“Appreciate History” with Homemaking Expert Lauren Klein
Today, we are pleased to feature homemaking expert and antique dealer & SOWBO VIP Member Lauren Klein!
Lauren Klein is the founder of Inherited and Co., a brand focused on helping homemakers create soul-nourishing, inviting, and memory-filled environments, despite the overwhelm of everyday demands and busyness.
Let’s get to know Lauren and her work. (In addition, keep an eye out for a great deal from Lauren at the end of the article!)
What is the specialty that you offer?
As a blogger, I share home décor sources, décor tips, and solutions to help busy homemakers create home. If they need help . . .
- Selecting décor and styling it,
- Adding character and warmth to their house,
- Creating better systems to declutter and maintain their home,
- Hosting their community,
- Making memories with loved ones, or
- Coming home to themselves,
they can find solutions for all of these areas and more on my website. And, as an antiques dealer, I offer my hand-picked antique finds for sale in Booth B52 at Franklin Antique Mall in Franklin, Tennessee.
What is your “why” for helping others with homemaking and working with antiques?
As a small child, I would accompany my mother to antique stores and auctions. These experiences certainly cultivated my love for antiques, but my love for history and my desire to create home started even earlier in an early-1900s Georgia vernacular farmhouse. The farmhouse still sits on land that has been passed down for generations. The stories told in that house were ones of days gone by, and I clung to every detail—learning in one-room schoolhouses, working as a pinsetter, owning a feed and seed store. And while history was remembered, there was so much “good living” done there too! The smell of bacon-grease eggs and made-from-scratch biscuits filled the air, the hum of the sewing machine was constant, hugs were plentiful, and traditions were a priority.
That house was my grandparents’ house, and it held more than ancestral pieces—it held a beauty and a warmth that I strive to recreate every day. Through Inherited and Co., it is my desire to help others inherit the gift of creating a soul-nourishing, inviting, memory-filled home, like the ones I have enjoyed.
Who is your ideal client?
Homemakers who appreciate history. If someone is feeling overwhelmed and does not know where to start when it comes to creating home, I want to help that person on the homemaking journey. (Of course, bringing in antiques to create character and warmth is a great place to start!)
What makes you different from others working in homemaking, decor, and antiques?
Most of those in my field have a design and antiques background. But, mine is rooted in history. While I have been an antiques dealer in ten booths in six antique shops and sourced thousands of pieces of ironstone, my training is in history and history education. I have over twenty years experience as an historian and seven years as a history educator.
Tell us something fun, quirky, or weird that you’d like our readers to know about you?
My guilty pleasure is watching Bravo, particularly The Real Housewives of . . . every city!
What do you do for fun outside of homemaking, blogging, and dealing in antiques?
I love trying new restaurants and events. With Nashville’s “It-City” status, there is always a new place or activity popping up. I love grabbing a girlfriend and trying it out.
What advice do you have for those on their entrepreneur journey?
Do not be afraid of change! Personally, my health changed in 2022, and it forced me to slow down. The antiques business is hard work, so I had to make some difficult decisions to protect my health as my physical aptitude changed and moving furniture daily and weekly was out of the question. On the other side of those changes, I was able to dig into my online community and reach business goals that had been on the sidelines. All that to say, change is not a bad thing. With change, comes the opportunity to strengthen your business, diversify your business, or re-envision your business for the better.
What book or podcast do you think every business owner should consume? Why is this important to you?
The book I would recommend every business owner read is Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. As a former history teacher, the importance of capturing your audience by storytelling has always been ingrained in me. The need for story, for connection, in business is no different.
What is one thing you love about SOWBO and/or being a member of our community?
SOWBO and Amanda have been such a blessing in my entrepreneurial journey. Owning your own business, especially an online business, can be very isolating at times, and being a VIP member has meant that I have business besties that I can reach out to for support, advice, and even a brunch date.
Thanks to Lauren Klein for sharing about her business! Her website is beautiful and we love her dedication to helping her clients on their homemaking journey. And, as a member of the Sarah Flint Curator’s Club, Lauren is thrilled to partner with a company that values generational knowledge and craftsmanship, just like her. With that in mind, Lauren would like to extend to you an opportunity to receive 15% off your first full-priced Sarah Flint purchase. Use code SARAHFLINT-INHERITEDANDCO at checkout. (Note: Lauren is an Affiliate with Sarah Flint Curator’s Club and receives a small commission for purchases made through the included links, at no additional cost to you.)
Would you like to be featured next?
We love showcasing women in business. Right now is the perfect time to get your name on our line-up! To do so, you’ll want to join SOWBO! So, click here to learn more about SOWBO Membership.
