I confess... someone was watching

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Confess... Someone Was Watching"

Podcast: Confessions of an Interior Designer
Host: Caroline Turner
Guest: Lauren Lothrop Karen (Studio Laloc)
Date: December 17, 2025

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Overview

This episode of "Confessions of an Interior Designer" pulls back the curtain on the emotional and ethical complexities lurking behind luxury interior design projects. Host Caroline Turner and guest Lauren Lothrop Karen (of Studio Laloc) dive into wild, true listener confessions, discuss navigating nightmare clients, and share candid stories of mistakes, lessons, and the unique "vices" that come with life in high-end design. The tone is candid, irreverent, and deeply empathetic—aimed at industry insiders and those fascinated by the human drama under the surface of beautiful homes.

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Guest Introduction & Career Journey

(:04–11:05)

Lauren’s Path to Design

• Art and Museum Background: Lauren studied art, visual presentation, exhibition design, and museum management. Her early work included visual merchandising for major retailers like Tiffany & Co. and Bergdorf Goodman, where she managed decorative home, jewelry, and beauty displays.
• Entry into Residential Design:
  • Ran her own design blog, which helped her land jobs.
  • At Bergdorf’s, handled complex installs and worked closely with buyers—skills she still uses.
  • Her first big residential clients came through Bergdorf’s connections and "home polish" (a startup design platform).
• Learning on the Job:
  • “At one point I had like 15 clients at once. ...Nightmare. Absolutely cannot recommend that to anybody.” (Lauren, 07:11)
  • Both Caroline and Lauren bemoan taking on too many small jobs early on and the burnout that comes from it.
  • “I Marie Kondoed my clients ...I thought of, like, who are the ones...bringing me joy? ...and I really narrowed down.” (Lauren, 08:10)

Reflections on Client Management

• The challenge of transitioning from many small “entry-level” projects to a handful of high-value, trusting clients.
• “On a 13,000 square foot home, there are so many decisions...they can’t nitpick about any one individual thing.” (Caroline, 09:16)
• Micro-managing clients and the difference between design trust on large vs. small jobs.

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Segment: Designer “Vices”

(12:28–20:30)

Admitting the Shopping Vice

• Lauren’s Vice: “Spending ...I'll be like, oh, if the money is in the account, like, I’ll spend it. ...So I have to hide money from myself.” (Lauren, 13:27)
• Designer Spending Habits:
  • The hosts and Lauren joke about thrifting, vintage hunting, and buying “props” as work expenses (and personal joy).
  • “I can help people buy stuff ...but for me, I walk in, I walk out with a bag. Like, I can't—no matter what.” (Lauren, 15:32)
• Financial Tactics:
  • Both use separate accounts, apps like Rocket Money, and even family accounts to keep from overspending (14:10–15:16).
  • Rationalizing purchases as “inventory for future styling” or “props for clients.”
• Memorable Quote:
  • “I bought a brass tub in Morocco...a client just bought it like three years later. See, I should have bought it!” (Caroline, 18:37)

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Listener Confessions & Deep Dives

Confession #1: The Surveillance Cameras

(20:30–31:36)

Summary

• Designer works with a meticulous wife on a Bay Area home, never meeting the absentee husband.
• During renovation, hidden cameras (modern, hardwired) are found in multiple locations: bedroom wall, kitchen, bathroom vent.
• Wife appears outwardly unfazed, asks to see all locations, but “you could tell something was very, very wrong.” (Caroline, 22:17)
• Nearly a year later, after project completion, the wife reveals: she had no knowledge of the cameras, kept silent for a year to plan, and upon completion, told her husband she knew and was filing for divorce. She won the house.
• “She laid in wait for almost a year.” (Co-host, 24:32)
• “She is stronger than the Marines.” (Caroline, 23:55)

Hosts’ Reactions & Analysis

• Feelings of violation, discussions on what they’d do if they found hidden cameras.
• “I would have lost my mind on him. Baseball bat-smash.” (Caroline, 26:45)
• Speculation about the husband’s motives—trust issues, controlling behavior, possible perversion.
• Empathy and awe for the wife’s patience and self-control: “Talk about biding your time ...I’m not patient or calculated enough for that level of revenge.” (Caroline, 30:59)

Memorable Moment (24:31):
Lauren: “I got chills.”
Co-host: “This woman is an icon.”

Hosts' “Penance” Prescribed:

• The husband should have his jail experience livestreamed: “Put a camera on him. You want a camera, motherfucker? You got one.” (Caroline/Lauren, 30:25)

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Confession #2: Pinterest-Board Clients & Designer Exploitation

(32:08–54:38)

Summary

• Client provides exhaustive mood boards and design docs, then expects the designer to simply order items at a discount, bypassing creative input.
• Quotes architect’s chat: “Designers are basically overpriced personal shoppers. I can do 90% of this with Pinterest.” (Client via text, 35:07)
• Wife insists “we should just fire everyone and design it ourselves; I already have half the house figured out.”
• The “accidental” text sent to the designer reveals the true disregard.
• Lauren shares a similar story—client opens an LLC under their own name to impersonate a design studio for trade discounts.
  • “It says ‘designs’! There’s no way that’s for your nanny!” (Lauren, 38:41)
• Contracts are updated to prohibit such conflicts. The group laments the “de-skilling” and devaluation of the design profession.

Industry Reflection

• “People are hiring a designer for ideas, not for execution, and trying to game the system.” (Caroline, 40:43)
• Discussing how “making interior design more accessible” via platforms like HomePolish introduced entitlement, DIY attitudes, and expectations of luxury for less.
  • “Private chefs: Everyone deserves good food, not everyone is entitled to a private chef.” (Lauren, 45:57)
  • “Most designers can’t afford to hire themselves.” (Co-host, 47:15)

Notable Quotes

• “Clients are trying to get the best deal...steal our work, and then cut us out...That’s not how this works.” (Caroline, 41:39)
• “If you think you can do it, do it. Please do it...Guaranteed you’re gonna be really upset with that decision.” (Caroline/Lauren, 53:54)

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Navigating Red Flags & Professional Lessons

(48:22–54:38)

• The group discusses: The red flags designers should look for: overly prescriptive, Pinterest-obsessed clients; clients who want only discounts, not design; constantly moving scope.
• Gut instinct is key: “You have to really read between the lines...is this person going to let me be in control?”
• The moral struggle of sticking with a problematic job for reputation or portfolio reasons versus walking away.

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Professional Q&A with Lauren Lothrop Karen

(54:47–66:18)

Creating “History” in New Spaces

• Millwork is key: “I like to look at the architecture of a home, even a ‘90s build...then bring in the good that fits this vernacular.” (Lauren, 55:57)
• The group discusses the challenges of refusing furniture-only jobs where the base architecture is poor and the client resists change.

Project Selection & Professional Self-Respect

• “Now I’m like, I want to be really excited about this project—or I don’t want it.” (Caroline, 59:52)
• Both admit to “leaving money on the table” for the sake of personal fulfillment, client fit, and project integrity.

Design Trends: Rethinking “English Cottagecore”

• Lauren on the English interiors/American "Nancy Meyers" trend: “Not every project needs to be that. It’s going to feel like a trend...It feels like Disney World to me.” (Lauren, 63:38)
• Caroline agrees, noting TikTok’s role in spread and mismatch of style-to-home (“We can’t be doing English in a white box.”)

On Emotion and Place: Spaces That Make You Feel

• Lauren recounts crying at Villa Necchi Campiglio (Milan), a “house museum that made me cry,” and the beauty of projects where the designer is truly trusted.
• “...it was the feeling that the architect was given full control and trust… the details and materials that come from that.” (Lauren, 67:28)
• Spaces that evoke emotion: when the full vision is trusted, budgeted, and meticulously executed.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with timestamps)

• “I Marie Kondoed my clients… I thought of, like, who are the ones that are bringing me joy?”
  – Lauren (08:10)
• “At one point I had like 15 clients at once. ...Nightmare. Absolutely cannot recommend that to anybody.”
  – Lauren (07:11)
• “She laid in wait for almost a year.”
  – Co-host (24:32)
• “She is stronger than the Marines.”
  – Caroline (23:55)
• “Put a camera on him. You want a camera, motherfucker? You got one.”
  – Caroline (30:25)
• “Designers are basically overpriced personal shoppers. I can do 90% of this with Pinterest.”
  – Client group chat screenshot (35:07)
• “Most designers cannot afford to hire themselves.”
  – Co-host (47:15)
• “Now I’m like, I want to be really excited about this project—or I don’t want it.”
  – Caroline (59:52)
• “Not every project needs to be English-ified. It’s going to feel like a trend ... Disney World to me.”
  – Lauren (63:38)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:04] – Lauren’s career path and intro
• [07:11] – Early burnout, too many clients
• [08:10] – "Marie Kondo-ing" client lists
• [12:28] – Designer “vices” segment
• [15:32] – Designer shopping habits
• [20:30] – Confession: Hidden camera story
• [23:55] – “Stronger than the Marines” quote
• [30:25] – “Put a camera on him” moment
• [32:08] – Confession: Pinterest-board exploitation
• [35:07] – Client group chat insult
• [41:39] – “Clients trying to steal our work”
• [45:57] – “Private chef” analogy
• [47:15] – Most designers can’t hire themselves
• [55:57] – Creating “history” in design
• [63:38] – Critique of trendy English interiors
• [67:28] – Spaces that evoke real emotion (“house museum that made me cry”)

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Final Thoughts

This episode underscores the hidden labor, emotional intelligence, and boundaries required to thrive in high-end design. It is both cautionary and hilarious, celebrating the resilience of designers while warning against exploitation, entitlement, and the temptation to undersell expertise in the name of accessibility. Lauren’s experience, from Bergdorf’s to Studio Laloc, testifies to the power of integrity, taste, and sometimes, simply walking away.

Where to find Lauren:

• Instagram: @studioLaloc
• Website: studiolaloc.com

Host:
Caroline Turner — Confessions of an Interior Designer Instagram

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For listeners: Whether you’re in the trenches of the design world or just love a juicy, unfiltered industry story, this episode guarantees laughs, gasps, and maybe a note of warning for your next remodel—always check above the kitchen cabinets.

Transcript

[Caroline Turner]

Welcome to Confessions of an Interior Designer. I'm your host, Caroline Turner. Here we talk through the crazy stories that they certainly don't tell you in design school, because let's face it, every space has its sins. Are you ready to hear confession? Hi, everyone. Today we're joined by Lauren Lothrop Karen, founder of Studio Laloc, a Seattle and New York based design studio known for creating homes that blend history, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Her work has been widely published and celebrated for its classic but deeply personal approach to interiors. I'm so excited you're here, Lauren. Thank you so much.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to be here today.

[Caroline Turner]

This is gonna be really fun.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

We DM occasionally and I love talking.

[Caroline Turner]

To you, so I think this is gonna be great.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

I know I owe you some Paris tips, which I'm going now, so I.

[Caroline Turner]

Will say, oh, my gosh, I'm so.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You are.

[Caroline Turner]

Wait.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Oh, we have to offline about this. Yay. Okay, great. Yay. I'm so excited.

[Caroline Turner]

Okay, well, as we always do before we get into confessions, tell me a little bit about how you got here.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

The short version, I guess, is I. I went to school for. After being in art school, I went to school for visual presentation and exhibition design.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, interesting.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. So my first job, like, within and still, because I actually had two majors or two degrees, and I have a degree in, like, museum management as well, which is like a business degree. And so I was starting at. I started at Tiffany & Co. And the Creative visual merchandising, and we did window displays, and I designed all the fixtures that the jewelry sits on, the neck forms and the ring forms and all of that. And after that, I moved over to Bergdorf's, which was like, wow, my dream.

[Caroline Turner]

Era. Yes. My.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Goodness. At the same time, I was like, writing a blog about our apartment because my mother is like, I call her a hobby decorator. She was a landscape designer. But I grew up in a house that was old 1801 colonial. And my mom had, like, her Ralph Lauren library and her Nancy Lancaster living room, like, the yellow and like, everything. She was really into decorating. So I kind of had that in me from a young age. But I was blogging about it when I was living in our apartment in New York and got my job at Bergdorf's partially because of that. So I was the visual manager of the decorative home floor and beauty and jewelry and the main floor, like handbags and.

[Caroline Turner]

Everything. All the fun.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Stuff. Yeah, everything that was non ready to wear is what it.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Was. Wow. That's my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Dream. Yeah, it was. It was a dream and it was a.

[Caroline Turner]

Nightmare.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Sure. As they obviously are. Yeah. All the installs have to be done overnight and so all the walkthroughs have to be done at 8 in the morning. So you can imagine I was at work like 20 hours a day, at.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Least. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. And then at one point I thought I could do this for myself because I was running a large team of people and managing all these budgets and doing all these big productions and installations and then also doing on the decorative home floor. We were. I was kind of like my own client, aside from working with the buyers. So we would do flip over the hallway and chop and chops. And it was a lot of like, interior design adjacent. But we.

[Caroline Turner]

Didn'T. I was going to say there's so much of this that I'm sure you use daily now. Like, everything you're listing is like, yeah, we. We use that and need that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Wow. Yeah, So I did that and then I started my business. Basically. I installed holiday for 2014 and I was like, see you later. Like, went on vacation, which was like the first vacation in a while. And I heard that part of one of my installs collapsed, which we don't have to get into that, but the display was too heavy for the table. And my friend at work were like, this happened. And I was like, great, I'm at a wedding in California. Sorry, I am done. Have fun with that. And then like, I started the business in 2015 and it was originally called Union Adorn. And that was because the idea of like, I was starting, actually, I started with a partner, but the idea was like, bringing together all of our, like, creative creativity and talents and everything. And the adorn was like creating adornment. So we did installations, store design work. She was an event.

[Caroline Turner]

Designer. Interesting.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Okay. And then I started doing residential design as well. So that was good for about a year and then we moved out to Seattle. My husband took a job out here. So in 2016 we moved and then I rebranded to Studio la Locke in.

[Caroline Turner]

2019. Oh, wow.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Okay. Yeah. And La Loc is Lauren Lothrop Karen, shortened into like a faux French name. I love it because I love French interiors. And. Yeah. So that's kind of the start of.

[Caroline Turner]

It. How did you get your first client, your first residential.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Client? Oh, well, one of them, I would say. My. It was like my first, like, big client came through.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Bergdorfs.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Oh. I partnered with one of the architects that worked at Bergdorf and still does. And we did this, like, apartment on the Upper east side. It was a big, flat, 4,000 square foot home. And the client, her whole thing was that she wanted to work with the designers of Bergdorf. So.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

She. I can imagine that would be. Yeah. Worth something to some people, for sure. Well, honestly, that's.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Brilliant. Yeah. So it was great. And that job turned into a 13,000 square foot home in upstate New York, which was another project we.

[Caroline Turner]

Did.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Wow. But I also was a home Polish designer.

[Caroline Turner]

So. Oh, okay. Also an era of.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Time. I was like one of the first 20, which was crazy. And I had a lot of clients through that, but. And they were all very interesting. But lots of stories for the podcast from them. And then I was going to.

[Caroline Turner]

Say, I need you to send me an email.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Simone. Polish stories. Because I can only.

[Caroline Turner]

Imagine. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. It was wild in New York too. It's like every kind of demographic, but people had money. Yeah. So that was interesting. And that was like a. A really hard, fast, like, education on.

[Caroline Turner]

Working. Yeah. Trial by fire a little.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Bit.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. Yeah. So it was. At one point, I had like 15 clients at.

[Caroline Turner]

Once. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. And it was just like way too many.

[Caroline Turner]

People. I think that we make that mis. I made that mistake early on in my career. Cause there was. When you have small jobs, you have to take more clients, at least in my experience. I was doing like a bedroom and a bathroom or like a kitchen here or whatever.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Here. And it was like, not enough to keep everything afloat. So I had like 15 clients at a.

[Caroline Turner]

Time. Nightmare. Absolutely cannot recommend that. Less to anybody.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Listening. Like, it will not get you where you think it's gonna get.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You. No.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

No. It'll get you broke is what it will get.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You. It was awful. It was really a nightmare. And I mean, everybody was great, but you just like, when you do big jobs and small jobs, you have the same amount of.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Personalities.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yes. So. And it's the same amount of energy that you have to put towards people, whether it's a one room or a whole house. 13,000 square foot house. So I've learned that too. Yeah. And when I did the rebrand, I, Marie Kondoed my clients, as I like to say. So I.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Did. I think that's a great way to say.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Yeah. And I thought of, like, who are the ones that are bringing me joy? Like, who's worth it? And I really, like, narrowed down to a lot less clients and really push to try to do larger homes and larger.

[Caroline Turner]

Projects. Yeah. And God, what freedom when that happens. That switch from, like the early Clients to the big, meaty jobs where you get to work with, like, maybe.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Eight people a year, but they're, like, really heavily.

[Caroline Turner]

Involved. You get to know them. Like, I just also feel like clients are so much happier that way. Like, they just are. The experience is completely different. And I felt like I was in an uphill battle every day because the person who you're doing their primary bedroom and bathroom, it's the most money they've ever spent in their lives on something like this. So it is the biggest decision. And every single decision is the biggest decision ever. Which, by the way, there's nothing wrong with those clients. Like, I'm so grateful to the clients who gave me my start and I got to do those projects for. But to your point, on a 10,000 square foot, 13,000 square foot home.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

There are so many decisions to. That they can't nitpick about any one individual thing, or if they do.

[Caroline Turner]

It'S just gonna cost them more money and time. Exactly. And so you're able to, like.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Spread out all of that anxiety and.

[Caroline Turner]

You know, tension, decision making, all of that. And for me, that's so much more bearable because at some point you're like, this is just a.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Bedroom. Like, I can't. Can't care more than I already do. There's nothing left. So, yeah, I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Relate. You, like, can't hide the, like, micro decisions that you don't need for the client to make in a one.

[Caroline Turner]

Bedroom. That's a great.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Point.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yes. That you can in, like, a giant house. You know, like, it's like, they're like, what do the hinges look like? Or something like that. Where in, like, a big house, you're just like, we're gonna do these hinges. You know, like, these are the.

[Caroline Turner]

Hinges. And then the client walks around and they're like, oh, I like those hinges. And you're like, yeah, I.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Know. Like, that's how it should.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Be.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Exactly. But instead, on a one bathroom.

[Caroline Turner]

You'Re like, yeah, so should it have, like, a little white top on the.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Top of the plumbing, or should it just be bright? It's like, no, we don't need to, like, do all.

[Caroline Turner]

That. As a designer, we should be able to make those, like, small decisions. I'm with.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You. Ye. I mean, like, that's what's fun for us. But it's like, we don't need.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

To be in exactly those little nitty gritty details. But it's not fun to have.

[Caroline Turner]

To, like, check in on every single individual thing. And also, isn't that why you're hiring a designer to like, our sensibility comes with hiring us. So there should be a level of trust that if you like our.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Work, we're gonna make the same decisions in your work.

[Caroline Turner]

Too. Not the same ones meaning copy. But like, if you like how I do, I did another project, you can guarantee it'll feel the same in your project. And like, that's kind of the whole point. And I feel like we lose that sometimes in like the micromanaging that occasionally can come from clients. Maybe more than.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Occasionally. Depends on who you talk.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

To. That's.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

True. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. Here's a confession I know a lot of you can relate to. For years, I told myself I had my project management under control. Sure, I had 30 different tabs, docs and emails open at once. And yes, I didn't occasionally panic search for a specification at midnight. But I was still managing. Right then I tried Programa and I realized I wasn't managing, I was just surviving. And barely. When I demoed the platform, I was most impressed by their incredible AI web clipper that pulls every single spec from a supplier's webpage straight into your product schedule. We're talking product details, dimensions, pricing, finishes, everything captured in seconds instead of the hours we used to spend copying and pasting into spreadsheets. It saves me so much time, and most importantly, it's given me back the headspace to actually focus on design instead of drowning in admin. So here's my advice. If you're serious about streamlining your design business and actually reclaiming some time in your day, head to programa.design and use code CONFESSIONS25 to get 25% off your annual subscription. Trust me, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. Doubt it, doubt it, doubt it. Okay, the classic question that I have to ask everyone, what's a vice you partake.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

In? I had to think about this.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

One. This is what everyone always says, which. And I say maybe I should take this question out. But I kind of like making.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

People decide it's a good one. It's like it really works with the show. So my thing with vices is I feel like there's something that you feel like is like you can't control or it like affects your well being or your health. And so, so for me, I was like, I don't have any vices or things that I do. Like, I don't consider them.

[Caroline Turner]

Vices. Yeah, yeah, yeah, fair, you know.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Like smoke weed on occasion. And I'm like, that's not a vice. To me or like fair. But I don't drink coke or. And I don't like, I don't drink that much like alcohol. So I was asking my husband what my vices are and he said spending. And so I was like.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh. Which by the way, you're in.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

The perfect profession because my God, all we do is get to spend money all.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Day. I.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Know. So I was like, I'm the same.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Way. That's probably it. Because I'll like, I'll be like, oh, if the money is in the account, like I'll spend it, you know. So I have to like hide money from.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Myself. Me too. I have bank accounts at different banks because I can't let that money exist. Like, no, it's not mine actually. That's that bank's money. It's not even mine. Like I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Can'T. Is it like a CD? I think they're called CDs, which they don't really matter anymore and you're like not allowed to touch them for a certain amount of time. Like I have those because I'm like, that money doesn't exist to.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Me. Yeah, it does.

[Caroline Turner]

Exist. Exactly. I'm the same way. I also, this is about to sound like an ad and it is very much not. But I love Rocket money for that because it like sit. Claire's.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Laughing. Cause I say this to the.

[Caroline Turner]

Girls all the time, but it siphons money out of your account without you knowing. Like $20 here, $20 there, $20 here, $20.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

There. And it sends it to another.

[Caroline Turner]

Account. That's not like I have Chase.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

It. My Chase account, it's in Rocket.

[Caroline Turner]

Money. So while I can pull it out. And I did when I went to Morocco. Cuz I had like saved for a special piece of jewelry to buy in.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Morocco. So I cashed out when I.

[Caroline Turner]

Was in the airport and I was able to like buy the special piece of jewelry because. But otherwise I probably would have spent that money on something else if it had been like sitting in my account when I checked my normal bank.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Account. Cannot recommend.

[Caroline Turner]

Enough. Love.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Totally. Yeah. Like I recently paid off my car and I've been debating on like what I want to get. And so I have like this extra money money in my account and I literally called my father the other day and I was like, can I have your bank account information so I can like put that money just in your bank account? So I'm like, I. I have to know that it's like doesn't exist, you know, because now I'm like, I'm like, oh, my God. I have all this extra money and I'm, like, spending it. And I realized, like, that needs to go to a savings that, like, I can't.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Control. So, yeah, I'm the same.

[Caroline Turner]

Way. I also feel like I can buy something anywhere. I went to the garden center the other day and I pieces of.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Art, and my team was like, what wrong with you? Like, how? How did you buy.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

This? I'm like, the best and worst person to go shopping with because, like, literally, I walk into a store, I walk out with a bag. Like, I can't no matter.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

What. Yeah, I will be leaving with.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Something. Yes. Like, any thrift store, anything. And, like, I can help people buy stuff, but, like, so people will be like, what are you doing this week? I'm like, absolutely nothing. I can't go anywhere because I'm gonna spend.

[Caroline Turner]

Money. So I like, that's me.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Too. I'm not a window.

[Caroline Turner]

Shopper. I actually can't think of anything I like less than window.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Shopping. I don't wanna do it if I can't buy something. This feels like a waste of my time. I'm not having fun unless I get to swipe my card, which is a problem. That is a.

[Caroline Turner]

Sickness. But it's just so much more fun. Well, and also, I feel like you're often buying things that are like, secondhand, thrift.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Vintage. It's really easy to tell yourself, but it's just $20 and it's worth, I have to own this or I will die without it. Like, those are harder to say no.

[Caroline Turner]

To. For me, like an antique store, I cannot leave without something, no matter.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

What. 100%. And it's always like, oh, this is a one of a kind thing. Or like, I saw this a long time ago, or I saw this and I didn't buy it, and so.

[Caroline Turner]

I need to buy it. It's been living in my brain and I have to buy it now. Yeah, I don't regret any of the things I've bought from antique stores.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Though. Yeah, I will. I've also kind of, like, tried to not be so much of a consumer. So I started buying secondhand and going like, thrift shopping and everything, because it feels like a little less, like, guil sometimes spending money at those places. I agree.

[Caroline Turner]

Yes. I'm the same way. Whenever I'm like, I have that itch, but I really shouldn't be spending.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Money. I take the business card to an antique store and I buy lots of accessories for future.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Clients. Props. Yes, props and.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Accessories. There are so Many future styling things on my accountant.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. My accountant's like, you have so much inventory. I'm like, what do you mean? I'm gonna use spent. Sell.

[Caroline Turner]

It. I literally sold something the other.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Day that I'd had for five years. And I was like, see, See, I've. Yeah, I should have bought this five years ago. It was worth.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Yes. You're like, don't count the storage I've been paying on.

[Caroline Turner]

It.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Yeah. Don't worry about the hundreds to thousands of dollars I've been paying for it to sit there. It's.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Fine.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Yeah. Oh, my God. That's the part that, yeah. That I didn't fully think about until I got into it. I'm like, oh, okay.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. I bought this like, incredible bed a few years ago that was on sale. Cause, like, the antique store was closing. And I've sent it to my friend who, like, was that Christie's and furniture? And she's like, I've never seen anything like this incredible. And so I am obsessed with it. It's a full bed, so it's like a three quarter. And so, like, nobody wants to buy. It's on Cherish. I have it very high because I'm like, I'm going to do that. I do that too someday in a project. Yeah, it's very expensive on Cherish and nobody's bought it because it's too expensive. But also it's like, you have to buy the three quarter mattress, which I know the place that makes three quarter mattresses.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

But. But no one else.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Does. I can't wait till I perfect kids.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Room. I cannot wait to see that. I'm gonna be on the.

[Caroline Turner]

Lookout. I bought a brass tub in.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Morocco. Being like, yeah, I'll be able to sell this immediately. A client just bought it like.

[Caroline Turner]

Three. Three years later. Two and a half.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Years. Three years later, I just went back.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Again. That's.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Incredible. At the same time that I sold the bath in all that time.

[Caroline Turner]

Like. But I will say we bought it for like a, I now realize, insanely good price because it is double what it was when I bought it. Like, it was, you know, whatever. Now it's like $8,800 and we have it for like, I want to say 2,800 less than that on my website. And that's with like, us still making a profit. So I will say I was.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Like, see, I should have bought it. So in some ways it doesn't help such a good. It doesn't help.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

My. I mean, I. That's great. And then with Tariffs now. I mean, you would probably have to pay so much more money to get it.

[Caroline Turner]

Here. Oh, my. It would be a $10,000 bathtub at the end of the day, which at that point, let me carve it out of bluestone. Like, that doesn't make any sense, you know? So.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

It'S. I'm glad I bought it when.

[Caroline Turner]

I did, I guess, is the bottom line.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Okay. Also, I say this every time, but every single time someone has a new vice, I'm like, oh, fuck, I have to add that to my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

List. It sounds like you have a shopping vice.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Too. Like, every single time someone has a vice, I'm always like, damn it. I didn't realize that was a place.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Okay. I mean, it's not. If it's not hurting you. Like, in my.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Mind, let's be so for.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Real. It's not hurting the business. The business is.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Probably. Listen, I'm trying to shop small, too, so at least I'm giving to the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Community.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Exactly. Oh, my.

[Caroline Turner]

God. Okay, well, I think that's a great.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

One. And something I need to contend with.

[Caroline Turner]

Apparently. Let's get into our.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Confessions. Ooh, I'm so.

[Caroline Turner]

Excited. Okay, this one's juicy. Last year, I was working on a big renovation for a couple in the Bay Area. It was an existing home they already owned together, and the wife was my main point of contact from day one. She came to every walkthrough, every meeting, super organized, always ready with notes. Her husband, meanwhile, was totally hands off. She'd mentioned him occasionally. Stuff like, he's busy. He trusts me with all this, but I didn't meet the guy once the entire time we were planning. Once the home was generally designed, we brought in our GC and his subs. A few walls were being opened up, so the electrician asked to punch some holes to take a look at existing wiring. Of course, we say, that's fine. And as we're all standing there talking about sconces or something, he suddenly calls us over with a I need you to look at this.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Tone. Uh.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh. He'd opened up part of a wall in their primary bedroom. Indeed, that's never a great. Never a great sign. He'd opened up a part of a wall in their primary bedroom and found a small camera tucked behind the drywall. I was thinking this aimed at the whole space. Then he pointed out another one above the kitchen cabinets, another inside the landing, built ins, one in a vent in the primary bathroom. They weren't dusty or legacy security equipment. They were newer models, hardwired, fully powered. The Electrician wasn't alarmed. He was treating it like a routine systems question. He just looked at us and asked, do you want to keep the same camera system or swap to something updated while we're in here? I turned to look at her, fully expecting her to explain the setup or at least know what we were talking about. Instead, she froze. Just for a split second. Enough to clock it. Then she slipped right back into polite mode, asking him calmly to show her all of the locations. But you could tell something was very, very.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Wrong.

[Caroline Turner]

Wow. She acted completely normal. No questions, no big reaction, nothing. She is better than me, is what I will.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Say. Uh huh.

[Caroline Turner]

Okay. Just took note of where everything was and said she'd figure out next steps and let the contractor know. That was the end of it for me. At that point, we didn't need anything else from her, decision wise. So we moved on with the rest of the project. I mean, okay, I guess you're not quite as curious. No, we got more. Don't worry. Fast forward almost a year to the actual install phase. Her husband still never showed up to a single meeting. The wife, though, had changed. Not dramatically, just shorter, more stressed, quicker to snap and then apologize. The vibe was different, but she never brought anything up, so I just assumed it was renovation fatigue. Everyone hits that point. Eventually we finished the project, did our final walkthroughs, and wrapped everything up. Two months later, I woke up to an email from the architect with nothing but a red fin leaf and the words, you're gonna wanna see this. It was the house listed for sale. I ended up calling the wife to check in, expecting some kind of lighthearted, yeah, life happens explanation. Instead, she told me the whole story. She said she had never known about any of the cameras. Not a single one. She didn't say anything that day we found them because she wanted to process it on her own. So she pretended everything was fine. And she didn't confront her husband at the time either. Wow. She is stronger than the Marines. Like I don't. She waited almost a full.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Year. No way. She waited almost a.

[Caroline Turner]

Year. Almost a year. On the day the house was officially finished, the day we handed over the completed project, she told him she knew about the cameras and that she was filing for divorce. She didn't get into the details beyond that, just that the cameras were the final straw. And because of everything that came out afterwards, she won the house in the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Divorce.

[Caroline Turner]

Wow. That was that. No dramatic story, no long explanation, just the confirmation that everything about her reaction back then had been exactly what it looked like. Easily one of the most uncomfortable, confusing, and surreal projects I've ever been a part.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Of. I got.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Chills. Me, too. Also, this woman is an icon. She laid in wait for almost a.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Year. How do you not, like, not change? Like, I don't know. I mean, I guess, like, my husband has seen me naked, but, like, such a different human. Knowing what.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Cameras. You would feel so.

[Caroline Turner]

Exposed. Like.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yes. So.

[Caroline Turner]

Violated. I'm assuming they weren't living in the house with the camera. So I'm assuming, like, she. Which may be where they were living, also had cameras, but I'm assuming she was like, this motherfucker has been.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Watching me for who knows how.

[Caroline Turner]

Long. I'm gonna get this house done.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

How I want it and then divorce his ass. Like, as she should, but.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Also. And then sell it. But that's a.

[Caroline Turner]

Bummer. Well, I know. I guess maybe she was selling it to make money. Yeah. I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Don'T. I mean, one thing was like, is this an Airbnb? Like, you hear about those.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Stories. You really.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Do. What kind of sick human is her.

[Caroline Turner]

Husband? I mean, question for you. You're married. If you were renovating your house and the contractor was like, hey, by the way, what do you want to do with these cameras? What would you do? What if. And you had no idea there were.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Cameras. I was trying to think about what I would do, and that's why I'm saying, like, I don't think I could be, like, normal. Yeah. Have that poker face, like, for the rest of the.

[Caroline Turner]

Night. No, no.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

No. I would definitely. I'm, like, such a. Like, a deeply suspect person in general that I would.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Like. You're like, I've thought of this. He couldn't have. I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Checked.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. I don't.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Know. I would come up with every scenario and be like, okay, the cameras are because of this and the cameras are because of that. And.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Then. And.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Then. But the. I would probably be, like, like, so angry and so fuming about it that I don't think I could keep it from. Without blowing.

[Caroline Turner]

Up. So you would go through, like, all the. It could be for X, it could be for Y. Maybe he wants to, like, look in on our.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Dog. Like, I feel like that's what I would do, too. I would, like, literally come up with any explanation to be like, maybe he's watching the birds in our house. Like, I don't know what I would.

[Caroline Turner]

Have. But I. But then I would have lost my mind on him. Baseball.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Batsman. The thing is, like, it would be me that would put the cameras on the house. Cause my husband's always. I mean, we had a camera in our living room for our dogs for a while. Like one of the regular. Cause like, cameras. And then it like outdated itself or something, so we haven't gotten a new one. And it's like, I used to go on it and be like, elsie, get off the couch. And you'd see her like, slither off. And then sometimes when I'm out of town, I would like go on and be like, hey, babe. And he would be like, so like, we had the camera, but. And I. And he's always like, you're so ridiculous. You need to like, calm down. Like, you don't need cameras everywhere. And so it would be such a shock if he did.

[Caroline Turner]

It.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Shock. But I would definitely be so angry. I'd probably talk to like everybody in my close network and be like, what do you think it is? And how do we fix. How do we do this? And then maybe I would strategize like that woman did and figure out, like, how do I have this divorce happen and get everything that I need.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Out and get all the money I want from.

[Caroline Turner]

It. I feel like being. Because I'm very dramatic. I would go through and cut them all out and lay them on the kitchen table and wait for him to get.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Home. Oh, wow. Or no, I would cut them. I would cut all of them and not tell him. Cause then I would look for, like, him to be like. Cause he had to get them in the walls without you.

[Caroline Turner]

Knowing.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yes. So when was he there and all of.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

That. Also, does he say something? Like, he comes home, he realizes the cameras aren't working. He sees that the wires are cut, but you've said nothing that would be more fun. That's.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Scary. I mean, that I. I would.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Be scary at this.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Point. Like, this probably, like this woman. I'd be like, done. Like, we are done. But I'm going to.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Like. But I'm gonna have a little.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Fun. Yeah. How I could make this work in my favor. But yeah, that is so. It's kind of. It's pretty.

[Caroline Turner]

Gross. Like.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Agreed. Why, like, does he not trust her? Is it because he's, like, gone all the time and he, like, loves her so much that he wants to watch.

[Caroline Turner]

Her? The thing is, okay, lots of people have cameras, right? Like, lots of people. That's not the problem. It's that she didn't know. And they were so hidden that, like, you know, I have like a blink camera or whatever and it's big. It's like in the corner of my Room. You can see it. And I feel like if you have, like, hidden cameras, that's when it becomes nefarious to me, because why else have hidden not telling yourself? To me, it screams, I don't trust her. I think she's cheating. I think she's like, even if she had not done anything wrong, it gives controlling. I think that's what it really.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Is. Yeah. I mean, I'm like, is he a sicko that, like, goes back and.

[Caroline Turner]

Watches? That's my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Question. Cause you said it's in a bathroom vent. It's in the.

[Caroline Turner]

Bedroom. Bedroom, bathroom, vent, Kitchen. And where else do.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You. Oh.

[Caroline Turner]

Kitchen. Maybe one other place.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. I mean, he definitely was, like, watching her because there's some sort of control.

[Caroline Turner]

Situation. Yeah, for sure. And like, how uncomfortable. You're just like a doll in a. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. How fun would that be to be the.

[Caroline Turner]

Designer?

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Right? I would be like, listen. Which she seems to have because she wrote.

[Caroline Turner]

In. Thank you so much, by the way. I feel like penance for this one is easy. The husband deserves the penance. And it's Jim, in my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Opinion. Exactly. And to have the world know.

[Caroline Turner]

Like, you know, he needs to have his jail experience livestreamed is what we should.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Do. Put a camera on.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Him. You want a camera.

[Caroline Turner]

Motherfucker? You got.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

One. He needs a little taste of his own.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Medicine.

[Caroline Turner]

Exactly. You know those Japanese game shows where they literally are on camera for, like, 24 hours? Yeah, I'm kind of picturing that. But jail, you know, which I think could be good for and penance.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

For. I think the wife deserves, like, a reward or.

[Caroline Turner]

Something. I think so, too. I hope she. An.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Award. Not reward.

[Caroline Turner]

Award. Well, it could go either way. She.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Is.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. I mean, seriously, talk about biting your time. Like, I could. I'm not patient enough. I. I'm not, like, like, calculated enough to do this level of.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Revenge. I feel like I kind of wish I could be, but I don't think I could. Me.

[Caroline Turner]

Too. I wish I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Could. I would probably, like, ask my husband about it at some point, and then he would have this explanation, and I'd be, like, gaslit and be okay with.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

It. Like, that makes so much sense. Okay, honey.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Thanks. Thanks for thinking those cameras in. You're.

[Caroline Turner]

Right. We have.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

To. Oh, my.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

God. We need.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Cameras. You're so.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Right. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. As much as I'm, like, so suspect, I, like, I immediately, like, forgive.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

People or, you know, it's fine. Oh, thanks for thinking.

[Caroline Turner]

That.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

It's. Don't worry about.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. You were watching the contractors that makes so much.

[Caroline Turner]

Sense. Yeah. Oh, my.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

God. Thank you for being proactive. I needed help and I didn't even have to.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Ask.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Yeah. Oh.

[Caroline Turner]

God. Confession number two. A while ago, I had a client who came to me with a full Pinterest board and a giant document full of images. Every possible vibe, texture, color, furniture idea, even art placements. All meant to inspire his new construction home. We reviewed it together, and it seemed like a great fit. So he signed the contract. We had a few great meetings, the usual process, client in intake, design, intake, home walkthrough, Everything was on track. Then the architect started sending me schematic design plans. And that's when things started to feel off. They had already had furniture plans, paint colors, furniture selections, pillows, drapery, fabrics, et cetera, even exact locations for their art pieces, all laid out. Basically, they designed half the house themselves, but they hired me for the rest. I reminded the client that the contract outlined my scope of work, that I was the designer for the project, and that the architect might be stepping outside their. Then the email started. Suddenly he wanted me to completely redo my scope of work. He no longer wanted design. He just wanted me to order furniture and provide my full trade discount, essentially. Which, like, biggest of the red flag. All of.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Having all the Pinterest boards. Immediate. Like, not. I like when clients have an idea for things, but, like, having everything kind of narrowed down. I'm like, red flag, red flag, red.

[Caroline Turner]

Flag. I personally don't love, like, a Pinterest board of a room. A board for every room. And they have like all of this, like, no, no, no. You can give me some, like, general vibe.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Yeah. Or keep it to yourself, because.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

That'S what you hired me.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

For. Yes.

[Caroline Turner]

Exactly. I'm the same way. Okay. Essentially, he was saying, just use the mood board and show up when we select materials. And then he casually mentioned that his wife would be doing all the design selections for them.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Home. Oh, my.

[Caroline Turner]

God. I mean, what's darker than red? I don't. I mean, I don't.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Even. An ox blood.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Flag. The flag is bleeding. Like it is not. Guys.

[Caroline Turner]

Please. I reminded him that the contract exists for a reason and that we needed to follow the agreed upon process. He did not like that. Payments were delayed, communication was spotty, and eventually we agreed to part ways. He paid only half of the second payment that was due. Frustrating, but I chalked it up to a bad client experience and moved on. A few days later, I get a text from the client, a screenshot. It's their group chat from the architect quote, Designers are basically overpriced personal shoppers. I can do 90% of this with Pinterest. She's just refusing because she wants the discount money. Quote. Then the wife adds, honestly, I think we should just fire everyone and design it ourselves. I already have half the house figured.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Out.

[Caroline Turner]

Out. He had sent it to me by mistake in the text. He immediately realized it and followed up, apologizing profusely, saying he, quote, didn't mean for me to see that and that it was just, quote, frustration in the moment. Which, yeah, frustration or not, it was still rude. We were already done at that point. So the apology didn't change anything except that now I had the perfect screenshot to commemorate the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Chaos. Wow. Why would you even reach out to a.

[Caroline Turner]

Designer? I mean, I guess it sounds like it was sent, like, fully by mistake, that the screenshot was like, who.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Are they sending it.

[Caroline Turner]

To? Because who are you sending that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

To?

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. And I mean, like, look, we've all had that where we, like, text the wrong person or.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Something. Yeah. I did that recently to my.

[Caroline Turner]

Mother. Oh.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God. I was sending something to my.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Brother. All the people, it's probably.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Fine. And I deleted it. But it was like it went to the iPad or something. And she was like, I'm sorry. It's like.

[Caroline Turner]

Fuck. I don't. Sorry.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Mom didn't mean that. I'm.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Obsessed. That's so.

[Caroline Turner]

Funny. I mean, I still remember the first time I did it at, like.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

15, and the feeling that sunk into my bone of, like, oh, my.

[Caroline Turner]

God. And it was on, like, either.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

A BlackBerry or a Razer flip phone. So there was no undue send at that point in.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Time. Yeah. The sink in your gut. But, yeah, that client must have.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Fell. That feeling is, oh, my God, they deserved.

[Caroline Turner]

It. I agree. Mainly because to me, and don't get me wrong, I love to talk shit, but, like, don't put something in writing. Yeah. That you couldn't, like, accidentally.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Send. Like, you know, talk.

[Caroline Turner]

Shit. But don't be like, we should just fire.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Everybody. Blah, blah, blah, blah, on a text.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Message. That's what voice memos are.

[Caroline Turner]

For. I completely.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Agree. Something just.

[Caroline Turner]

Disappear.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Disappear.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yes. We had a similar situation happen to us. Not in that way, but we had a client that we had an agreement with them that we. They could order from this, like, vendor that they had a previous relationship with. So, like, the way that we had it in our contract, that was that they can order. So then halfway through the project, when we're going into, like, procurement, the client kept saying to us, oh, I Have a previous relationship with that vendor. Oh, I have a previous relationship with this vendor. And I was like, what? Like, we only were planned on one specific vendor. And me being so suspicious, I did a little googling and noticed that the client had opened an llc, like their name designs. And I was like, like, oh my.

[Caroline Turner]

God. So they had opened an llc. She had opened an LLC under her name. So was she planning.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

To.

[Caroline Turner]

Yes. Like, start her own firm or she was just doing that for discounts for.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Herself? Well, I think she was planning to start her own firm or at least do discounts. And so I reached out to the client and said that. That this was, like, inappropriate and that we would be walking away from the project. And they said that they had created this like, LLC for tax purposes for like their nanny. And I was like, it says designs. Like, there's no.

[Caroline Turner]

Way. That makes no.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Sense. We ended up having to create like a writer contract that said that there's no conflict of interest and no other design firm is allowed to work on the project except for if we approve of it. So. So that's just like kind of a similar lesson learned. And so going forward, like, all of my contracts say that. And I'm sure sometimes people are like, why do they have this? But, you know, you live and you.

[Caroline Turner]

Learn. That's brilliant. It's that one crazy person. And that's why.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yep. And so, yeah, so I. That just felt very familiar to me when the wife wanted to order everything. And I mean, it wasn't like this person was choosing finishes or doing the design work or the architect was doing it. But yeah, it's like such a weird. I don't know, I just think it's so inappropriate for clients to. And any other, like, professional to step in and say, like, oh, we can do that. You know, it's. It is like, what's the point? Like, you're. Why would you hire.

[Caroline Turner]

Somebody? Well, and often we're not going to these people. They're coming to us. Why would you hire a designer? And I know the answer. It's to get all of the ideas. It's just so they have a designer to co sign what they're doing, and then they don't want to spend the money that it takes to execute what the designer did. But what they're not understanding is half. Like, we're not charging enough for the front half if we're executing. If I knew I wasn't executing, I would charge an ungodly amount for my designs. Because. Because I'm not gonna be able to make, like, the margins don't make sense. If I know I'm the one who's implementing, then, like, it's easier for me to be like, okay, I can charge a little bit less on the upfront because we have a year or a year and a half or two years of billable hours to go. Clients are trying to, like, get the best deal in the beginning, essentially, in my opinion, steal our work and then. Then get. Cut it out at the end and, like, get a good deal. And that's not. In my experience. It's happened on more than one occasion where I'm like, you just wanted me to say that this was good. You wanted someone to, like, officially design everything. You had planned this all.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Along.

[Caroline Turner]

Right. Like, you were never planning to pay for the entirety of the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Project. And. Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. All of.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

That. That's what the expert. And, like, online consulting is for. All of that. Rates are so.

[Caroline Turner]

High. Exactly. Absolutely. And as it should be, like, it should be very expensive for an hour of that designer's time because you were getting intellectual property. Exactly. You're getting 30 years, 20 years, 15 years, 10 years of experience that are now being implemented in your home. It doesn't. And to me, the feeling of, like, I'm gonna get what I want regardless of the people who are the ones with the ideas. It's so gross. And I can't fathom doing that to another.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Artist. Yeah. And then to just hire somebody to implement it, it's like, just hire a. Like, go in. Go on. What's.

[Caroline Turner]

That? Like, get an.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Assistant? Yeah, like, yeah, hire an assistant. Hire a project manager. Go on, like, upwork or something and say, like, I need somebody to up. Implement this, you know? Like, yes. It's just. Just. It's so degrading to our work, and I feel like it happens a.

[Caroline Turner]

Lot. I mean, more often than people would think.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that people don't entirely respect our industry or understand it enough to think that, like, oh, well, I can just hire you piecemeal for some things, or, like, I have all these ideas, and I want you to, like, pull it together and then order everything for me, but not get any markup, because for some reason, that doesn't make. Like, I don't value that. Like, you deserve to have your bottom line met. You know, like, okay, it's like, go to West Elm and have them do.

[Caroline Turner]

It. Well, and how do you feel about living in that big, fancy home? And you cheated everyone out of any money they were supposed to.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Make.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. Making interior design more Accessible in some ways has created a bit of a. Of an issue, because I think what it is is this, like, middle pocket. The people who are not making ungodly amounts of money. High net worth, but not ultra high net worth, are, like, what I'm realizing, like, high net worth. There are certainly some, like, great clients from that bucket, but it is an unusually difficult bucket to work with. Ultra high net worth are, like, here's.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

$50,000. Talk to you in two.

[Caroline Turner]

Weeks. Like, it's not. It's just completely different. And I think that there's good and bad in both. But we're a luxury service at the end of the day. And so, like, I don't need you to hire me. And then nickel and dime me. I could have worked with somebody.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Else. Like, when I started out doing home polish. That's what the biggest issue with that was, is that they were trying to say that, like, everybody deserved interior design and that, like, they were kind of, like, making it not feel like a luxury service in that way. And ultimately, like, it is a luxury service. So. So, like, the people that were failed by that kind of, what do you call it, like, business plan and the way that that structure was done were the designers, because you had all these clients that didn't really have the act, had enough money to hire people, and they thought that they, like, they were entitled to this. And so, you know, people would only buy, like, 10 hours and want to get, like, a whole home design out of those hours. And as a designer, you're just. Just, like, spinning your wheels and struggling to try to like, get everything accomplished in such a short amount of time. And it just wasn't. It just ultimately just doesn't work.

[Caroline Turner]

Well. And then if there's a mistake, it's your fault. When you were trying to make it work in the 10 hours that they gave, like, everything ends up on you. When you're trying to do what's best for the client or right, you know, for the project, I think it can be really. And you're right. I think home polish in that era of time really sort of created an interesting relationship the general public has with interior design. I think. I just don't think there was, like, this idea of accessibility before. And while. Does everyone deserve to live in a beautiful home? 1,000%. 1,000%. I don't think anyone's arguing that they should. But are we also supposed to, like, pay our people and make ends meet and, like, run a business? Yeah. So at some points, how is that not also seen as a valuable like, there are real humans that have to do this work. It's not robots. There are real people who have to pay their bills. And so I think that's the thing that kind of can get lost in translation of, like, making this more accessible at the detriment of the people who have to do the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Work. I mean, it's like. Like with private chefs, for instance, like, everybody deserves to eat well and to have, like, healthy food and good meals, but not everybody is entitled to a private.

[Caroline Turner]

Chef. Yes. Would I love one? Absolutely. Can I afford.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

One?

[Caroline Turner]

No.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

No. And so. And like. And you can kind of tell, like, there haven't been too many, I guess, like, the box meals has been like, the middle one answered an. Yeah, but. But it's still, like, it's not entirely custom, you know, like, it's not custom. Right. Like, you can say, like, I'm a vegetarian, so I can only eat vegetarian food. But, like, they're developing the meals all the time, so you're just eating what comes to you every week. Sometimes you can, like, order off of a menu or something. But then that's like thinking about design. Like, what is that? You know, And I think people still think that they deserve custom homes, but they don't want to pay, like, private chef prices or, you know, like, designer pricing or.

[Caroline Turner]

Whatever. I think that is the perfect analogy because we all need to eat. That is a. A human right and requirement. But not everyone needs to eat filet mignon.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

With. With like, you know, carrot puree.

[Caroline Turner]

And whatever the f. Like, every single night. Like, that would be great, but, like, it's just not the reality for a lot. Lot of people, including.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Myself. Like, a lot of designers couldn't hire.

[Caroline Turner]

Themselves. Like.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

That'S. Most designers cannot afford to hire.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Themselves. I can't afford the contractors I work with. No.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

No. I would love to, but I.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Can'T.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. So I think there's this idea that, like, accessibility is the end result. And I just disagree. Like, accessibility is not ultimately what I'm striving for personally, in if people can hire me or not. So penance. Penance for the designer to me. Yeah, penance for the designer to me. And I don't want to seem like victim blamey by any means, but surely now, you know, you should have run at the very beginning. Like, surely now there were some red flags, like the full Pinterest board, giant document full of images. I would be like, I don't think I'm the. Like, that to me, is all I would need to know. Unless I were to Say to them, are you willing to let this go if you hire me? Like, I appreciate what you've done up to this point, but if you hire me, are you willing to trust me and, like, let me do my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Job? I think what seems a little bit hard is that this designer did. Did go back and say, like, this isn't in our scope. And so I think there was some agreement there. But. But, I mean, still, you live and you learn, you know, like, of course, I have a lot of clients that are design enthusiasts, and that can kind of be tricky, but you still have to kind of, like, read between the lines as the designer to know, like, okay, this person's like, is this person really gonna let me be in control of the situation, or are they not? And it's like, with me, I feel like it's a gut. Gut feeling. So, yeah, you have to really, like, kind of trust your gut in that situation. Because I think of, like, I was speaking to, like, a business coach a while back, and I was saying how it felt like a detriment to me that I have so many clients that are design enthusiasts because they know so much, and sometimes they could, you know, think, oh, well, I can get it myself, or I could. You know, I know where you bought that kind of a thing, because I've had clients do that. But. But that coach said, yeah, but you're starting with clients that are, like, if you were to have a scale of 1 to 10 for taste level, you're starting with clients that are at, like, a five or a six, and you can get them to 10. Where clients that have, like, no design, like, interest can never get to 10. Like, you can only get them up to five. So that is kind of tricky, but that's the positive behind it. So I can understand, like, maybe being the designer coming in that, like, oh, well, this person is. And they have an understanding, and they know what they want, but there are little red flags that you kind of have to learn. So, yeah, there is penance for this.

[Caroline Turner]

Designer. You're so right. And I have certainly had clients who are like, I love design. I have all, you know, agreed. I think the difference for me is if they say, I love your work, I picked you. Here's what else I love. But ultimately, I want you to do this that is like, that, to me, makes the difference between, here's all these images. Here's what I want. I want you to copy this or make it look like this. Those. I feel like if they're like, we just want it to look like, what we've already found that, to me, feels like a bigger red flag than, like, here's all this work that I love. Like, take it, synthesize it, make it work for us. Like, those feel like two. Exactly. And also, you'll realize that as you, like, are more in the industry, you interact more with clients. Like, and in some cases, some clients don't know it's completely.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Inappropriate.

[Caroline Turner]

Right. The designer, to your point, did say, this is inappropriate. This is not how it works. So you would hope after that point, they just didn't know. You're giving them the benefit of the doubt. They didn't know that this is inappropriate. And I've been there where I'm halfway through a project, and I'm like, they're not following the contract. Do I blow this up? Do I keep. Like, it's a hard decision to make, especially when you've said no to other clients. Like, so you could take this other client. Like, there's so much that you have to think about when you're making that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Decision. I mean, that happens. I was just talking to a really prominent designer last week, and the same thing happened to her. Happens to her. Like, I think it. Like, it happens to all of.

[Caroline Turner]

Us. It really.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Does. And this designer was like, I'm gonna keep going. I'm gonna, like, commit to the contract. But now I am not interested in this. And I just kind of want to get my money and get out and out. And it's just, like, it's. That's so unfortunate. But it is true. Like, you kind of have to decide. Like, I have blown up contracts in the.

[Caroline Turner]

Past. I have, too.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

But. And. And. But you really do have to, like, make that decision and kind of, like, weigh all the rights and the wrongs and say, like, is it going to affect my.

[Caroline Turner]

Reputation? Exactly. There have been projects where I'm like, I'm finishing this for me, because X, Y, Z, people might see it or it's a commercial. Like, that's when they're always able to get me. When it's a commercial.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Project. Those are hard. I came from commercial.

[Caroline Turner]

Work. Yeah. They're so hard because everyone knows you did it. So it's like, you have to make it as perfect as possible because your name is on it. Whether they're. Yeah. Anyway, okay, so pennants for the clients. My God, I just feel like may every designer in their area. No, not to work with them, because guaranteed, she.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Will.

[Caroline Turner]

She. He. They will try to hire someone else to do it for them. Like, just do the work and So I hope that this other designer has done some spreading the word and that they're not able to hire.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Anybody. Yeah, I wish there was, like, a little, like, black book, dark web network for.

[Caroline Turner]

Designers. Do you remember that website, like, 10 years ago that was like, don't date this man because he has all these problems. And it was, like a anonymous site that you could, like, which for every man, probably needed to be on there. But, like, that's what I need for clients. I need, like, a list of. Do not work with these.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Clients. Honestly, maybe.

[Caroline Turner]

We'Ll. Maybe we'll have to start a database because some people, like, need to be blacklisted. There is. They. They need to be. They have to be taught a lesson. What we always say in our firm is, if you think you can do it, do.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Please do it, do.

[Caroline Turner]

It. Guaranteed. You're gonna be really upset with that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Decision. Let them, you know. Yeah, that's basically what it is. Like.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Fine. If you wanna do it, by all means, do it. Great. I don't.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Care. And I'm still gonna charge you 30%.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Mark. Yeah, exactly. It's your lies, babe. You are flushing money down the toilet, not.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Me. I've had clients, like, we, like, selected a rug, and then the next week they're like, oh, we ended up buying the rug. And I've said, okay, well, I'm still sending you an invoice for our markup. Yeah, it's like, they don't do it.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Again. You can't just do.

[Caroline Turner]

That. That's not how this.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Works. Oh, my.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

God.

[Caroline Turner]

Boundaries. I have some questions for you, if you're open to.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. Yeah, love.

[Caroline Turner]

Questions. When a home longs for history, as you put it, what are the details or materials you turn to first to give it that sense of.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Place? I think millwork is a big aspect of homes. Like, I. I like to look at the architecture of a home. So even if it's like a 90s build, you kind of, like, have to go back and, like, dissect. What was the original intent, like, architectural vernacular that this architect was. Yeah. If there was an architect or that they were, like, trying to make happen. Because I think, like, every house has. Has, like, a driving style behind it, even if it's a mishmash. And then it's like, okay, like, how can I, like, remove the bad and then bring in the good that would, like, fit this vernacular? So a lot of that is definitely, like, the architectural details, like interior architecture. And so definitely millwork is something that I turn to and then finishes, like, natural Finishes or thinking of, okay, what would have been like, appropriate for that time period that we're trying to recreate and, and really work from there and just kind of, you know, strip it down to.

[Caroline Turner]

That. Interesting. It's interesting that you said that even if it's like a 90s sort of like less than well done space, you're still going back to that original architecture. Because I do that when I feel like the architecture is good, but I'm guilty of if I feel like the architecture was not to a certain level. I'm like, nevermind, fuck it. We're starting.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Over. And so I feel like I need to do that. I need to.

[Caroline Turner]

Go. Because architects, while they don't always, you know, execute the intent there, is typically intent there. So I feel like finding out what the plan was, I mean, that seems like a duh, but it's not something I'm currently doing. So I'm gonna try to implement that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Sometimes. I mean, I've gone in these houses where they're like these crazy McMansions with the glowing cabinets underneath and all.

[Caroline Turner]

The lighting and all the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Things. And I. And I went into this one project and this one client, it would have been an amazing money maker job. And this one client, like, wanted all like Baker furniture. Like, she knew, she was like, I want like, you know, and I was just like, I feel like I'm in. What is that, like 90s show that was like Miami Vice. Like, I was like, I don't know what to do with this house. So I feel like that was really hard and I really, really. But she didn't want to change. She didn't want to do.

[Caroline Turner]

Any. Like, she just wanted furniture that wouldn't fit with the.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Architecture. Yeah. And so, I mean, I would have like, had to really like, think about that house and try to like, understand like what those, like, was it originally supposed to feel like a Normandy style? Like, you know, like, like what were they trying to get? Was it like Spanish? Like, I. I don't know. So that was really hard. And, and so if it comes, somebody comes to me for just furnishings and like, the architecture is really bad. It is so hard for me to like, get past.

[Caroline Turner]

That. I normally have to say.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

No. Yeah, I had to say no.

[Caroline Turner]

If they're not willing to change things. We just had a client that we met with like last week. She was so sweet, but I was like, you're gonna need $500,000 to make this house make any.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Sense.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. And that's never for a done.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Home. Like, you don't need construction. It's done, but it's gonna cost.

[Caroline Turner]

You at least $500,000 for this.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

House. Make any sense.

[Caroline Turner]

Whatsoever. And she was like, what are you talking about? And I was like, yeah, I might just not be the right designer, because to me, like, this, like, metal and tile fireplace is not gonna go with the warm transitional style you want. Like, it's just.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Not. We cannot meet in the middle anywhere. Or, like, we can't. When. Yeah. If somebody comes to me and they're not willing to do that, it's just like, you're never gonna be happy. You know, you will be upset with me if.

[Caroline Turner]

I. Because I didn't fulfill the dream because I wasn't given, like, the tools to. But now I'm just starting to.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Say, you will not be happy with.

[Caroline Turner]

Me if I do this job, like, straight up. Like, I'm not the right person, because I personally will need $500,000 to make this feel how I want it.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

To. I have a certain level of, like, commitment to myself and.

[Caroline Turner]

Morals. Yes. Thanks for.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

This. Like, if I really want to, like, make you happy, it's not going to happen. And. And that job I turned down. And then one of the women that, like, recommended me to the client was like, I can't believe you did that. Like, that is that you were gonna make so much money on that project. And I was like, yeah, but the house was never gonna be where we wanted because she didn't wanna do that. And she was like, you're right. That house is.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Hideous.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Exactly. Even your friend thinks.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

That. Okay, so you.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Agree. But. Yeah, it was just like, you know, sometimes it's like, that's where we put money on the table.

[Caroline Turner]

Because.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Yep. Like, or leave money on the table because we're just like, I can't do.

[Caroline Turner]

It. I'm leaving money on the table all the time. I can't. Like, for my soul if. Cause if I'm.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Not. Like, I'm so excited about this.

[Caroline Turner]

Project, I don't want it. Like, I don't want it. And luckily, we're at points in our career where we can say, like, I want to be really excited about this. And it's made my life, God, so much better. Being excited about the jobs we're taking. I mean, it's. Cannot be understated. That sounds, again, like a duh. But I didn't really. How much it was wearing on me working on projects that I just really didn't.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Like. Mm. That's. I mean, it's hard. And that's, like, my going Back to the Marie Kondo. Like, it's not just the clients. It's the job. You know, my thing used to.

[Caroline Turner]

Be people pay, place, and I needed to have two out of three. Now I'm kind of like, ooh, I need to have place no matter.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

What. Meaning the project needs to be.

[Caroline Turner]

Good and then the pay or the people. But, like, the place seems to need to be the thing that's non negotiable, which previously it wasn't. And that's been kind of scary and freeing for me, making that decision of, like, I'm gonna prioritize aesthetically what we wanna be working on. Not always, but, like, I'm.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Trying. It's hard to. To know going in that you're not gonna say yes to everything because you don't know where the next dollar is gonna come from. But I feel like the universe.

[Caroline Turner]

Provides. I think so too. Every time I've held out, something else has come around the corner that was meant to happen that I couldn't have taken if I had done something.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Else. And I, like, sometimes get like that too much. Like, I'm like, oh, this job, just like, there's too many red flags. And then if I accept it, we're not gonna have the capability to take the dream project that we want that could come around the.

[Caroline Turner]

Corner. I'm the same way sometimes. I'm like, caroline, you have to say yes to.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

This. We gotta sign something because we have to pay our bills. But I'm like, but what if? So you have to straddle that line for.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure. Sure. Last question for you. In your view, what's one trend or approach in design today that you think is overrated or that you'd like to see people.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Rethink? It's gonna sound. So this is gonna sound like such a oxymoron or, I don't know, like, opposite of me is that I think everybody right now is like, I love English interiors. I love, like, like, you know, storied historic homes. And I just think that, like, there's not everybody needs to be doing that, because it's gonna feel like a trend, and it's gonna feel like a certain place in time that we are all just referencing, like, cottage and historic interiors that are English and feel like this. I feel like there's certain people who are authentically, like, right for that aesthetic, and then I think there are people that aren't. And I'm with you on that. I'm not saying that, like, you can't reference apps aspects to it, but, like, it Feels like people are just jumping on the train of it because people want cozier and, like, layered homes that feel comfortable. And, like, that doesn't necessarily mean.

[Caroline Turner]

English. True. Absolutely. I also think that has become. It's the same with, like, the Nancy Myers aesthetic. Like, if you aren't living in a home that architecturally is that.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

Aesthetic. We can't be doing Nancy Meyers.

[Caroline Turner]

In, like, a new build white box. Like, we just can't. We can't be doing English in, like, yeah, some, like, random little cookie cutter house in the suburbs. Sorry. But, like, if there is not already some architectural detail that comes with the same with, like, a Tudor. I see people, like, making the insides of these, like, new builds look like Tudors. And I'm like, what. What's happening right now? This does not seem to be, like, it feels like Disney World to.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Me. Like, it's like we're creating fake. I.

[Caroline Turner]

Agree. Cool. And, like, you know, I'm probably speaking out of both sides of my mouth. I did just do a project that was a commercial project that English was sort of like our guiding aesthetic. And I did at some points have to be like, how do I. But we were starting with a full box. I got to do all kinds of architecture. I got to bring in moldings and paneling and like, that. That's when I feel like it can be a little bit more.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Successful. Commercials also there. You can do that with commercial. Because the commercial is an escape, you.

[Caroline Turner]

Know? Yes, that.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Too. Like, there's the. It's about the drama. It's about the, like, the moment and the experience that you're there and then you leave it. Right. Like, that's why, like, I think with people, like, being like, I really want to do hospitality or hotels, and it's like, because you can like, create these really, like, stage sets for people because they're only there for one night.

[Caroline Turner]

You know, and it needs to be that experience that evokes emotion. Yes. Whereas your home, not always. You don't always want it to do.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

That. And, like, if you think about talking about a hospitality brand, like, anything about Soho House, where, like, they have, like, an overarching, like, feel about all their places, but, like, their spaces and their hotels, but they change them and they reference, like, yes. Architecture. And.

[Caroline Turner]

Like. Like, Istanbul is different than Miami. Like, their.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Places. Read where they are different.

[Caroline Turner]

Yes. But you can still say, oh, this is Soho.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

House. Right. And I think that you need to think about that when you're designing homes. Like, if you're in Southern California in, like, a Spanish revival house. Like, you're not going to bring in a Cape.

[Caroline Turner]

Cod.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

No. Like, interior, you know, like, it's.

[Caroline Turner]

Just not going to.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Happen. And so that's that. I think that's for me, it's like, I feel like. I don't know, I. I like if somebody brings me a house, I love English interiors and like New England design and stuff like that, because that's where I, like, I grew up in New England. But like, not every project is right for that. So then we try to like, really reference what the house is telling us again. So. But you could have, like, aspects of it. But it is really. I don't know, I just think too many people get, like, are getting too into like that look and whatever and it's kind of annoying.

[Caroline Turner]

Me. And I have a lot to thank TikTok for. But one thing that is also, it's driving me insane. This whole, like, English Niti Myers in like, like white box, little apartments in the sky. Like, guys. Yeah. It's not going to be, ever be successful. So let's lean into the thing that your space, like, is asking for.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Versus.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. What we're trying, like, square peg, round hole. Round hole. Round hole. Our tagline is interiors that make you feel. What's something that made you feel.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Recently. So I started doing.

[Caroline Turner]

Substack. Amazing.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Congratulations. Thank you. I've been working on this one post for like three weeks, but it's coming back to the summer we were in Milan and we went to the Villa Necce Compignio and it's this home in Milan. It was designed in like 19, mid-1930s. Like, I think it was finished in like 1937 maybe. And Piero Portalupi is the architect. And I, like, had an emotional breakdown and cried when I walked into the veranda. Like, which was like this room in the house that I've seen for years online. But, like, seeing it in person for the first time, like, it really moved me. And so, like, I'm getting emotional about it right now. So when I was writing my subtec about like the house museum, that made me cry. Like, I literally started feeling all those feelings again. And so it's just that, I don't know, I think, like, really what.

[Caroline Turner]

A testament to spaces and how it can evoke an actual emotion in us. That's.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Lovely. Yeah, like, really incredible poems can really evoke emotion. And I don't know what it was, like, I mean, I know what it was about that house. There's so many details and so much like it was that you knew that the architect was given, like, full. I mean, he was like an architect and a designer, but you could tell that he was given, like, full, like, control of his design. And, like, they put all of their trust into him and let him just go, which is like, kind of what we've been talking about in this conversation, to, like, let the designer, like, be the designer that you trust and let them just, like, have fun and, like, do, like, come up with all those details and designs on their own. And so. So, like, in this house, for instance, like, all of the radiator covers kind of looked like chainmail jewelry. And, like, everyone was a little different. And so it's just like those little minute details that were so incredible that you knew that you could see that the architect really, like, thought about and put so much energy and thought and effort into. And it just, like. And they had the budget for it, and so they just came together that it's this incredible space that's just so moving and beautiful. And it's not like a super old home, you know, it's like A.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, 1930s is not, I mean, almost 100 years, which was kind of wild, but, yeah, in the grand scheme, it feels young. Wow. I can't wait to read that substack. I'm.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Excited. Yeah, I'm working on.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

It. And you're like, no, no, no.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

No. It's taking me a while. No. And I have, like, images that go along with it and I'm probably going to talk more about the. And another one, but it's just, you know, those kind of things are really.

[Caroline Turner]

Big. Well, it's meaningful when you get to experience something from a hundred years ago and knowing that the person who did it shared some sensibility with you of that, like, you care this much about place and home to be that detail oriented. Like, there's something, I think, emotional about that for.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Sure. Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

So. Well, thank you, Lauren, so much. This has been incredible. Before we go, where can we find.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

You? I'm mostly just on Instagram. So that's Studio Laloc L A L O C. And then I have our website, which is studiolock.com we have Pinterest. I got, like, hacked on Twitter. Not Twitter. What is it? TikTok? Oh, no, I have, like, a burner account on TikTok now, so I don't do anything on there. But I was so offended when I got hacked. But yeah. So we're just over on Instagram for the most part.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. And everybody checking out. Your work is.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Beautiful. Oh, thank you. You're so welcome. I do love following you on.

[Caroline Turner]

TikTok. TikTok, man, it's a whole different.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

World. There's lots of good and also.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

Lots of bad, but you know, it's a.

[Caroline Turner]

Beast. Well, Lauren, thank you for doing this. I really, really appreciate it. I've had the best time, and.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly a friend or colleague)]

I can't wait to prepare.

[Lauren Lothrop Karen]

It. I know. I cannot wait. I'm so.

[Caroline Turner]

Excited. Lauren, thank you so much for being here, all of you. Thank you for listening. And until next week, peace be with you.