We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Branch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Starting this business was an idea that had been floating around in my head for quite some time. I had graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in Textile Design and grew up around a slew of inspiring and creative women, including my Yia Yia (greek word for grandmother). She co-owned and operated a very successful Interiors Store here in Raleigh with her equally talented sisters and so my love for colors, fabrics, pattern..etc grew as I got older. I saw so many talented industry creatives in this space and thought, “why not me? I can do this!” Drawing inspiration from my Greek roots and my approach to interior spaces, Kefi Home Interiors was born. Kefi is a greek word meaning fun, joyfulness and cheer and is how I want my spaces to translate for clients. I think that I’m carving out a space for myself in this industry because I keep pushing. I think that if I continue to like what I’m doing and if I’m learning every day and building a business (however slowly or quickly it gains traction), I am succeeding.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Homes and spaces within them come in all shapes and sizes; Clients needs and my subsequent approach varies just the same. Services that I offer can be summed up in a few quick sentences!

Consultations: Don’t need the whole kit and kaboodle? Thats no problem! If all you need is a walk through for some quick ideas or advice on ways to space plan, bring in more color, where to put art on those walls or just to help you hone in on your style, I’m available for 1hr consultations!

Moodboards: If you need help narrowing down ideas on what your space needs and how to pull it together but prefer the thrill of the hunt in finding the pieces yourself, I can provide a mood board to send you off in the right direction!

Basic Renders: Space planning can be a difficult solve for some areas of your home. It can be much quicker, cost effective, and less physically straining and frustrating to work out these ideas on paper first before starting to buy furniture or move furniture around that may be too big or too small for a space. A 3-D render is a quick and effective visualization!

Design & Decor: Totally satisfied with your space but just need a furniture refresh? Let me help you source items, update your lighting, give those walls a little paint and bring in some beautiful art and textiles. Lets layer in the character and put a spin on it that feels like you.

Renovations: Working side by side with a contractor is a great way to ensure that your vision, from start to finish, comes to fruition. From walls coming down to furniture going in, we work together from both a construction standpoint and a design stand point to problem solve and give you a space you love in the end.

New Builds: Hiring a designer when you’re first laying out your home has nothing but added benefits. I am here to help you realize the potential of your floor plan, the way you can best utilize your space and advise if there are any potential issues with furniture layout. I’m here to help with finessing your lighting plan, millwork, material specs and all other construction related design choices you’ll have to make through the duration of the project.

Beyond the general scope of work and services I provide, I really strive to make sure its stress free. Interior Design should be light hearted and fun. Its a reflection of your personality so I love to build relationships with clients that last beyond our projects and collaborations together.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My clientele growth has been largely attributed to word of mouth which is something I’m really proud of from a business perspective. Not only does it mean Im putting less spend towards marketing and being able to put that money back into my business in other ways but it shows that somewhere within projects I’m doing something right; Clients are happy with the job that I’ve done and they feel comfortable and confident enough to recommend my services to friends or family. I put a lot of emphasis in my job on building relationships with clients. I think when you invite someone into your home, youre inviting someone into some of the most intimate spaces of your everyday life. As an interior designer, its important that I’m able to build up the trust that it takes for a client to let go of the reigns so that I can help take these spaces from concept to reality in a way where beauty, functionality and the best representation of the client are all achieved. On the job site, I’m a straight shooter, try to bring humor and fun always, flexible to change, understanding, and committed to the end goal while keeping budget and style at the forefront. I think when your clients can feel how much you love your job and love the job youre doing for them, they become your cheerleader and want others to have that as well. Recommendations and others sharing my work has really helped to propel my business over this past year.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It was one of my first handful of jobs; specifically the first one that I’ve done for someone I had never met. Initial nerves kicked in and then melted away when we made some personal connections over kids and mutual friends. The overall scope of the job was a fun one and we landed on a really great direction putting some decorative molding on a large, empty wall in a playroom to help give it a punch of personality. Install day came and the trimwork was looking fantastic. Both the clients and myself were thrilled with the progress. However, due to some ill placed gas pipes in the wall cavity, the client realized hours later a nail must have hit one – the whole house smelled like gas, she had a party that night which subsequently had to be moved outside, the gas company had to turn off the gas and for days they had no hot water and no access to gas appliances or heat. It was horrible!
The service company couldn’t find the leak and wanted to take down the entire wall we had just finished. After some back and forth, another solution was made and the repair was made…kind of. The service company had only fixed half the issue – another setback. I went to bat for my clients and the work that wasn’t done correctly by the service company until it was made right.
The gas leak itself was really no ones fault; we were all unaware the pipe was there and it just as easily could have been hit hanging a picture on the wall. Still, it was my project and I was managing the work so I didn’t hesitate to take responsibility and pay for the entirety of the almost 4k bill for the repair. My clients appreciated that I worked with the service company to make it right, took care of the repair costs and took responsibility for the management of my work.
What could have been the end of a relationship with my client ended up blossoming into a friendship. I went on to consult on their bathroom renovation, update a powder room, help with recovering several chairs and had drapes made for a new nursery. Today I consider her a dear friend.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kefihomeinteriors.com
• Instagram: @kefi_home

Image Credits
Emlyn Henley, Cat Wilborne, Katherine Johnson