Chatting with Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home


This week on The Skirted Roundtable we welcome blogger and interior designer Lauren Liess. You probably love her popular blog - Pure Style Home - as much as we do, so be sure to tune in! Lauren is so talented and inventive. She is full of wonderful ideas that you can take with you to use in your own house. We were captivated by the recent renovation of her new house and were full of questions for her.




Her entry is so great! Lauren tells us all about the framed prints she used on the walls.




Her living room - the furniture arrangement changes daily it seems!




Another view of her living room, another arrangement. Her husband stenciled the faux fireplace wall. It's phenomenal!



Lauren's dining room with the oversized print. Lauren tells us all about the print and where to order one of your own.



The playroom - Joni tells us how she ordered a lantern just like Lauren's for $89.00 after Lauren sourced it for her. Sweet Lauren!



Lauren's new baby's nursery. She and her husband printed that fabric themselves. Don't ask!




The breakfast room - the wallpaper is so cute!!!!



The kitchen - we talk about Lauren's disastrous episode with painting her appliances stainless steel - it doesn't work, btw.



Where it all started. Before the Liess' moved into their new home, they lived for almost a year in her parents basement. She totally transformed the empty space into an adorable home. Here is her office from those times.


Be sure to tune in to listen to Lauren Liess, our guest this week. You'll be ready to go out and redo your own place too! To check out Lauren's blog, go HERE.

Also, let us know what other bloggers you would like us to interview. We would love to know who you would like to hear! As always, thank you for your support.
     

   

Comments

Oh fun, I love Lauren! Great to hear you live and in person, Lauren. I get so inspired by your home and style. Would you please post where you got that lantern? I couldn't understand where you got it from on the audio.

Thanks!
Rhoda
Anonymous said…
How about Phoebe and/or Jim Howard for a future guest interview?
Another great podcast, ladies. Lauren is one of my favorite bloggers so it was great fun to hear what she had to say so thank you for featuring her.

And Megan: It sounds like you're a natural born painter. I paint and that's what I do everyday, break down colors into separate components. Let me know if you decide to pick up a brush. :)
Terry said…
Terrific again.I can't understand the name of the company she used to blow up the prints. (at 16:15) Can y'all spell it out for me?
Linda Merrill said…
WizardPrints.com http://wizardprints.com/

I think the lighting was CSN stores http://www.csnstores.com
Terry said…
Thanks so much to Ms. Liess and the GSO's.
Here is the url as a link:
http://wizardprints.com/
I can't wait to listed to this podcast, Lauren is one of my favorite bloggers! I'd love to hear from more bloggers but the one that comes to mind is Jenny from The Little Green Notebook! She's got amazing style!
a lovely being said…
I'd love to see an interview with Ruthie Sommers or Summer Thornton!
Mona Thompson said…
Enjoyed the interview very much. Lauren is precious and very talented. I'm happy for her success.
Lauren is amazing! loved hearing about all her DIY's !
Elizgonz said…
Lauren is one of my favorites. Such great style and so down-to-earth. Her work speaks to me because her projects for her own home are done on such a budget. I felt the same way when I was following Linda's kitchen project. Good work!

Would love to hear from Nick Olsen.
Love Lauren's creative talent. She thinks outside the box and comes up with such beautiful designs. One of the projects that I especially love is her rustic backyard table made from old wood. Also such fun to see a couple working so well together on projects.
Joni, Megan and Linda,

Oh, this was so fun! I've been reading Lauren's lovely blog for two weeks now, and I listened to this as I was finishing an order in my studio. It's so nice to match a voice with her writing. Lauren has such a wonderful sense of style and the transformation of her house is so inspirational. (I actually went backwards and read all her older posts!)Loved the story about the fridge. Now, if Lauren's fridge died tomorrow and she had to buy a new one - would she buy a new stainless steel fridge or a new white one and paint it with chalkboard paint? That's what's so amazing - is what Lauren did in a "make-do" situation the best solution of all?
Concrete Jungle said…
Goodness I can't believe it is a year since I heard the first podcast!

Yet another great blogger 'introed' to me. Now after
almost an hour listening to you all I want to go trawl through all Lauren's past posts, I'll never get anything done! I loved the honesty of it all.

Megan I'm still waiting to hear about your floor colour...I find my polished concrete hides loads....
( 6 dogs, one cat and grown kids and pals still droppng in each day) maybe a lighter greyish tone?
Emily A. Clark said…
Loved listening to Lauren (although it took me over the span of 4 hours thanks to interruptions from my little ones. . . ). She is so creative and real; great interview.
This is going to be fun! I'm looking forward to listening. Lauren is such a wonderful, generous designer and blogger! I'm so glad you invited her here!

xo
Brooke
So much fun getting to meet and hear other bloggers. Lauren is so sweet and humble...you just instantly like her!
I'm fascinated about the subject of synesthesia. I don't associate colors with numbers but I do have very, very strong feeling and emotions about certain colors...and they are consistent. Same thing for numbers...strong dislike for certain numbers. I wonder if that is a form of synesthesia? Great roundtable!
Susan
Anonymous said…
Megan, could you please get over white floors and move on. We are a little tired of your angst and it's no longer interesting. We've beaten that dog enough.
Megan - keep beating away!

The "white floors" discussion was one of my favorite parts of the interview. It was interesting to hear Lauren speak from experience - the white floors look great, but out came the wipes to constantly clean!

I can barely sweep my floors, so this interview made it clear it that white floors are never for me!
72 and sunny said…
thanks Loretta, anon needs to chill. It's only decorating.

I'll make a point of discussing the half life of plutonium or something far more erudite next time.
I'm pretty sure everyone who sees it falls in love with Lauren's home.

So glad you did this feature!

I'm LOVING your blog!
Anonymous said…
Megan has asked the entire blogosphere what she should do about her floors and thinks we ought to chill - Really? Actually Megan you have wasted a lot of air time and print on the subject. It has become a way of upstaging the guest. I would suggest you either get on with the job or drop the subject. You are no longer interesting.
pve design said…
Lauren is lovely and her designs are a reflection of her senses. I think it is remarkable - all that she does!
pve
mdh design said…
I love Lauren's entry framed prints. My prints have been in matching black frames for years and I would love to update the look with frames similar to Laurens. Are they a neutral wood color? Love the thin lined frame. Wonder where to find similar?? Thanks!
Fargerike Dagny said…
Go Lauren!!! Great podcast (I finally had the time to sit down and listen to you guys, and you're fabulous as always :D)

xx
dagny
Anonymous said…
Loved this SRT. Lauren is so sweet and resourceful. Do you have the source for Lauren's entry light and the item number of the light from CSN? Also, I love her cowhide rug in her home and her client's home she posted about last week (dining room)do you have a source for those?

As someone who beats a dead horse, I say keep up the white floors! The only thing I notice is sometimes you ladies interrupt/talk on each other but interrupting is my worst habit so I am very concious of it.

Happy Anniversary and keep up the wonderful work!
Anonymous said…
For future reference (having heard Megan several times use this word) SWIFFER does not have a "T" in it. We Swiffer - not Swifter.
cotedetexas said…
Anon- since Megan is 1/3 of the show and she seems to really bore you and get on your nerves, perhaps you should just not listen. i tend to avoid things that aggravate me. perhaps you should too.

i AM glad that you seem to have moved from trashing me though. I assume that Linda will be the next victim of your venom.

life is just too short, you know? enjoy it! think positively for once - you might have a better outlook on this one and only chance we get on earth.

Joni
72 and sunny said…
I join Joni in suggesting you move along. I'm sure many people (myself included)are tired of the painted floor 'quandry'however, their social filter seems to be in place.

The Swifter/Swiffer comment was flat out ridiculous. If you work for SWIFFER or hold stock in Procter & Gamble that manufacturers SWIFFER, we are happily taking advertising. Please inquire about pricing for SWIFFER and you can bet I'll get the pronunciation correct.... if the price is right.

oh and also, I believe you'll find a few other design related podcasts out there that might suit your needs.

Good Luck with that and I hope you find what you're looking for.


big hugs
Linda Merrill said…
Actually, I wonder if P&G tested Swifter, because I think it's a better name. Quick cleaning!! lol

And, yes, P&G, if you're listening - sponsors welcome!

And anon, as Joni and Megan have said, just don't listen. Why submit yourself to something that annoys you?
Fresh & original; love the orange door & clean lines. Thanks for the DIY ideas.
niartist said…
I'm pretty sure that the lantern is this one: http://www.csnstores.com/Great-Outdoors-by-Minka-8264-161-MGO1168.html

Hope that helps the people who commented that they couldn't find it.

Great interview this week ladies. :)
cotedetexas said…
actually here is the link on bellacor:

http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/78619.htm for the medium size for 89

http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/358120.htm this is for the larger size. 139 i think.
Lauren said…
Hi! Thanks again to Linda, Megan and Joni for inviting me on SRT (so much fun!)and thanks to those who've left such nice comments!

Joni's link is the one for the lanterns and I've been traveling (roadtrip!) Without computer access so am attempting to leave a comment via blckberry.

One question that made me laugh was what would I do if my chalkboard fridge broke tmmrw? Would I a buy a new stainless one or a new white one and paint it with chlkboard paint? ... I would definitely look on craiglist for a supercheap or free old one and break out the chalkboard paint again. We love that thing and are still not in a position to go after one of the white vintage style big chill fridges I lust after ;)

Thanks again!
Xoxo,
Lauren
So Sweet. I love her story and can totally relate. You have to what you have to do...no $$, make it work! Necessity is engine for creativity. Lauren is a rock star.
Anonymous said…
I enjoyed this so much. Lauren is so talented and likeable. Love her and all of you!
Sally wheat
Okay, I love Lauren even more now! She is so down-to-earth and super creative. Love that about her.

Another great interview girls!

xo,
cristin
Anonymous said…
Joni, I will agree with you about appreciating the brevity of life and enjoying it to the fullest. This is perhaps the reason why Megan's continued conversation about floors - whether they be white or stained - is so ridiculous considering it has surfaced on the SRT twice now. Perhaps you could send her a short tweet and remind her that "it's only floors". That way, we get to explore the talents of your lovely guest(s) rather than focus on the hosts of the podcast. Indeed, the way we write and speak does matter. It's attention to detail - obviously Megan needs glasses or simply doesn't care. I enjoy the SRT, but prefer the attention to be on the guests - not the hosts.
Linda Merrill said…
Anon - clearly, you don't care for Megan and she annoys you. Had you not been so busy being annoyed by her, you may have heard the interesting exchange between Megan and Lauren about the ups and downs of painted floors. Lauren has experience with them and was able to share with Megan, and the rest of us, her thoughts on doing them. This is the value of our conversations. And, SRT is about conversation, it's not about three hosts asking shotgun questions of a guest like a firing squad. I spend, on average, 4-5 hours, editing and uploading each podcast. We all spend time inviting and coordinating guests, promoting shows and doing the recordings. None of us is interested in doing the kind of show you seem to want. So, you will not get that here and will need to take yourself elsewhere to get it.

If you have your own blog, then feel free to solicit your own guests, pepper them with one-way questions, and see how far you get. It could be a hit.
Anonymous said…
Can you tell us again what is the source of the lantern ceiling fixture? thanks.
I love Lauren of PSH!...and I like her even more now that I've heard how down to earth she is! Thank you guys so much for touching on the subject of meeting with clients and how you discuss budget. I've been doing ID for 10 years now and discussing budget still isn't easy. It was great to hear how other designers handle the sticky subject. Love the SRT, thanks for an interesting little nook in the blogosphere ladies!!!

ps...Anon, the veil of anonymity sure does make it easy to spew criticism, now doesn't it?!
Anonymous said…
Oops--I just read through all the comments and found the link to the light fixture. Thank you and I can't believe you can locate these tidbits of info in all the files you must have! Many thanks. Enjoy all your blogs and the SRT-- look forward to more.
Anonymous said…
Maria in San Antonia, the veil of anonymity is not just accorded to me but also to you as well. How do I know who you are (or who you say you are) without absolute validation. You are right about one thing, I am not the usual sycophant that shows up here to take my bows in front of the panel. I do my research, attempt to learn something about the guests before listening to the podcast and actually listen with the anticipation that there will be some new, fresh ideas broadcast to the listening audience. Sometimes there is actually a home run. It is disappointing when the panel gets in the way of a delightful and interesting guests. Perhaps a little introspection would be in order here.
It was so wonderful "hearing" Lauren after reading her blog for so long. I am a huge fan of her design and vision. Thanks for the fabulous interview!
cotedetexas said…
Anon and Maria

Anon - you actually sound like the exact kind of listener we want - educated and informed and eager to hear more. So many times we have had guests that are lessor known and we worry that people won't appreciate them as much as the "stars." You seem one who is willing to give them a chance - that's all we ask. That being said - we actually didn't start out having guests at all. It was to be a discussion (15 minutes on design and 15 min on blogging) between the 3 of us - brought together by our disparate locales. Over time, we switched the format without really even realizing it or planning it. The guests though have never been our main focus - but are the icing on the cake. Now, most guests approach us, as opposed to us approaching them. Still, the main focus is on the 3 of us, our personalities, our aesthetics, our sense of humor, etc. And even with guests - it is STILL a dialogue between the 4 of us - not just the guest speaking. How boring would it be just to hear someone talking without any interjection? Plus, I do think we ask questions that drive the conversation onto what the listeners are interested in. Hopefully. We record live, but we do edit it - and there are lots of quiet times between speaking which are edited out and there are lots of times when we talk over each other and interrupt. We have said this before - but we don't see each other and it is extremely hard to know when someone is getting ready to talk without the benefit of visual clues or cues. I sometimes try to alert the other 3 with a clearing of my throat that i want to say something. but sometimes that doesn't happen in the excitement of the conversation.

I must say though, the recent constant criticism of Megan talking about her floors was mean. There were also comments about her appearance, her picture that I posted on my blog. It was mean spirited. If you really want Megan to stop talking about her floors *actually we only talked about them on one shoe, and then it was brought up because Lauren and Megan had written each about them* - then perhaps a private email to MEgan would have been better served? We aren't Oprah, we don't act like or think we are, we are 3 designers who took a gamble and started a podcast. We have no grand illusions. frankly we are shocked (I should say I am) by how successful it has been. I think we all thought it might last a month or two. We are trying to keep it fresh, interesting, and fun. That's why the snark hurts. Although we do have tough skins, it hurts me to see someone dis either Megan or Linda and I will have their back each time. I wouldn't respect myself if I didn't.
Anonymous said…
Lauren Liess is so talented and what a creative thing to do with her fridge! She is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

All of you ladies do a fabulous job on the SRT and I appreciate how you are able to educate those of us who aren't in the design world on so many subjects, and in such an entertaining way.

Thank you!
H.A.
Anonymous said…
PS I would absolutely love if you had Suzanne Rheinstein on the SRT.
It would be so interesting to know how she developed such an amazing eye.
Thank you,
H.A.
gretchen said…
Thank you, Thank you , Thank you!!! I look forward to the podcasts every week, I listen to them while I cook dinner, sew, and clean...sure makes getting thru mundane tasks much more enjoyable. I LOVE your format, I feel myself chiming in sometimes as if I was part of the conversation...you all are so warm and inviting. I really do imagine that you all are sipping tea (or wine) around a 'skirted roundtable' having a lively conversation about life and design. THANKS AGAIN.

PS: I would really like to hear Celerie Kemble...I LOVE her quote 'dont let the fear of being tacky render you tasteless'.

--Gretchen
Michelle said…
I've commented on Laurens blog numerous times about how talented I think she is, and I look forward to every post!...good to know someone else skips the editing as well...it's a time thing. I'm going to try to take a second look from now on.

Joni, I snorted with laughter when you were reading your comment...thanks again for the coffee ladies...it's been a while :)

And...thanks for taking the time Lauren...it was nice to put a voice to the personality :)

Maybe I'll take in the last podcast this afternoon...finally some time to catch up.

Best,
Michelle
Hello Ladies....I love the SRT--it's interesting, funny, & educational. Keep up the good work.--I enjoy the painted floor dilemna & Ikea couch discussions. I obsess on things all the time and so appreciate the fact that I'm not the only one.

Anyway I had never heard of the syndrome Lauren was talking about, but I think I have it. Would you please spell it for me. -Thanks.
so inspiring to see her designs, which come from her pure creativity and ingenuity - that is so refreshing to see in this industry, where at times, there often is an overuse of money and materials thrown at projects. I believe in working with a nice tight budget - thanks for this interesting look at a great talent! best, Tamara matthews-stephenson
Cathy said…
I love the floating shelves in this kitchen and have been looking for the right ones for my kitchen since reading this post: http://www.kitchenimproved.com/index.php/kitchen-remodel-ideas-small-kitchen/ Thanks for sharing!