We recently introduced you to the owner of one of our favorite local Laguna Beach shops, The Garage Collective’s, Kristin Miracle-Lewis. Today, we visit her at home and see how she navigates having a family of four boys and her favorite home pieces. We love how she mixes her items and combines styles.
You have 2 small boys and 2 teenage step-sons. What is your favorite room in the house to hang out in with them, and what is their favorite room or area?
The kitchen and family room is our key living space. It was designed so that we can all be together but also have different activities going on at the same time. It’s where we eat, watch movies and play games.
You have a kid-friendly home. Can you tell us some of the things you do, and what kinds of things you buy to help “child proof” them?
I wouldn’t say my house is child proof. Having all boys means it gets a lot of wear. I want it to be child friendly. I want my kids and their friends to have fun and run around. Our formal living room is literally called “the off-limits room” in our house. I have more expensive pieces and more decorative items in that room. It’s the room I can style and decorate however I want, knowing that the kids won’t be jumping on the couch and using the room as their WWF wrestling ring. In the other parts of my home, I try to find pieces that I love at affordable prices. I typically start with the rug. A great rug centers the room and can be your statement piece. From there, I build with textiles and accessories.
What are some of your favorite furniture and accessories from your store, The Garage Collective, that you have in your home?
I’m obsessed with textiles, in case you haven’t noticed. I have a variety of vintage rugs, that never made it into the shop, which are scattered throughout my home. Every room has pillows, even the dining chairs. I use our Moroccan Pom blanket on the back of my white couch as a decoration and a splash of color.
At my dining table I mixed our leather woven bench with upholstered chairs. The woven bench is one of my favorite pieces from the shop. I just ordered a pair of our Black Leather Sling chairs for the “off limits room”. I always have our Craft + Foster candles burning. I have candles in the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen.
In my entryway I have a vintage Chinese bench, from the shop, with our belly baskets underneath. These are great for storage and we hide the kids shoes inside. Our leather and wood wall hooks are above the bench and I hang hats and bags on these. The hooks are functional but stunning!
Can you share with us some of your favorite stores and websites that you like to shop at for your home?
Restoration Hardware has great furniture and accessories. I love their Belgian linen sofas and chairs. My dining chairs and kids bunk beds are from RH. My kids have had the RH tee pee since they were little. Juxtaposition has unique and original finds. Lately, all of my furniture, textiles and accessories are from The GARAGE Collective!
You mentioned you found some of the cool bath wall sconces on Etsy. That was a great tip! What other types of pieces have you been able to find on that site? I had never been on it and was impressed!
Etsy has a lot of hand-made items. I have found some great light fixtures at reasonable prices. One Forty Three is a favorite. I have their sconces in both the shop and my home. Artemer has the most stunning stacking rings. I’ve also found some great vintage furniture and artwork. You have to dig a little but if you’re on the hunt for something specific, it can be a great resource.
What are your favorite interior design books or magazines?
I prefer magazines over searching the internet- maybe I am old school. I like to tear out what I love and put in on the inspiration wall in my office. Modern Luxurys California Interiors, C California Style, Sunset Magazine, Domino, Elle Décor and House Beautiful are all ones I read regularly.
What room or pieces do you think it is worth it to splurge on?
I would definitely splurge on a neutral sofa, rug and a statement chair or piece. This month we brought a new furniture line to the shop and the black leather sling chairs and braided leather accent bench are must haves.
Where is your favorite place in your home to relax and unwind?
My favorite place to relax is where everyone is not. That was a joke! We have a great backyard with a spool. What is a spool? A pool-spa. It’s surrounded by succulents and plants. It’s one of my favorite things about our house. I have loved creating a living space outdoors with furniture and accent pieces.
You are a very busy working mom. What are your tips for juggling that with having dinners ready at the end of the day or do you go out/order in a lot?
I wish I could say that I cooked a lot as visions of Martha Stewart pop into my head. We typically get home from sports around 5-6 pm and dinner is on the fly. I’ve been ordering from Sevenly Foods, a weekly Orange County healthy meal prep delivery service. You place an order online by Thursday evening and it is delivered on Monday the following week. It makes dinner easy. I can pull from the prepared meals and it allows me to focus on more important things – like spending time with my family. I save cooking for the weekends.
What do you and your girlfriends like to do together when you all have the night off?
We have a scheduled monthly get together the third Thursday of the month. We rotate hosting at each other’s home. The host chooses the theme for the evening. This month’s theme is Sushi and Sake. A sushi chef will come teach us how to prepare sushi while we sample the variety and sip on sake. April is my month to host…I would love to experience a guided Sommelier wine tasting and pairing with the amazing ladies from Argaux.
The Garage Collective
1854 South Coast Highway
Suite 1
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949.371.6049
www.shopgaragecollectivelaguna.com
@the.garage.collective