La Caze










So we all know how the blog community has opened our eyes to so many wonderful things that we could never have imagined.  I feel so very lucky to have greige connect me in so many ways to a great community of design minded people.  I was so excited when Angela and Renee contacted me while they were in California and I was even more excited to get a chance to meet with them and do my first official interview about greige and My Sparrow.  They are so super sweet and their accents are so fun!!!  

Angela and Renee have created an amazing line of lighting and lanterns that I am loving named La Caze.   They make custom pieces in addition to their standard running line which is fantastic.  Here is a little about the girls and the place that they call home....

When living in South Louisiana, you can find inspiration around every corner. The diversity and history of Louisiana architecture, expansive gardens and timeless elements incorporated into interior design continually inspire us. We met at the ball field when our kids were playing T-ball and were so pleasantly surprised that there was indeed someone else as crazy as we were about interiors, architecture and gardens. From that point on, endless hours were spent in creative endeavors. As a creative outlet, we began designing, building and remodeling every chance we got. As time went on, we became business partners in LaCaze and co-founders of the blog. You never know what wonderful surprises are around the next corner in life. Come along the journey with us as we share our love of interior design and architecture. We hope you enjoy and are inspired, as we take a take a stroll under the Spanish moss. 

It is just so wonderful to see where friendships can take us!

Check out my interview with them on their lovely blog Under Spanish Moss.
images by La Caze
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Playing in the Creek

A couple of weeks ago, photographer Vy Koenig took photos of our kids.  Vy is a good friend of a client & friend of mine & offered us a complimentary photo shoot.  We were so excited for the opportunity, but I had no idea how awesome the photos would be.   

{Justin, 18 months}

We brought the boys in their rain boots & we all ventured into the woods for a hike to the creek.


{Christian, almost 4!}

They started out timidly, stepping on stones & splashing lightly in the water...  Vy had sailboats ready for them to play with and she even made newspaper sailboats which they looooooved. 


Their favorite part was the "pirate" ship that Vy's husband made:


{It was a flat boat front staked into the ground = so adorable... very Little Rascalish}

Once they got comfortable, the shirts came off and the real splashing began:

{Christian is so proud of this pic}

We all got a little wet...


Vy captured my little guys perfectly...


...And my big one too:

{Justin loves getting "eaten"}

It was honestly just such a fun time...


We got to spend quality time with each other & have a little adventure while Vy captured it all:

{Dave & I weren't planning on being in the pictures but I'm so glad now Vy got some of us with the boys}

 I really CANNOT believe I have a picture of my little guys being NICE to each other!!:

{Makes me happy}

...And nothing's better than this feeling:


I really can't thank Vy enough for this gift.  We will definitely be doing it again!!

If you're in the Northern Virginia area and are interested in Vy's services:
Check out her website here to book an appointment.  She's AMAZING!!!!!
(And if you're not in the area, check it out anyway... there are so many cutie pies on there!!!)  I was so excited to see all of the creativity & effort Vy had put into preparing the shoot & she's so sweet that the kids warmed up instantly.


xoxo, Lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Shopping on La Cienega: Maison au Natural No. 819


Love the hanging baskets!

This reminds me of the shop he had at South Coast Plaza so long ago.

 Love the pup!





My love for the vintage framed flags never ends!




Design details are so important to a shop and to your home.
Little collections make everything seem so much more interesting.





Astier de Villatte and vintage subway signs- yes please!







I am totally loving those lights!



I recently had a chance to do a little shopping in LA. 
I visited La Cienega for an event and had a little time to spare so I was able to stop by some of the fantastic shops.  Everyone was very sweet and welcoming and the displays and pieces were absolutely wonderful.  Each shop is unique and full of great inspiration.  
As you know I am a big fan of Dan Marty and when I walked into his newest shop for the first time it was just as I had imagined, creative and full of the most wonderful things!  

Visit the shop:

Maison Au Naturel
9AM - 5PM Monday-Friday, 11AM - 4PM Saturday
(310) 657-1002
819 La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069

See my other posts on Dan here and here.

Also the Lovely Angela and Renee over at Under Spanish Moss were kind enough to interview me over lunch a little while back.  Check it out here!!

images by christina for greige
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Interested in advertising on greige?
I am now accepting sponsors for July.
For more information on advertising please check here.


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How we do Floor Plans

A few of you emailed yesterday asking about how we do our floorplans.  We draw them by hand.  When we're surveying a room, we photograph it and measure it.  Everything is measured & noted: windows, ceiling height, baseboards, electrical, etc.  



Back at the office, my design assistant, Meghan, creates a scaled drawing of the room & makes a couple of copies of it.  They're then placed in the client's binder for me to work on.  I'll play around with different furniture arrangements.  Like I mentioned yesterday, some furniture plans are obvious while others have many solutions and can be tricky.



I'm not a big tech-lover and am very visual & tactile, so I prefer to move little furniture pieces around & draw on the empty floorplans myself.   One of my favorite tools is  "The Board."   It's a magnetic furniture plan kit.  I attach the floorplan to a magnetic board and the pieces of furniture are magnetic.  Once I've decided upon a furniture arrangement, I trace around the magnets in pencil or draw in the pieces and it goes back into the binder. 



I create a list of everything on the floorplan that needs to be found for the room.  Once I have the list & the floorplan, I can start specifiying products for the room.  I like to use a mix of new & vintage or antique pieces in most spaces so it's a time-consuming process.  At this point the floorplan is more of a guidline for what we're looking to do, and as I find the right pieces- in showrooms, shops, online, etc-  the exact dimensions are noted & the "messy" pencil floorplan is edited for the final floorplan.



Once I've finalized everything that will go into the room and where it is, Meg draws the final floorplan for the client's presentation.  We give our clients a design folder to keep and everything on the floorplan corresponds with the photos on the design board:



As you've probably noticed, much of this could happen in CAD, but for now it's all done by hand here. There's a certain charm to hand-drawn plans that I love.  I'm not sure we'll ever make the switch but if we do, I know I'll still be printing out the floorplans and using the board and drawing on them myself.  It's just part of how I work.

Anyway, I'd love to hear about your process for furniture plans & let me know if you have any other questions!!

xoxo, Lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Time to relax...



If I had time to relax.. which I don't really.  This is where you might find me!
The tub is divine!

images via Cotebastide and Rachel Whiting 



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