What’s Up

Today we’re installing a family room for a longtime client whose kitchen we just redid with our partner in crime, Mike Carr of CarrMichael Construction, and I can’t wait to see it all in person!!  It’s the first kitchen with my new tile in it and I’ll be sharing snippets of it today in my Instagram stories.  We’ve got another big install next week with another longtime client and this one has the most beautiful hand-painted delft tiles in the kitchen!!!  I love it when these projects we’ve worked for what feels like forever one finally get installed & our clients get to start living life in their homes!!

An older project of ours inspiring the direction of the kitchen in our rehab project

We are full-steam ahead in our Great Falls rehab property and I am serious pumped about this one!!! We’re redoing it with our Property Collective co-founders, Maura & Daan DeRaedt and it’s the type of house I would move right into… it’s got soul and we’re working on bringing it out as much as possible with tonal woods and tile, wood treatments throughout, and lots of patina.  (To read all about my inspiration for the project, go here.)  I’ve selected all of the tile, cabinetry,  plumbing and most of the lighting.  Almost all of the moldings in the house are being replaced along with all of the doors (no more hollow core!!) and we’re fully tricking it out!!   A MASSIVE window is going into the kitchen, along with windows in the upstairs bathroom (yay for natural light!!) a new master bathroom.  We’re refinishing the existing hardwood floors and tearing up the carpeting and adding hardwoods on the second floor and all of the carpeted rooms on the main level.  It’s going to feel like a new OLD house with a lot of character and I cannot wait to see it finished!!  If your’e interested in getting updates about the property, contact agent Daan DeRaedt here.

We found the most amazing vintage chesterfield for the living room!!! I love this one above found on pinterest!!

I’ve been getting asked a lot recently- with all of the product collections, flipping, book etc.-  if I’m still doing design work and the answer is a strong YES! We’re working on a few out-of-state projects now in Deer Valley, Sonoma, and Wisconsin (fairly close to my dad!!) along with some local ones for existing and new clients that I couldn’t be more excited about!!  (Be sure to check out @houseonwillowhill on Instagram for updates on an amazing collaboration we’re working on with CarrMichael Construction and Barnes Vanze Architects!!) While I am loving all of these new endeavors, I don’t think I could ever be without my client work.  It’s too exciting and I love it and the relationships too much to give it up…  My goal in the future is to maybe do a smaller # of projects per year so I can focus a bit on family and products a bit more but I don’t think I could ever give it up entirely.

The new Lauren Liess Collections

I also wanted to thank this amazing design community – SO MUCH- for the outpouring of support for my new furniture collections at Market.  It was seriously humbling and there are moments of Market I think about that make me teary (happy tears)— So many designer friends showed up to support the collections and it was incredible.  Some of the furniture makers and seamstresses from the factory visited and it was so amazing to have them there.  These are the people who put up with all of my tweaks throughout the development process and literally handmade these products and they’re just so talented!!!  I got to get to know many of the amazing reps for both Taylor King & Woodbridge Furniture selling our products and feel so honored to be working with them all.  They are such hard-workers and really made me feel welcome…  I gave presentations to the teams the first day I was there – which I was a bit nervous about- but they were all so receptive and warm and genuinely excited about the product which was awesome.   I got introduced to many of the amazing retailers who have decided to carry our product and feel so thankful for this crazy amazing opportunity.  The furniture collections will be available for sale in retail stores across the country soon (yay!!) and also on our Lauren Liess & Co. shop.  (If you’re a shop owner or designer interested in carrying either of the collections- reach out to the companies to set up an account.)

We had a couple of DOWN TO EARTH book signings and I got to meet so many talented designers from all over and catch up with old friends in the industry.  My trip ended with a big bang- a super fun joint Woodbridge- Taylor King Lauren Liess Collection launch party with live band and we all danced like crazy.  It was just SO MUCH FUN and I’ll never forget it.  I’m not sure I’ll ever get to experience something like that again it was so special.

Anyway, I’m off to the install, but have a great day!!

xo