts like this. Honest and chock full of “real” information. No apologies necessary – it is your JOB to bring happiness and inspiration to your readers!
I have followed you since your trilevel and have been cheering you on all this time. Your life, choices, family, and business are fascinating to me. I think we would be friends IRL 🙂
It’s interesting to read/hear how these say-at-home orders have changed everyone…glad it gave you time to get your online sales up-and-going!

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  jennibell

I think so too!! 🙂 Thank you so much!! xoxo

Guest
Emily B
3 years ago

Wonderful post, Lauren! It may seem crazy to some that anyone would get upset by seeing pretty pictures, and to others the opposite (that anyone could not understand how they’re feeling) seems crazy. It’s a (worthy) challenge to try to understand all perspectives, and you do a great job lovingly reaching out to everyone, which is so sweet 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration (both aesthetic and interpersonal)!

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily B

Thank you so much Emily!!

Guest
bubu2
3 years ago

Never posted before but just wanted to say I really loved both your books – rarely have I so slowly and thoroughly savored an interior design book because it was just so enjoyable — and even showed parts to my husband and sons, who are generally not that into these things either. We have our dream lake house fully in mind now! On a more practical note: your textiles are beautiful but I have no real need for more curtains in my life. Would love to put some in rotation as table cloths – does that seem feasible? How would one go about ordering the right amount or finishing it? thank you!

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  bubu2

Thank you so much!! For table cloths I would recommend the fabrics that have white backgrounds. We use an eco-friendly printing process and the darker dyes will fade more and distress in the wash.I personally love that look and If you check out some of the fabric listings I show photos of some of them washed. Thistle in sepia and Wild chicory in olive are both shown washed on the website. The lighter faded lines that are on the wild chicory are what happens when you wash them. https://shop.laurenliess.com/collections/ll-textiles

Guest
bubu2
3 years ago
Reply to  purestylehome

Thank you!

Guest
Polly Berseth
3 years ago

I really enjoy your blog and find it inspiring. I never have the impression that you are showing off, I think some folks are sharing their unhappiness with the world. I love having natural elements in my home, dried flowers, yard branches, etc and like to see yours. Thanks for sharing.

Guest
purestylehome
3 years ago
Reply to  Polly Berseth

Thank you so much Polly 🙂

Guest
Audra
3 years ago

I don’t do social media but have been reading your blog from the beginning because I’ve learned from and have been inspired by your work. And your kind thoughts and struggles as a working mom resonate with me. I was happy to see your shop. It’s a great curated collection. I love love love your Giselle’s Web design and was thrilled to see a pillow available if I can find a place for it. The few gifts I bought from your shop for our kids brightened their day and made my working at home a little easier. I hope the shop is a success for you! I was thrilled to see your furniture is sold near me (we’re off the beaten path so it was a surprise). Maybe one day after our childcare costs go down! Thank you for sharing your work, and for being a design break for me during worrisome times.

Guest
Hannah
3 years ago

Hi Lauren! I love reading your blogs and i’m so inspired while i’m reading this. That place gives me strength and relax feeling. Thanks!

Hannah | plaster caster stucco homes wallboard

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Franzi Krueger
3 years ago

Very interesting read, beautifully written:) It looks amazing !

https://www.einrichtungsradar.de/

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Ellie DeWitt
3 years ago

You create beauty and share it with the world! That’s a joyful act of love. Don’t apologize!

Guest
3 years ago

I have a shopping cart site on Joomla. I want to add my wordpress blog to my joomla site. How do i do this? Many sites suggest using a tool called joomblog, but joomla shut that product down because messes with the core modules of the site. . . What do i do?.

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Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that
you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit,
but instead of that, this is fantastic blog.

A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.

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