The Cool-Girl Decor Brand You Want to Stay a Secret
An interview with LES Collection's founder, Lauren Sands.
Today’s post is made possible by LES Collection, an art collective and tableware line that has long been a Schmatta favorite. *Read to the end for a very special LES giveaway!*
Today’s interview is with Lauren Sands, founder of LES Collection, which is both a tabletop brand and a curated art and vintage shop. If you don’t know, LES is very “NYC cool girl” — the vibe is “serious design” meets “people are envious of me (but in a good way).” I’ve known about LES for a while, and when I found out that Lauren authors a Substack and is a fan of Schmatta, I knew we had to work together.
Here we go!
First of all, is it pronounced Less Collection, L.E.S Collection, or like “lay” in French?
It's L-E-S collection, which is my initials.
Do people ever think that it's “Lower East Side” Collection?
All the time. I wasn’t very creative in naming the company and went through SO MANY options. It probably wasn't the best choice for a name.
Well, maybe the confusion is actually a good sticking point? Anyhow…your background doesn’t seem like it would lead you into the design space. Tell us more.
After undergrad, I ended up in law school because I didn't know what else I wanted to do with my life. I have very supportive parents who really believe in an education, so going to law school was an amazing privilege. I ended up specializing in tax law, which really interested me—
You must be a very, um, special person to be fascinated with tax law.
I dunno! I really like to learn and I'll find some obscure thing that I just need to dig into. I loved law school but the whole time, I was feeling like I really didn’t want to practice law. Both my parents have law degrees and didn’t practice. It’s a bit of a family tradition, I guess.
What happens next?
I got married, then I found out I had the BRCA gene (a mutation that drastically increases risk for breast and ovarian cancers). I’m particularly high risk, so it derailed my life a little bit in terms of rushing to have kids before I turned 35. I was pregnant with my second child when the pandemic happened, and, like a lot of people holed up, I started painting. Then, I started an Instagram account where I showcased my art as well as vintage pieces and design that I loved.
So the IG account takes off…but you didn’t quite become a full-time artist?
I really didn't like talking about myself so much. But I started talking about these other artists that I admired, and that I had started collecting. And so I started working directly with these artists, representing their work, and also curating vintage pieces, and that’s what our site launched with — art and vintage.
But now LES has its own tabletop collection, which is very “in the know” to those who…know.
That came out of my love for entertaining. Some people might think it’s weird to mix the LES line with all the art, but I think it creates a story, a world that one can live in.
I feel like the candlestick holders are the signature pieces.
Yes, definitely. And the ribbon plate collection.
Let’s switch gears. You know Schmatta loves to delve into the topic of “design parenting,” and I’ve seen your Brooklyn home. It is very, how do I put this…luxe. How does your design sensibility and parenting style come together?
I started the design planning shortly after having my first kid. At the time, she was just a baby, so I didn't exactly understand what it meant to design as a parent. But I did think a lot about designing for a baby, which is sort of crazy because that's such a small part of their lives.
Such a good point. Like, how many non-changeable features do you want to put in your home that might accommodate a baby — but what happens when you don’t need some of those things in 5 years?
Totally. I mean, you have kids, and they're so different from week to week, so how do you design a home that is a perfect reflection of yourself without constantly changing it? Which is not great economically or for the world.
So, does it feel pretty grown up in your house?
Half and half. I don't really like toys out, so we were thoughtful about storage when we designed the house. On the first floor, their toys and puzzles are hidden in drawers. You wouldn’t even know kids live there. But the second floor is really our “family floor,” and that's where their bedrooms are and their playroom and our family room. There’s a lot of color and creativity; their playroom features an entire wall of cork for them to post their art to.
You’re on Substack, which is very neat! You’re a really great writer. What does Substack mean to you?
First of all, it's my favorite place to spend time as a user. It's the only social media that I enjoy. Of course, I enjoy aspects of Instagram, but I really love the longform content Substack offers. For me, it’s just fun; I really enjoy writing. It feels very creative to me because we write a certain way at LES, and it can be formulaic. I love the freedom of just being able to write about whatever I want.
Before we wrap up, any last words?
I guess just that overall, I'm on this constant journey to create a home that reflects who I am — but I recognize the challenges of that and and it's never going to be perfect. I’m always thinking, How can I help people make fewer mistakes by helping them find some connection and the pieces they bring into their lives?
LES COLLECTION X SCHMATTA GIVEAWAY!
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Schmatta is written by Leonora Epstein, a former shelter pub editor-in-chief. Follow at @_leonoraepstein and @schmattamag. For consulting and collab requests, get in touch at leonoraepstein at gmail.
so chic! thank you for introducing me to LES/Lauren. immediate subscribe!
The YETI!! Love it.