Lauren Sullivan of Well by Design
photo by Caroline Sharpnack
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? Mayfair, London
What are three words to describe your style?
Collected
Restrained
Contrast
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? I went through a few iterations of 80s and 90s floral motifs, but the most memorable was in elementary and middle school — a yellow bedspread with pink and green florals. My mom and grandmother rag-rolled the walls in shades pulled from it. I had a dark wood antique bed and dresser, and an antique mirrored armoire I bought with birthday money for $200 that we converted into an entertainment center. The crown jewel was the coordinating wallpaper border running along the top of the room.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? The first piece I sourced for this house was a brass mid-century Scandinavian chandelier for our living room, which I found on 1stDibs. It set the tone early on — mixing European pieces into a new build and thinking about the house as something to be collected over time.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be?
Rose Uniacke
No room is complete without: a bit of patina.
People think of me as always having a plan, but I’m really just figuring it out as I go.
Things you omit from
A flower arrangement: anything that feels overly arranged.
An hors d’oeuvre platter: black olives
A bar cabinet: clutter
A song for
Dinner at home: anything by Olivia Dean
Working at your desk: Vienna by Matt Schuster
Going for a run: I just wish I ran
Biggest Vice? Staying up too late
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? A vintage Cartier watch
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes — they’re edited and somewhat restrained, usually with some kind of statement piece woven in. Similar to interiors, I tend to only buy what I truly love.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it?
Probably a colorful range — I’d worry about tiring of the color on something that feels so permanent.
What design book do you find yourself going back to again and again? British Designers at Home
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? For spaces that feel collected over time, mixing eras with restraint.
photo by Caroline Sharpnack
A Few Favorites
Movie: Roman Holiday
Book: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Scent: Cabana’s Fig Cabana scented candle
The fabric you always come back to: Mohair velvet
Dream project: Furnishing a boutique hotel with a mix of Well Found antiques and contemporary pieces.
Meal: Tacos
Drink: Regular Coke in a can, ice cold
Hotel: Passalacqua
Travel Destination: Japan
Artist: Claude Monet
A cause near and dear to me: The University of Tennessee Small Animal Hospital — especially after losing our senior dog earlier this year. It gave me a real appreciation for the level of care and expertise in that field, and how important that kind of care is.
Thing to collect obsessively: Shoes, vases, and antiques
Era in the history of design: Art Deco
Museum: Victoria & Albert Museum
Paint Color: Farrow & Ball London Clay
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: A tie between Courtney Grow & Julia Berolzheimer
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs, and especially Shih Tzus
