Meet the Kitchen Issue Cover Designer, a Bay Area Master of the Details
Lauren Nelson knew she loved beautiful things from an early age. Now, they're central to the work she does as owner and principal at Lauren Nelson Design, where she's known for her high-end residential projects throughout the West Coast.
Clients love the high level of personalization Nelson brings to each residential project, thoughtfully weaving in families’ personal artifacts and one-of-a-kind pieces to create spaces that are elevated and approachable. From the large architectural and layout decisions down to the smallest storage choices and textile selections, the lived experience of each room is always top of mind for Nelson–as seen in her Orinda, California project on the cover of this month’s Kitchen Issue.
Nelson was working in PR for Williams Sonoma when she decided to enroll in evening interior design classes. She fell in love with the profession and decided to jump in with both feet, moving to Los Angeles to train under designer Erinn Valencich in 2008. While tackling large client projects alongside the designer, she also took on prop styling projects for magazines. “It felt like such a nice blend of the two worlds,” Nelson remembers of the synchronicity between designing a room and styling a vignette on the set of a photo shoot. Both taught her the power of the slightest details–and proved valuable creative schooling when she started her own firm.
Now, the part of a renovation Nelson most looks forward to is when it moves “off paper,” from architectural sketches and renderings into choosing the elements she can touch and feel. Striking the perfect balance between patterns, colors, and textures is where Nelson comes alive. “I think designing a home is one thing, but then it’s that extra layer at the end, the small touches and making it personal, that’s so important. That’s always been something that I think about.”
For the California home featured in House Beautiful’s Kitchen Issue, Nelson recalls the detailed spreadsheet her client–a true renaissance woman– prepared to show what she needed to store in her kitchen and mudroom. Among the list was a dedicated space for her beekeeping outfits and canning jar section. “It was a true chef's kitchen, with a little spot for everything,” Nelson laughs. “Every choice was purposeful, and it was so satisfying to create a space that really worked for all of her interests.”
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