Laura spent her earlier career as a designer and visual merchandiser for Crate And Barrel’s flagship store in New York City. She also had the opportunity to open six of their stores around the country, but soon felt the limitations of a larger, more corporate experience. “I wanted something more personal and hands-on,” she says; at a smaller company, she’s able to offer advice and see that advice put into action quickly. With an approach to design that’s equal parts left and right brain, Laura feels she’s able to balance the mathematical tasks of spatial and budget planning with the more creative elements of color, style, and out-of-the-box thinking. “You need both sides to do well in this job,” she says, and it’s one of the things she finds most fulfilling about her work at Urban Natural. When you take advantage of a complimentary design consultation with her, she’ll likely recommend bringing photos of your space, your style inspirations, the pieces you already know you want to keep, and the ones you’d like to replace. Style is personal, so when a client has a larger idea of what they feel inspired by– a Pinterest board or Instagram page– it helps Laura and her team find more of what they’re likely to be drawn to. In the end, it’s all about “empowering people to find what they like first, and then we can build on that.”