With only one year under their belt, handcrafted pillow company Elsie Home has just begun to take the world by storm. Designer Lauren Meichtry had a fiery passion for home goods and took that gusto with her to create tasteful adornments that can adhere to any home aesthetic. She was recently featured in Southbay Home Magazine, but can also be seen in many other publications such as Apartment Therapy and California Home + Design. Her new collection of sustainably sourced pillows has a variety of textures and designs including one from textile designer, Brook Perdigon. Introducing this week’s Maker Monday, Lauren Meichtry.
Lauren’s most recent collaboration for Elsie Home was with interior designer, Alison Giese. The collection is full of new textures and amazing earth tones. Photo by Public311design for Elsie Home.
Andrew Joseph: What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?
Lauren Meichtry: We launched our first designer pillow collaboration with Alison Giese! Being new in the design industry, it was really exciting to work alongside a well-respected interior designer. The collaboration was featured in a number of articles and we could not have been happier with how it all turned out.
Andrew: What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
Lauren: I have moved 24 times in my life. In a way, I think the constant movement has played a role in my love for design. Wherever I’ve gone, making each place feel like home has been a top priority. It’s given me many opportunities to refine my style over the years.
The greatest thing about Elsie Home is the option to mix and match any and all pillows.
Andrew: What are you most proud of?
Lauren: While it feels a bit strange to say I’m proud of myself for something, I will say launching Elsie Home is definitely at the top of my list. After spending 5 years as a stay-at-home mom, I felt like something was missing in my life and felt a tinge of guilt even having that thought. I always looked at it as “I am a mom or I am someone who pursues my passion.” Once I started looking at it as “I am a mom AND I am someone who pursues my passion,” I unlocked this fire inside of me and decided to launch Elsie Home. One year in and I think I’m a better mom because I’ve taken the time to fill my own cup which in turn gives me my energy to fill theirs.
Andrew: What are three things you can’t live without?
Lauren: Oat milk lattes, Spindrift sparkling water and dark chocolate. Probably in that order. I will say, my sparkling water consumption is reaching problematic levels. We’re in a “grab a second cart at Costco” situation right now.
Lauren reupholstered these chairs last year with Virginia Kraft Textiles Heartcloth fabric and paired it with an Elise Home pillow. The dynamic duo truly adds depth to the living area. Photo by Public311design for Elsie Home.
Andrew: What’s your design pet peeve?
Lauren: Matching furniture sets. It pains me when people buy the entire floor set from a furniture store.
Andrew: What’s your current TV obsession?
Lauren: Can I scream this one from the top of my lungs?! YELLOWSTONE! I hope that jumped off the page for you. I’ve never wanted to leave the beach and go live on a ranch more than I have in the last month watching this show. I don’t know if it’s Kevin Costner or the stunning landscape but I’m ready to pack up and go to Montana.
With Elise Home, there is ease in selecting a pillow that works for your home space, with plenty of different prints and textures to choose from. Photo by Public311design for Elsie Home.
Andrew: Secret talent?
Lauren: I am a skilled IKEA furniture assembler. Maybe it’s a bit taboo to shop there at this point in my life, but I always find some gems I can incorporate in my designs. I don’t know if it’s the challenge or the victorious feeling I get once it’s done but if you asked me on any occasion if I’d rather go relax at the beach or build furniture, I’d choose to build furniture every single time.
Andrew: If you could live in any home in a movie or television series, what would it be?
Lauren: Meryl Streep’s home in “It’s Complicated” would be an absolute dream. While I don’t love to cook, I would learn to love it if I had her kitchen.
About The Designer | Over the past six years, Lauren’s life has evolved, and so has her taste for design and textiles. She has seen firsthand how adding a few beautiful pillows to a couch or a bed can bring life, warmth and comfort to a home. As her family has grown, her taste for high quality, livable and beautiful pillows has grown with it. Additionally, Lauren knows what it’s like to have small kids and animals living in your home and how important it is to have pieces that withstand a dog pile, an epic pillow fight or hours of you sitting on them while binge watching your favorite show. Elsie Home was born from a passion to design the highest quality and most beautiful pillows you can own for your home.
Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here.
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