Katherine Lauren Design began with a bond that most firms cannot build on demand. Katherine Driscoll and Lauren Reardon were friends and college roommates before they became business partners.
They already knew how to question each other and move a choice forward. For a client, that shared past has real value. It brings two points of view to the same room while keeping the work on one clear path.
The home benefits from the ideas of both partners.
The Friendship Behind the Firm
Based in Arlington Heights, Katherine Lauren Design works on full-scale renovations and new homes across Chicago’s North Shore and Northwest suburbs.
Katherine is drawn to traditional architecture and the mix of vintage pieces with contemporary finishes. Her background in custom millwork and cabinetry helps her link the main idea to the way a room must be built.
Lauren often asks whether an idea can go one step further. Her work with custom furnishings and project oversight helps each room feel tied to the whole home.
Their skills overlap, yet each partner sees something different. One may strip away a weak detail. The other may spot a chance to make the room more distinct.
They do not agree by default, but they trust each other enough to challenge a choice before the client has to live with it. That kind of debate can catch a weak idea early, when the team still has time to fix it.
Two Views Can Lead to a Better Room
How do two interior designers work on the same project? At Katherine Lauren Design, both partners stay involved. They weigh function, feeling, and cost before agreeing on a clear direction that keeps the project moving.
The process starts with daily life. Clients often know that a room feels wrong but cannot name the cause. Kitchen traffic may feel tight, or the furniture may make it hard to talk. Storage may work against the family’s habits.
Katherine and Lauren study those patterns before they offer a fix. They watch how people enter a room and where they tend to pause. They ask what clients reach for each day, and the answers guide the plan.
That work gives the client a sound test for later choices:
- Flow: People can move through the room without going around needless blocks
- Use: Storage and work zones fit the way the home runs each day
- Character: The room reflects the client instead of copying a passing look
- Follow-through: The team weighs cost and build needs before a choice is locked in
A room can feel easy at the end because someone found the points of strain at the start.
Full-Service Work Needs Good Trade Partners
A large renovation can take hundreds of hours behind the scenes. The team must review plans, source materials, answer site questions, and track the schedule.
Katherine Lauren Design says its team may spend 300 or more hours on one project. The client may need to give about 10 to 20 hours of direct time. Those figures are the firm’s estimate, but the gap shows why full-service design matters.
The team sorts the options and tracks how one choice affects the next, so clients can spend their time on the calls that truly need their input.
Trade partners are part of that system. A good specialist can read the goal behind a drawing, flag a technical limit early, and suggest a sound way to make the detail work. That input should support the designer and keep roles clear.
Stone makes this easy to see. Slab movement and seam locations can change the finished look. Edge profiles, support, and site access affect fabrication and installation. The best time to solve those issues is before cutting starts.
For design teams, Precision Stone Design can help with:
- Stone choice: Compare slabs based on use, care needs, and the planned look
- Layout review: Use digital layout tools to see where slab flow may fall on each piece
- Fabrication: Keep cutting and finishing close to the team responsible for the final fit
- Clear signoffs: Confirm key choices before the stone moves into the shop
This support helps the design team keep its plan intact through the stone work.
Bring the Right People in Before the Plan Is Fixed
Katherine and Lauren’s story gives clients a useful lesson. Strong work depends on people who know their role and speak up at the right time. Each specialist should answer to the same plan.
That is why their friendship matters to the firm. They have years of practice hearing each other out and testing ideas. A hard talk in the early stages can prevent a costly change once work has begun.
Visit Katherine Lauren Design to learn more about the firm’s work. If you are planning a stone detail for a client, see how Precision offers stone support for interior designers.
Discuss an upcoming project with Precision Stone Design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Founded Katherine Lauren Design?
Katherine Driscoll and Lauren Reardon founded Katherine Lauren Design. They were friends and college roommates before they became business partners. Katherine brings skill in millwork, cabinets, and job planning. Lauren adds a bold design eye, custom furniture work, and hands-on job oversight.
Where Is Katherine Lauren Design Based?
The firm is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. It serves clients across Chicago’s North Shore and Northwest suburbs. Its location keeps the team near many of the homes it serves and within reach of the wider Chicago design trade.
What Types of Work Does Katherine Lauren Design Take On?
The firm focuses on full-scale home renovations and new construction. Its work may cover space planning, built-in details, cabinetry, furnishings, sourcing, and project oversight. That broad scope keeps each choice tied to the main plan for the home.
Why Do Designers Work With Skilled Trade Partners?
Trade partners help test whether a detail can be made and warn the team about technical limits. In stone fabrication, that may mean checking seams, edge profiles, support, and site access. Early input can protect the design and cut down on late changes.
How Does Precision Stone Design Help Designers?
Precision Stone Design helps with slab selection, digital layout review, fabrication, finishing, and installation planning. The aim is to give the design team clear facts before stone is cut. Learn more about Precision’s trade services.
