Today we’d like to introduce you to Laken Byrd.
Hi Laken , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Building Dreams, Curating Spaces: The Story of InspoSpaces & Southern Luxe
For Laken, creating beautiful homes is more than a business—it’s a calling. Together with her husband, Chris Turner, she co-owns Southern Luxe Home Innovations, a custom home building and renovation company serving Montgomery County and the greater Houston area. With over a decade in the building industry, the couple has built a reputation for craftsmanship, integrity, and a client-first approach.
But it was during the early years of working with their Southern Luxe clients that Laken began to notice a persistent challenge: sourcing.
“I found myself driving all over to piece together the finishes I needed,” Laken recalls. “Not only was it time-consuming, but suppliers often didn’t have what I wanted—or the experience to truly guide me. I wanted to change that for my clients and for myself.”
Her passion for design and her eye for detail sparked the vision for InspoSpaces, a boutique-style design center offering a one-stop shopping experience for home finishes.
From Vision to Reality
When the couple relocated their operations from Willis to Montgomery, Texas, they saw an opportunity to bring that vision to life. They opened the doors of InspoSpaces—a storefront that feels more like a curated boutique than a warehouse. Clean lines, thoughtful displays, and carefully selected products set the tone for homeowners, designers, and builders seeking a seamless design journey.
Today, InspoSpaces holds over 40 direct accounts with top industry suppliers, offering everything from cabinetry, countertops, flooring, wood, LVP, and carpet, to tile, turf, wallpaper, trim, windows, and doors. The company also provides installation services and full renovation support, often partnering with Southern Luxe to deliver a true turnkey experience.
Unlike many showrooms, InspoSpaces is run by people who live and breathe the building industry. “We don’t just sell products—we understand how they’re used in real projects, how they install, and how they impact design and function,” Laken explains.
Serving Clients & the Industry
Beyond retail and design services, InspoSpaces also offers a trade program for designers, builders, and independent contractors, along with nationwide and statewide shipping. This expanded reach allows the company to serve not only local homeowners but also professionals looking for reliable sourcing partners.
The mission remains clear: to remove barriers in the design process and make luxury living attainable, streamlined, and stress-free.
Rooted in Community
While building and design are central to their lives, family and community remain at the heart of everything they do. Laken and Chris are raising three children in Montgomery, where life is as much about giving back as it is about business.
Laken serves as President of The Net Montgomery Business Alliance, where she connects and uplifts local business owners. She is also President of Stewart Creek Elementary PTO, ensuring that local schools thrive through parent leadership and creative fundraising.
Her days are a balance of managing two businesses, leading volunteer initiatives, and making time for family—a role she considers her greatest joy.
A Southern Foundation
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Laken attended Auburn University before moving to Texas in 2011. That Southern heritage shows up in her love of hospitality, community, and timeless design.
“Being a wife, mother, and business owner, I see design as something that isn’t just about finishes—it’s about creating a space where families can live, grow, and make memories,” she says.
Looking Ahead
With InspoSpaces and Southern Luxe, this husband-and-wife team is reshaping what it means to build and design homes in Montgomery County and beyond. Their story is one of resilience, vision, and service—a reminder that when passion meets purpose, both homes and communities flourish.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Balancing Growth, Business, and Family
Launching InspoSpaces while continuing to expand Southern Luxe has been both rewarding and challenging. Growing two businesses at once means constant decision-making, wearing many hats, and learning how to prioritize when everything feels urgent.
For Laken and Chris, the order of priorities is clear: God first, then their marriage, and then their children. With that foundation, everything else—business, community, and service—can flow from a place of strength.
“It’s easy to let the business take over every waking moment,” Laken explains. “But we made a commitment that our faith and our family come first.” With three children involved in sports, dance, and school activities, being present for those moments is non-negotiable. That means carving out boundaries, scheduling intentionally, and knowing when to pause business conversations to focus on family.
Another early challenge came from outside their control: tariffs and rising costs in their first year of operation. InspoSpaces had to adjust quickly to ensure they could still provide clients with the products they wanted at fair pricing. Creative advertising and a strong push to encourage clients to shop local became a cornerstone of their strategy. “We want people to know they don’t have to go to big-box stores—we can provide that same range with a higher level of care, right here in Montgomery County,” Laken says.
Through it all, they’ve learned the importance of balance—between business growth and family life, between client needs and community leadership, and between ambition and sustainability. “The work will always be there,” Chris adds, “but our kids only grow up once. That perspective keeps us grounded.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Southern Luxe Home Innovations and InspoSpaces, I specialize in creative, client-focused design. My background as a dancer and choreographer—even performing with the Auburn University Dance Team—influences my love of variety and movement, which translates into how I approach design.
I don’t believe in a single “style.” Instead, I enjoy exploring many aesthetics, ensuring each project feels unique and personal. Even clients who aren’t design-savvy are guided to discover their own voice in the process. With a passion for beautiful finishes and thoughtful details, I aim to make every home I touch feel like a reflection of the people who live in it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Stepping Out in Faith
Building two businesses while raising a family has required hard work, sacrifice, and courage. It has also required faith. I am no superhero, but I believe that when we step out of our comfort zone and take leaps of faith, God meets us there. My hope in sharing my story is to encourage others not to let comfort keep them where they are, but to pursue the dreams placed in their hearts.
For many years, dance was my life’s passion—I taught, choreographed, and even performed . If you had asked me ten years ago, I would have thought I’d still be doing that today. But God had other plans. He called me into a new chapter, one that still allows me to explore my creativity, pushes me with challenges, and brings me the joy of working with so many incredible people I would not have otherwise met.
This journey has taught me that following your dreams often means embracing the uncomfortable. It’s in those leaps of faith where growth happens, where purpose takes root, and where new blessings are found.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inspospacestx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspo_spacestx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspoSpaces
- Other: https://www.southernluxehitx.com
