Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurin White.
Laurin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Have you ever had the feeling that if you didn’t act of a dream you’d regret it forever? The longing to try something bold and not look back? That’s always been my story but it took me 26 years to pinpoint it. Let’s be real: it also took me a long time to bravely step out and take a leap of faith without fear or hesitation. Here’s how Cambridge Row all began:
I was wrapping up my final year of design school and applying to architecture firms all across the country. At the time, I was only interested in the large, corporate vibe and laughed at the idea of doing my own thing. I chose to move to Washington, D.C. to begin my career after college and mainly did interiors for law firms, large corporate offices and hotels. I loved the “hustle” of it all and yet, I missed the relational side of design: walking hand-in-hand with customers through every detail of the process. Around the same time in life, it occurred to me that I also wanted to study design and the way spaces influence the way we live, so I took a hiatus from work to study Urban Planning at Georgetown University.
In the middle of grad school, my fiance (now husband) was offered a position in the Houston area. I moved here after we got married and was at a crossroads regarding my career. Do I step back into the large architecture firm world with great projects, job security and inspiring coworkers? Do I step out and use my Master’s degree? Or, do I step completely out of my own comfort zone and do something that, at the time, doesn’t make much sense?
Option #3 was the winner. I’ve always had an adventurous spirit, so stepping out on a limb probably doesn’t surprise friends and family. My husband, family and friends could not have been any more supportive when I told them my dream: to start something that unifies custom design with a unique relational experience for customers.
Fast forward a few months. My best friend created our logo and my husband helped build our brand through a website. We discovered that no one in the Houston area was offering Virtual Reality walk through options for homeowners and felt that it was our best shot at getting our name out there in a highly saturated interior design market. We pitched the website without many actual projects to show but used renderings to teach customers how VR can enhance their home design experience. Shortly after, a friend asked us to develop plans and renderings for her new wedding venue.
We are incredibly humbled and thankful that things have been busy ever since. I love the customers I’ve been able to work with and feel honored to call them my friends. There is a lot of bonding that happens when you walk with a family through the development, or renovation, of their home. These new friendships are one of my favorite parts of Cambridge Row!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. Parts of it have felt extremely smooth and natural and other aspects have felt vulnerable, taxing, and just plain hard. Starting a business is the most exhilarating adventure but it is not for the faint of heart!
The day we launched in September of 2016 was such a fun day for me. Friends kept asking me how it felt to officially “go public” with Cambridge Row’s opening. I think they were waiting for a response like, “it feels like this was all I was ever meant to do!!” Instead, I told them that launching a business felt much like the nightmare of walking through the hallway of high school naked.
While the beginning was vulnerable, the momentum we’ve been blessed to have and the innovative projects we’ve been asked to be a part of have helped me push through the days that feel like a struggle. I think my biggest challenge is managing all the details of business ownership, project management, and interior design all at once. There are days, when it feels like a one-man circus. However, the good days far outweigh these challenges! I get to do what I love. Each day in the design industry is new and invigorating. I can’t imagine doing anything else!
Please tell us about Cambridge Row.
Cambridge Row is a full-service interior design firm specializing in the design of renovations and new builds. We offer a wide range of services, including drafting floor plans and elevations, selecting all interior and exterior materials for a home or a company, producing 3D renderings and virtual walk-throughs, as well as furniture and decor specification. If you need help with anything design-related – we’ve got your back!
Something that sets us apart is the love for both the structure of a space as well as the final details that give a room personality (materials, finishes, colors, textures). I like to study the way space works and functions before I ever think about anything else. One service we offer that is rare in the Houston area is 3D renderings. If you have a set of floor plans for your home, we can build a model of it in 3D. From there, you can essentially walk through your not-yet-built-home to see how you like it. Customers love it because you are able to tangibly see the space and catch any details you want to change before the builder even breaks ground.
Our most proud moments are the days when a customer tells us that our company helped craft the space they always wanted and more. We try to go above and beyond in all that we do. If a customer is happy, we are filled with joy and pride!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I think I spent my entire childhood outside, barefooted and with a knotted ponytail. I grew up on a street with tons of kids my age. We built forts, put on performances to the Spice Girls and Hanson for our parents to watch, and we even had many little businesses of our own. One day, we sold the things we colored straight out of a coloring book. Other days we walked around and collected any “recyclable” items from people’s homes, cleaned them and returned them back (probably not sanitary but at least we had good intentions). Needless to say, I’ve always been imaginative and entrepreneurial! My parents are awesome and always made sure we appreciated experiences and quality time over purchased “things”. That’s why they let us explore, dream, travel and create. I hope to pass this onto our son who will be born next month!
Pricing:
- We have a project minimum of $3,000. Projects vary in scope and pricing. We are always happy to provide estimates.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cambridgerow.com
- Email: laurin@cambridgerow.com
- Instagram: @cambridge_row
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CambridgeRow/
Image Credit:
Melissa Parsons Photography, Bryan White
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