The Wiseman Group is known for its deep field of design talent, and Lauren Daley is one of the reasons why. She is a Senior Designer with the firm, and, since joining the team in 2002, has made herself a valued, indispensable member of the staff.
Lauren grew up in the Los Angeles area and went to Skidmore College in Upstate New York. After graduation she held a variety of positions in the design world, taking time to educate her eye and learn the ins and outs of the trade. While working in New York City, she attended classes at Parsons School of Design. She also worked in the design industry in Los Angeles and San Francisco before landing at TWG.
When Lauren is involved in a TWG project, she facilitates ongoing communications among the client, the contractor, and TWG. This is an important role as this dialogue is key to the evolution and eventual success of a project. Her design duties require a broad range of skills including the use of AutoCAD (computer-aided design) for the creation of custom furniture, as well as for space planning and furniture layout. Lauren's keen eye also makes her exceptionally good at searching out luxury furniture, fabrics, plumbing fixtures, hardware, and finishes. Her ability to then work with various shops and vendors on pricing, order placement, and order expediting is helpful to the efficiency of the firm's workflow. Lauren manages two other designers who assist with the creative process and expedite projects.
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| Lauren perusing fabric books with Donghia rep, Natalie Mize, in the TWG conference room |
In Lauren's own words: "I like to think of myself as a hands-on designer. I don’t mind getting dirty at job sites, and I love, love, love working with our local custom vendors. Paul has nicknamed me 'the engineer' because I like to think things through and work with these artisans to achieve all the complicated custom elements we create. I like what I do at TWG because it is ever-evolving. I am also a stickler for paperwork and details on the business side -- which keeps everyone in accounting happy. And I like to mentor newer staff to make sure they get off on the right foot."
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| Curtain rod inspired by Brancusi |
One spectacular TWG project reflects Lauren's touch throughout. For example, she was intimately involved in the design and manufacture of the living room curtain hardware: "We were inspired by the abstract primitive sculpture of Brancusi. I sculpted the original 'bangle bracelet' forms in wax, and then
Tuell & Reynolds made the actual wax molds and cast the pieces in bronze. They are the largest and heaviest finials we’ve ever made!"
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| Brass fillet detail on living room ottoman |
TWG is known for its fine custom details, such as those found on this living room ottoman base: "We designed a metal fillet to detail the base of this ottoman. The antiqued brass band was punched at every intersection to accommodate the decorative nail head. It gives the ottoman detail without looking fussy."
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| Laser-cut fretwork over mica backing the library bar |
The library bar in this home is exceptionally beautiful: "We designed a two-layer, laser-cut pattern to achieve more dimension. We installed the fretwork over a sheet of mica and then illuminated the bar from behind with LED strip lights."
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| Embroidered pillows based on Fortuny's Jupon Bouquet |
Realizing one-of-a-kind detailing is one of Lauren's talents. These embroidered bedroom pillows are functional art: "The pillows were hand-embroidered in a 'lost and found' design based on Fortuny’s Jupon Bouquet. The room is entirely upholstered in the Jupon Bouquet pattern, and we wanted these to have more patina."
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| Vintage factice stoppers found by Lauren and made into faucet handles by PE Guerin |
Lauren's has a wonderful ability to unearth unique
objets on the Internet, such as the vintage
factice bottle stoppers used in this home's powder room. (To read more about this amazing space and Lauren's role in creating it, read "
Playbill: The Story of a Chic, Unexpected Powder Room.") Just one more reason Paul Wiseman is so happy to have her on board.
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