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At Home With

Lauren Konrad

11/1/2017

Beaverdale brick

Lauren Konrad gave birth to the couple’s first child in August, a girl named Indy Louise. Credit: Brooke Pavel Photography

Many milestones and firsts have occurred for Lauren Konrad and her family in their Beaverdale brick home. As first-time owners, the house itself is a first for Konrad and her husband, Brock.

“We originally weren’t set on a particular area, but we noticed all of the homes we were gravitating toward were all located in the Beaverdale area,” Konrad says. “We loved the old character and charm this home had, as well as the timeless finishes.”

The couple moved into the house in April 2013. Also making the move with the couple was their English mastiff Oliver, who is 150 pounds.

“He is the sweetest gentle giant,” she says.

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Built in 1945, the house had already undergone major renovations before they moved in. Aside from a few minor tweaks and repainting, they haven’t had to do much work to it. Konrad was then free to decorate and admits she was lucky her husband approved of “almost every décor-related decision.” The décor is a mix of high and low. Items come from a myriad of her favorite stores — Anthropologie, West Elm World Market, Target — while others are thrifted. Some are family heirlooms and treasures found while traveling.

“I think I have a pretty eclectic taste in home décor,” she says. “I tend to like things bright and airy, but we spend a lot of time at home, so I like it to be a cozy place for us to spend our days, especially since I now work from home.”

If Konrad’s style seems magazine-worthy, that’s because it is. Her eye for design led to a beautiful home that has been featured in a handful of major outlets like Mediacom and Lowe’s. Her home was also featured on the website of New York Times best-selling author and stylist Emily Henderson, who also happens to have 653,000 Instagram followers.

“All of these shoots were kind of last-minute, spur-of-the-moment things that just happened to work out,” she says. “The shoot with Emily Henderson happened the day that we were leaving for Paris on vacation. That shoot was really interesting to have at our home and see the behind the scenes.”

Formerly a graphic designer at Meredith Corporation, a job she had since graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in 2012, Konrad left in December 2016 to pursue her photography business, Lauren Konrad Photography.

“I started doing photography in 2012 to allow myself to have a creative outlet outside of what was my full-time job as a designer at Meredith Corp. I had taken photography courses in high school and as electives in college, but it wasn’t my area of concentration and more just a hobby,” she says. “I started out photographing families and interiors just for fun or for family and friends, and it eventually grew into something more.”

Now a self-employed and in-demand photographer, her home has also become her office.

“Having an inspiring place to work from is huge for me. Luckily, I feel like every space brings me joy to work from in our current home,” she says.

While she does have a dedicated office in her home, the use of space has shifted since Konrad gave birth to the couple’s first child in August, a daughter named Indy Louise. While initially nervous about bringing the baby home to Oliver, their first meeting couldn’t have gone better.

“He sniffed her and then went right into her nursery and grabbed the baby hat that we sent home with our sister — who was watching him while we were in the hospital — that had her scent on it and brought it out to us. It was so precious,” she says.

The arrival of a new baby brought much joy and excitement into the home. It also gave Konrad a reason to decorate, and she says her favorite part of the house is its newest addition: baby Indy’s nursery.

“I had so much fun putting this space together, and it’s something that I’ve dreamed of for years. So having it a reality is so much fun for me,” she says. ♦

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