Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Lachin.
Hi Meredith, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Of course! I’m Meredith Lachin, I live in Athens, GA, and I own a home staging and design business called Classic City Staging and Design. We serve the greater Athens and Atlanta Metro areas. I actually started off my career as a freelance artist, showing my work in places like New York and Atlanta and teaching Drawing and Painting at the University of Georgia. When the pandemic hit, I couldn’t juggle teaching and taking care of my children, so that’s when I decided to make a change and explore a career in my other passion- interior decorating and design.
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?
Honestly, so far it has been a pretty smooth road. It’s been a bit challenging working in real estate because of the ebbs and flows of the housing market, but I have maintained a pretty good client base with the art and design side of my business. Sometimes it can also be a challenge making sure that the furnishings and decor fit the aesthetic of the space that I am staging, but that’s also kind of my favorite part of the job!
As far as lessons I’ve learned- I would say that maintaining my confidence is key! The process of making custom artwork and designs is incredibly personal. I put a lot of thought, time, and effort into making something that I have to assume my clients are going to like based on my limited experiences and time with them. It’s easy to second guess my selections and think, “Maybe they won’t be happy with it! What if it’s not the right fit?” But ultimately, I’ve learned to just trust my judgement, and most of the time it’s right on point! If not, I’ve learned to take it in stride and just make adjustments!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a super versatile artist. I have a BFA in Painting from UGA- where I also taught for six years, and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, where I spent three years soaking in all the visual splendor the city has to offer. I specialize in realism and portraiture, but I also love painting abstracts and landscapes, taking inspiration from artists that I’ve encountered along my way.
My experience teaching art and living in New York has allowed me to develop a really solid understanding of how to use color, texture, light, and composition- which are all crucial when it comes to designing a space. Much like creating a piece of art, design is all about telling a visual story, creating balance, and using elements like texture, color, and pattern to move the viewer’s eye around the room. Having these skills in my pocket has been a huge bonus. Sometimes I work with a tight budget, and I have to get creative and resourceful! That’s when my artistic wheels start turning. I used to tell my students all the time that making art is all about solving problems. Figuring out how to make a design happen and being thrifty about it is my kind of challenge!
I also REALLY love arranging flowers. Basically anything that has to do with visual aesthetics is right up my alley!
How do you think about happiness?
Wow. There are so many things that bring me happiness. For me, (at forty this year) happiness looks a lot different than it used to! First and foremost, happiness comes from being able to spend time with my two kiddos and watching them have fun! My husband is an adventure seeker so we spend a lot of family time doing things outside, which absolutely fills my cup. I think I’m most happy when I’m hanging out in the sunshine (maybe a cocktail in hand) with my people!
Also, if I’m being completely, embarrassingly honest, having my house clean and organized is also at the top of the list! I am a bit of a perfectionist and naturally SUCH a visual person. Tweaking things in my own space to make them flow better and work more efficiently for my family brings me a lot of satisfaction!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.classiccitystaginganddesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classiccitystaginganddesign/
Image Credits
Meredith Lachin
