Meet Lauren Kuchelmeister of Elegant Additions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Kuchelmeister.

Hi Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It started at a young age with a love for interior design. I knew I wanted to be in the design community, but I was not sure exactly how or what that would look like. During my years in design school at El Centro (07-09), I fell into a position as an assistant with Elegant Additions. I was hooked. It always amazed me to see the plumbing fixtures and hardware that brought a home to life. After a few years here, I moved away for almost six years, started a family, and then “it” drew me back in. I had a passion for what I learned while a design student and my mentor Julie Koch believed in me, so I jumped into full-time sales with the company in 2015. With the little knowledge I had retained previously and the drive to kill it in the industry, I have strived to be the best in everything plumbing & hardware related. However, there is always room for growth. 😊

My goal is to have Elegant Additions be the most knowledge, committed and sought-after showroom in the industry. I have been given the opportunity to work on some of the most fabulous homes in the DFW area and even outside of Texas. I never thought I would be selling “toilets and faucets,” as my friends say it, but here I am, and wow, is it fascinating, truly jewelry for the home. After four years back in the store, I became a part-owner of the Dallas Design District store. What a day that was! Julie Koch and Richard Humphreys have been my mentors, cheerleaders, advocates from day one. I am blessed to be in the position I am today, and it is only the beginning. Besides selling 24k gold faucets and toilets that essentially clean themselves, I have two beautiful boys (Harrison 8 & Braylon 4) that keep me on my toes. If I am not at work, I am a chauffeur, those crazy boys. Whether we are headed to a baseball game or soccer practice, my life truly revolves around them. They are what keeps me waking up every morning and pushing through the struggle of everyday life. Love them to pieces – ok, you can tell I am a proud mom. 😊 With all that being said, at 31, I feel really good about what the future holds within both the Elegant Additions store and my personal story. Life is good!

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?
The mom guilt struggle is real… can a get a “YASSS” from the mom in the back!? The push and pull between workflow and home life can be emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. There were days in the beginning when, before Braylon was born and when he was young, that I thought I could not do it, and if I did, I would be forever remembered as the mom that wasn’t there. It took some time to get out of that mindset. For me, being blessed with an amazing support system at home and a work team that is understanding and patient has been key. I also had to figure out how to be present in everything I do with them. It had to be a light switch, work/off – home/on.

Once I became as present as I could be with the time I have with them, it was much more fulfilling and able to fuel me through another workday. My other struggle towards the beginning of my career was my fear of acceptance. I’m from a small town south of Dallas and never felt like I fit the Dallas mold. I felt a distance between me and the clients I was trying to work with and struggled to relate. However, after a while, I realized we all had way more in common than I initially gave credit. I also found the confidence to be me, whether it does come out a little country every now and again! We all have some insecurities, but it is really all about how we work towards overcoming those and being true to ourselves that matters.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Elegant Additions is a luxury plumbing fixture and hardware showroom located in the Dallas design district. We are a boutique showroom who caters to the trade community. We mostly work in collaboration with designers, builders and architects alongside their clients to create a beautiful home. We specialize in finding the unique while also providing the clients with the products they need to finish out a whole home. We love being a part of the project from the beginning all the wall to install day. We feel that the hardware and plumbing in the homes we get to work on are like jewelry. We offer brands and product that are both trendy and/or timeless, something for everyone. We pride ourselves on having a very curated collection of displays, but also a vast number of connections to even more than the 250 vendors we carry directly. We carry decorative plumbing, door hardware, cabinet hardware, bathroom furniture and accessories. When you come to Elegant Additions, you get a personalized experience that is consistent throughout the entire project. Our biggest accomplishment at the end of each job walking the jobsite and seeing all the beautiful products bring the home to life.

What were you like growing up?
Well, I had two older brothers, so I bet they could give you a much more real reaction to this question 😊 No, but seriously, with two brothers, I had to be tough yet girly. I was into cheerleading but was not a “cheerleader.” I was into golf but not the greatest on the team. I thought I wanted to be an athlete, but it just was not there for me, and that is when I fell in love with design. My parents and I would drive Highland Park hoping from one estate sale to the next. These fun Sunday family outings are when I first began to fall in love with the idea of luxury design and working with the Dallas design community. I was in awe of Highland Park and all the talent that was weaved into each home. When the idea began to grow, I actually wanted to be an architect, however my path would go a different way, and here I am today!

Contact Info:

• Email: LAURENK@ELEGANTADDITIONS.NET
• Website: www.elegantadditions.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/elegantadditionsdallas
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/elegantadditionshou