Episode 82: Lauren Coburn: Architectural Interior Designer
Today Brad speaks with Lauren Coburn, President of Lauren Coburn, LLC. Her award-winning company, founded in 2004, is a full-service interior design and renovation firm that takes on both residential and commercial projects. The firm has been featured in prominent publications such as CS Interiors and Elle Decor, and the book Structure and Design.
Lauren herself has been recognized internationally and has been accepted into top design groups, including Leaders Of Design Council and the International Design Society (IDS).
Listen in as Lauren discusses why she prefers referred clients over all others, how she was able to scale her business relatively quickly in the mid-2000s by embracing transparency in how she presented her services, and why she charges a high fixed fee upfront rather than relying on markups.
She explains how she vets clients and how her approach to tackling residential projects has evolved due to the increased emotional connection that people now have with their homes thanks to the pandemic.
Finally, Lauren shares her architectural and design styles and how she collaborates with clients, builders, and architects.
Lauren Coburn Bio:
Lauren Coburn was a kid who grew up with an artist for a mom and a race car driver for a dad. She always had this love of design. She found her passion early, that one thing she believed she could do better than anyone else: redesign “your” home.
After attending Cranbrook Academy and graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in interior architecture, Lauren was formally trained by Chicago’s renowned Tigerman McCurry Architects. It was here, under Stanley Tigerman's guidance, that Lauren honed her understanding of the visceral interplay between architecture and interior design.
Lauren Coburn is a full-service licensed interior design and renovation rm that opened its doors in 2004, for all the amazing people who cherish their homes, love their space, and feel their best when they’re in their own surroundings. Your space is part of who you are. It’s a part of your personality. It reects your hopes and dreams, your brand. That’s why she and he team are committed to being there for you whether the project is big or small to help you love your space.
Lauren is an award winning interior architect, and has been featured in countless publications and her work has been featured in two books. She believes in complete transparency between herself and her clients, exceptional customer service, and virtually unfettered client access to her directly. Lauren has achieved international recognition and awards, inclusion into the world's top design groups, and has been involved with award winning collaborations across a variety of styles.
Lauren Coburn is here to help anyone reimagine, redesign or newly create their own personal space. She is committed to collaborating with the client to create “magic” big or small when it comes to their surroundings. Lauren is the master, on a mission to help you “love your space.”
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Topics Discussed:
[01:52] How Lauren finds her clients and how prospects find her
[03:19] Has being published led to greater lead generation for Lauren?
[05:28] Getting clear on your fees and pricing structure
[08:23] Negotiating with a client who is deciding between you and a “cheaper” option
[11:13] Why Lauren charges a premium upfront instead of relying on markups
[17:11] Lauren breaks down her typical budget for a project
[20:33] How Lauren vets clients
[30:09] Why Lauren prizes collaboration
[34:14] How Lauren helps her clients manage their expectations from the very beginning
[39:23] What it was like to be formally trained by Tigerman McCurry Architects
[43:46] Why Lauren was inspired to dive into architecture alongside design
[46:41] How Lauren works with builders and architects to set her budget
[49:50] What makes a good architect or builder in Lauren’s eyes
[54:04] Lauren’s favorite styles and how she helps clients settle on a design
[57:37] How Lauren has adapted as design trends have changed over the years
[58:58] Lauren’s favorite room to design
[1:00:04] What’s next for Lauren?
Key Quotes by Lauren:
The best clients are always referrals because they generally come from great people that you’d want to work with.
The beauty of referrals is that anybody you’ve worked with is telling somebody they know how nice the experience was.
I don’t want to charge for fixing problems for my clients.
I’m always very cognizant of the fact that many clients are wary of designers who give them what the designer wants and not what they, the client, wants.
I’m on a mission to make people love their space.
Aside from being the designer, I try to be my clients’ advocate.
