We recently had the chance to connect with Julie Koch and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Julie, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
JULIE: I am most proud of the people of Elegant Additions. I started with a small pebble of an idea and we grew from there. But along the way I found a few diamonds. Some of those diamonds went out into the open market and have become good competitors. A very special 20 KT diamond is now my business partner after 17 years of working together from intern, sales assistant, sales manager and now owner. We make a great necklace surrounding our people in both Houston and Dallas.
However, I am just as proud of my extended family. I do not have children of my own, but I have very, very close family and I am participating in their lives and how they intended to make their mark on the world. I know I am a mentor to them, and that makes me very, very proud.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Julie Koch and I am the founder of Elegant Additions. Elegant Additions® is a Texas leading provider of high-end home hardware with 35 years of experience. Together with my new partner Lauren Duncan, we make sure our showrooms in Houston and Dallas feature an extensive selection of over 5,000 luxury home fixtures, for you to view, touch, and fall in love with. We prioritize relationships in every project, whether it’s a remodel or new construction and partner with top manufacturers to provide unparalleled quality and expertise. Our team lives and works by three “uniques” – our philosophical pillars: “You talk, we listen” (turning an exceptional selection into a special experience) – “We work where you are” (we can handle a job no matter where it’s located in the US) – “Must-experience showrooms” (relaxing, beautifully appointed, modern, and unique places). And we are very proud to be the exclusive Houston showroom for “Waterworks” brand plumbing for the bath and kitchen.
We are the most knowledgeable showrooms in plumbing and hardware in Houston and Dallas, Texas and we offer an extensive selection of over 5000 products to view, touch, and fall in love with. Details matter to us.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
LAUREN: Julie Koch, my business partner, has played a profound role in shaping how I see myself, not just as a professional, but as a person. Through every challenge, she has shown me what I’m capable of, often recognizing strengths in me before I saw them myself. Her trust, honesty, and consistent belief in my potential gave me the courage to grow, take risks, and lead with more confidence. Working beside her has been more than a partnership; it’s been a journey of self-discovery. Because of her influence, I now see myself with greater clarity, purpose, and strength. Her guidance, belief in me, and the way she leads by example have challenged me to rise above my own doubts and grow into the person she always believed I could be. She’s not only shaped the way I approach our work, but also how I view my own potential. Her presence in my life has been transformative, and I carry the confidence she’s helped me build into everything I do.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
JULIE: Fear of failure has driven me through many things. I don’t like the word no, and I hate the word fail. Even the one job I was released from was because I did my job too well and it made others look bad. I do believe in teamwork, but I have a much stronger drive to achieve success, whether at home or at work. I see others fail all the time, and while it does not lead me to judge them, I also realize I never want that to be me. Success is a much happier word, and a much happier life for me. After 40 years of leading Elegant Additions, I can now truly admit it is a great success story.
LAUREN: The fear of my kids feeling like I’m missing out on certain aspects of their lives due to a busy work/life balance has quietly held me back in ways I didn’t always recognize. It’s a constant tug, the desire to pursue my ambitions while also being fully present for their milestones, their routines, their everyday moments. I worry that my absence, even when necessary, might one day feel to them like a gap, like I chose something else over them. That fear has made me hesitate, second-guess, and sometimes play small, not because I doubt my potential, but because being the kind of parent they remember as there emotionally, physically, wholeheartedly, matters more to me than anything I might achieve. Even though this may have been a fear in the past, my kids now see my hard work as a positive, and that realization has brought me a deep sense of peace. What I once worried might feel like absence or sacrifice, they’ve come to understand as dedication and love expressed through effort. They see the long hours and commitment not as distance, but as part of the life we’re building together. Knowing they view my work with pride rather than resentment has helped release the guilt I carried and reminded me that showing up for them isn’t just about being physically present, it’s also about being a living example of perseverance, purpose, and passion.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
JULIE: Such a cliche but the basics of life that yeah, you learned in kindergarten. Tell the truth is one that is so ingrained in me because I had a father who did not. Ever since then, lying is something that will make me leave a relationship – any relationship – quicker than anything else I know. The other truths that are just part of me are, be kind to your fellow human beings and all living things, say thank you always, and stay in the moment. With not much else in your tool box, this will never fail you.
LAUREN: The truth of not giving up is so foundational in my life that I rarely find the words to articulate it, it’s simply a part of who I am. It’s not loud or dramatic; it’s quiet, steady, and woven into everything I do. Perseverance has become second nature, not because the path has been easy, but because giving up was never an option I seriously entertained. It’s the belief that even in uncertainty, even when progress is invisible, showing up still matters. This mindset has carried me through some of my most defining moments, shaping not just my work, but my identity
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
JULIE: At this stage in my life, I really think I have verified that things don’t just happen but rather you do have to put in the work. I also know you have to believe it to see it. Take these two ideas, and apply it to anything, absolutely anything. You will be successful. Want to have a fabulous reletionship – it takes work and you have to know where you are headed. Want your company to be a legacy – igure out what does that look like, and get ready to work hard and enjoy the benefits. I have seen many people in my life who just thought they were entitled to “whatever they were dreaming of”. It just doesn’t happen this way. But on the bright side, it does work. Look around and you will see examples everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elegantadditions.com
- Instagram: elegant_additions
