*Lauren Popish, sitting in her apartment in Brooklyn, NY.*

Interview with an interior designer and book lover, Lauren Popish | Interview by London Red

We met in her home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We spoke about her podcast, artwork and what makes a home unique.

Interview and photography by London Red

Name: Lauren Popish
Where are you right now: At my day job in Chelsea.
What time is it: 3:21pm
Current outfit: Everlane cashmere sweater, Reformation high waist chords, and black Everlane Boss Boots.
What is your career: Product Manager at CBRE (during the day) Interior Designer for Homepolish (nights and weekends)
Where are you from: Casper, Wyoming - named after Fort Caspar, not the ghost.

Home:

London Red: Tell me about your home:

Lauren: I've lived in my Greenpoint apartment for almost two years. It is unique because I have a roommate, but we each have very private sleeping and living spaces. I knew I wanted to host people in my space, so I spent a lot of time on the design of it. One of my favorite features is a watercolor wallpaper I got from an amazing studio called Blackcrow. It has a restful quality that works perfectly near my bed. Then, of course, is the large gallery wall above my sofa lovingly called the "wall of women". The last notable feature is my podcast studio/desk area, which is where I spend most of my time working and recording.

London Red: Morning beverage of choice:

Lauren: I am a heavy tea drinker, as opposed to coffee. My first cup of tea every day is Genmaicha - a green tea with pieces of brown rice and popcorn in it. Don't knock it 'til you try it! I like the savory flavor in the morning and the caffeine tides me over until lunch.

London Red: What is your favorite painting or book?

Lauren: I read about 45 books a year, so there will never be a single favorite, but the best book I've read this year (2019) is probably Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. It's a book written from the perspective a young Nigerian girl's split personality. Beautiful writing and fascinating story.

London Red: Your dreams are:

Lauren: To work for myself full time.

London Red: What makes a home?

Lauren: A space where you feel comfortable enough to eat an entire block of cheese in a single sitting.

London Red: The best part about home is:

Lauren: Familiar scents.

London Red: Tell me about your wall of women & art and how you came to collect these pieces:

Lauren: The wall of women came from what I think is an obsession with femininity. I find femaleness beautiful and can't help but buy art that captures it. I realized pretty quickly a common theme amongst my art and decided to focus exclusively on art of or by women for the gallery wall above my sofa. A few pieces I bought directly from online art stores, others I collected while traveling and antiquing.

Style:

London Red: Tell me about the outfit you wore for our shoot:

Lauren: I chose a pair of dark grey washed jeans from Reformation and a white t-shirt with a unique line drawing of faces on it. The jeans are one of my favorites because of the cut - I'm obsessed with the flair and the fringed hem that hits me above my ankle. The t-shirt is just an extension of my aesthetic and love for faces/feminine art. I get compliments on it all the time, and people are always surprised to discover I purchased it at boutique in Boise, Idaho.

London Red: What is your favorite piece of clothing:

Lauren: I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to clothing and try to avoid trendy or statement pieces. I have a small collection of tops and bottoms, primarily from Everlane, that I can mix and match as needed. My most reliable piece is my set of boss boots from Everlane - they make me feel powerful in whatever I decide to wear.

London Red: Items your cherish:

Lauren: I wear a delicate gold necklace almost every day. It has a thin chain with gold charms - one of a cube and one of a sphere, very architectural. My boyfriend gave it to me for my birthday last year, and it was created by a friend of ours who is an architect, so it feels very special. The best part - it latches with a small magnet, which means I don't spend time try to clasp it around my neck. Genius!

*Lauren sitting in her recording studio, where she records her podcast.*

“When it comes to interiors,,, I’m a maximalist. I love bold textures that make you want to reach out and touch the thing.”

— Lauren on style design

London Red: Favorite place to shop in Brooklyn:

Lauren: Adaptations in Greenpoint. It's a home-goods store selling feminine vintage furniture from the 60's and 70's. Think lots of plush velvet upholstery and shiny brass metal details. Definitely my happy place on Sunday afternoons.

London Red: What’s your style?

Lauren: When it comes to my clothing, I'm a minimalist. As a designer, I know that anything related to style and aesthetics is a slippery slope, so to save my wallet and sanity, I've forced myself to commit to high quality basics that make getting ready every day efficient. When it comes to interiors though, I'm a maximalist. I love bold textures that make you want to reach out and touch the thing. I never shy away from color, print, pattern, and all the fun decorative details that make a space feel like home.

London Red: Who are your style icons?

Lauren: If I had an unlimited budget, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Knowing that I never will, Georgia O'Keefe. I went to The Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit “Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern” last year, and it changed me. She would alter clothing to reflect the very distinct minimal style that came to define her. She kept a very small closet of customized pieces that reflected her artistic philosophy. I hope to have a "uniform" one day - a specific style that everyone would recognize as distinctly me.

*Lauren’s wall of women. Collected art pieces from travels.*

London Red: What inspires you:

Lauren: Simply walking around the streets of Brooklyn. I find myself walking behind a cool young couple and pulling out my phone to take a quick picture for shopping inspo later. We are in the center of style and creativity, the easiest way to absorb it is to just get out and observe.

Creative:

London Red: What inspired you to start a podcast?

Lauren: These days, I think you are either a creator or consumer. I have always had the point of view that I need to be a creator. For awhile, the best way to share an opinion with the world was through blogging, but I find no one really has the patience for reading anymore, for better or worse. I love audiobooks and decided podcasting was probably the best new way to reach people. There is a higher barrier to entry than blogging, but I have to say, it is a blast to do. My current podcast is called Book (Wine) Club where I invite friends to drink wine and discuss selected books.

London Red: Does your wine choice differ with the book?

Lauren: Yes! The wine is specifically selected to pair with the book. I have a local wine store called Parlour, and the guy that works there is a total genius when it comes to helping me find a wine. I tell him about the book we are reading, and he is able to pull out themes that relate to some element of a wine.

Cheers to books, podcasts and delicious wine.

London Red: How do you choose your next book?

Lauren: I select books through a combination of personal interest and popularity of the book. I have to find enough people who have read the book to discuss it, so it can't be that obscure. Fiction and Nonfiction are both options, but most of the time, the books are recent best sellers.

London Red: Favorite wine:

Lauren: Alain Brumont Cotes de Gascogne Rouge 2017

London Red: Favorite book[s]:

Lauren: My top 5 books in the last few years: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman, Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo, The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

London Red: Tell me about interior design, where did that love come from?

Lauren: My mom always cared about keeping a beautiful home - I think it just rubbed off on me. I decided pretty early on that making a career of interior design would allow me to use my creativity and people skills. Before I left high school, I was interning with an interior design firm in my hometown. My career has explored different avenues, but my love for interior design has remained consistent.

Self:

London Red: Favorite quote:

Lauren: "What you know about women," replied Maude, "could be written in large font on the back of a postage stamp and there'd still be room for the Lord's Prayer." - John Boyne, The Heart's Invisible Furies.

London Red: Something that makes you smile:

Lauren: Dogs. Full stop.

London Red: You in 3 words:

Lauren: On her way

London Red: Beauty products you love:

Lauren: Maison Louie Marie No.09 Vallée de Farney perfume and Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Lauren’s signature scent includes, Maison Louis Marie No. 9, Vallée de Farney.

London Red: How do you show yourself self love?

Lauren: I keep an inconsistent gratitude journal. When you take time to realize how much you have, it's hard to feel like you're lacking anything.

Family:

London Red: Family heirlooms you keep with you:

Lauren: I have a set of bronze hair combs that my aunt gave me a few years back. They are beautiful and remind me of an earlier time. I keep one on my vanity at home and one in my purse in case I need to put my hair up on the go.

London Red: Did growing up in Wyoming shape you into the woman you are today?

Lauren: The only word that comes to mind is Perspective. In the same way that travel opens our minds to extent of living experiences, so does moving from the least populous state to the most populous city in the US. It look me a long time to know how much I could aspire after because I had only witnessed a limited example of it that point. I now don't restrain my aspirations but always recognize how far I've come.

New York:

London Red: What’s your Brooklyn neighborhood?

Lauren: Greenpoint 4 lyfe

London Red: What do you like about your area of town?

Lauren: The short 3-story buildings and Polish bakeries mixed in with cool home goods stores.

London Red: Favorite spots in BK:

Lauren: A/D/O - best place to work away from home.

London Red: Favorite restaurant:

Lauren: Selamat Pagi Balinese restaurant in Greenpoint.

London Red: New Yorker’s are:

Lauren: Efficient

London Red: Difference between NY and BKLYN:

Lauren: The amount of knitwear.

London Red: New York to you:

Lauren: West Village in November.

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-Interview + Photography by London Red-