Hello, I’m Lauren!
So you might be wondering how I ended up here…
Hello! I’m Lauren 🙂 I’ve been married to my husband Trevor for 6 years, we have little two boys, and a German Shepherd, Scout. I was a creative little kid, went to school for nursing, and now balance a lovely mix of arts and science. I grew up figure skating and played tennis & cheered in HS and a bit in college. I love working out (I try to go at least 4-5 times a week), fashion (casual, relaxed style with a love for shoes & bags), reading (give me allll the mysteries & thrillers), traveling (pref overseas), and of course just relaxing at home. Since moving to the suburbs, I’ve also joined our local women’s philanthropic club (now serving on the board) where I’ve met so many amazing women and made great friends.
Just over 3 years ago, I posted my first “home” photo on Instagram. To be honest, I’m not even sure why I posted it, besides a little push from Trevor (and also just loving looking at home feeds). I’ve always loved decorating and design, but while living downtown Chicago and mostly in rentals, it didn’t make sense to buy specific pieces and we couldn’t truly renovate anything.
Just after Hunter’s first birthday (Jan 2020), it felt like our condo was slowly closing in on us. We also had a German Shepherd puppy and no yard thanks to city living. And then there was this home on the market… for about 9 months at that point. I’d been eyeing it thinking it would never be available if/when we were ready to move and also why the heck wasn’t it selling?! So, I convinced Trevor to list our condo, see what would happen, and we had offers after ONE week. I, of course, JUMPED on the listing I’d been eyeing (aka, our current home 🙂 The week of closings (March 2020), everything shut down. Timing was definitely on our side considering we had no clue what was about to happen!
Living in Lockdown
You may or may not know this, but I’m a part-time RN working downtown on a transplant/ trauma/multi-specialty surgical unit! I’ve been a nurse for 9 years. Working two 12-hr shifts a week leaves quite a bit of free time and with nowhere to go (due to the shutdown), I found myself honing back into my creative side. It was a good outlet, especially dealing with everything else at work.
After sharing a few progress photos of our bedroom and living room, I’d get a few questions about where something was from, or someone liked how I styled something, etc. I personally was (and still am) a LTK shopper, so I thought why not apply? This platform gave me another way to share my favorite items, what I used to style my home, seasonal/sale items, in a way that was directed towards those specifically looking.
I casually posted, never expecting anything to come of it. It was after my first collaboration where the brand used my content for paid ads when my account started getting seen and gaining some momentum. Nothing changes overnight, so I kept going and going, essentially documenting how I styled my spaces, the changes I made, DIY and smaller renovations. Consistency was key. It was also nice to be able to monetize something that didn’t feel like “work” and came natural. I think one thing most don’t realize about this line of work is how time consuming it can be. Between styling, shooting content, editing, brand negotiations, contracts, emails, analytics, re-shoots, more edits, sourcing content… I’m not complaining, but sharing the reality! In my mind, I couldn’t be doing something that was so time consuming unless it brought something beneficial to my family. I love styling and restyling, but sometimes it’s not feasible to constantly have new furniture, rearrange, and/or restyle your own home every other day or week… even thought that would be fun 😉
After about 1.5 years of creating content, I had a people here and there asking if I could help them with designing/styling their homes. I learned there was a need for design that didn’t require minimums, a specific project size, or certain location. From there, Lauren Hansen Home, LLC was born, offering in-person and e-design services ranging from helping you style your console table to furnishing your entire home.
If you would’ve told me I’d be doing all this a few years ago, I would’ve laughed. Was I worried what people would think of me? 100%. My goal for my platform is to inspire, offer tips, and help you find the best deals/items for you to enjoy in your home. I genuinely love window-shopping furniture and decor, scrolling through home feeds, and sourcing new pieces.
I get asked alllll the time if I’m going to leave my nursing career and for right now, no. I really love that aspect of my life (most days, ha) and especially those I work with (I’ve been working with some for like 8 years!) and I don’t feel ready to leave yet.
As you can see, I don’t know how to keep it short and sweet, ha! But I truly appreciate you being here, reading this, and continuing to support what I love to do. THANK YOU!
