LAUREN HUNTER

My work is shaped by a life spent observing how people live, what they keep, and the places that leave an impression on them. Growing up amid the rural landscape of southern Illinois gave me an early appreciation for honest materials, permanence, and objects that earn their place over time. Years spent in Laguna Beach introduced an entirely different sensibility-the architecture, natural light, art, and relaxed refinement of the California coast. Travel has continued to broaden that perspective, exposing me to interiors, antiques, craftsmanship, and traditions that have quietly become part of my visual language.

 

My background spans art, photography, cosmetics, antiques, renovation, and design, disciplines that may seem unrelated but are connected by the same instinct for composition, proportion, color, contrast, and detail. I approach interiors in much the same way. Before anything is added, I look at the architecture, scale, history, and natural character of the space and allow those elements to establish the foundation.  

 

I have a deep respect for traditional design, but I am not interested in recreating the past or filling a room simply for the sake of decorating it. I prefer interiors that feel collected rather than prescribed-rooms with beautiful bones, authentic materials, meaningful objects, and enough restraint for each piece to matter.

Against that foundation, I often introduce something unexpected: a modern form, an unusual antique, a bold material, an unexpected texture, or an element that creates just enough contradiction to keep the room from becoming predictable.

 

The result is a home that feels layered without feeling crowded, refined without feeling precious, and timeless without becoming overly traditional. Above all, I believe the most compelling interiors should reveal something about the person who lives there. A beautiful room should have presence, but it should never feel as though it was simply decorated.