Podcast, Ep. 311: Tradition with a Twist with Lauren Robbins

This week, we are delighted to welcome Georgia-based designer Lauren Robbins. Lauren is known for her exceptional ability to blend art, antiques, and natural materials resulting in traditional designs that are infused with a modern edge. She shares her inspiring journey from the organic path that led her to establish her design firm in 2018, Lauren Robbins Interiors, to the recent opening of her retail shop in Augusta, Georgia in 2021.

We explore her passion for creating unexpected elements within tradition, fueled by her experience in event planning, which has given her a fresh perspective on interior design. Our conversation takes an intriguing turn as we delve into the world of designing rental homes for golfers and golf spectators, particularly in the context of the world-famous Master’s Golf Tournament.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

• Where Lauren’s love of design came from.
• A peek into the magic of what we describe as Lauren’s “happy” portfolio.
• How working in the event planning space informs Lauren’s work in interior design today.
• Why do people rent houses for the Master’s Tournament?
• Lauren’s twist on tradition. She loves adding something funky and different.
• How to energize old antiques.
• What are some of Lauren’s favorite ways to update and highlight an older wooden piece?
• Tips for creating layers in your space that add conversation and highlight your individual taste.
• How to upholster an antique silhouette.
• What are some of the things that you think about when you’re doing a color palette within a room?
• How Lauren incorporates stronger colors like magenta, purple, and royal blue

Decorating Dilemma 

Hi Ladies,

You all helped me out with great tips a few months back when we first moved into our new home and all I had was the listing images of our family room.

In the last few months, we limewashed the brick, stripped the mantel that was painted brown (why??), replaced the paneling with drywall, and replaced the carpeting. It’s come a long way but definitely still needs LOTS of help!

The main issues we feel right now are all the white feels a bit cold and the emerald green velvet chair I loved in my last home, feels overly saturated and cool toned now. So my question…What can I do to make this space feel cozier, warmer and more complete?

We have pretty eclectic style (I love Heidi Caillier and Stephanie Sabbe; my husband leans way more midcentury/transitional) and this room doesn’t fit the rest of our home at this point. I would like to get more seating/another armchair for the space–what style and fabric would you recommend to tone down the green velvet?

Last question: should I paint the room or do grasscloth wallpaper? Any suggestions for short or long term changes would be amazing! I’m trying my best to be patient with planning so we can invest in pieces we truly love over time, especially since our home budget is mainly going towards a backyard renovation in the coming months.

Thank you!

Kim

Hello again, Kim!

We love seeing the updates, and you are making great progress. First, we feel like adding a warm kind of camel-colored grasscloth would make that space feel really cozy. Curtain panels would soften the space, and a chest and beautiful piece of art where the guitar is could add some fantastic layering and extra burst of color. We don’t think the green chair looks weird but agree that it is large. Lauren suggests adding two smaller swivel chairs on either end of the coffee table. Keep us posted and keep sending in those living room pics!

Also Mentioned in This Episode:

• Lauren Robbins Interiors on IG 
• Lauren Robbins Interiors

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Happy Decorating!

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