Today’s tour is such a treat! And if you live in Zachary, you are definitely going to want to pay attention to this one! Meet sweet mom, Lacie Herndon, local blogger and owner of the soon-to-open Maison Greige. This momma not only has an eye for beautiful things, but she also knows how to capture the beauty in the everyday. You will love her relaxed and warm style, her drive as an entrepreneur, and her passion for one fabulous baby bed. Enjoy the tour!
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Ah, where do I begin? I married my high school sweetheart in 2008, and immediately joined him in Charleston, SC where he was finishing up his nuclear submarine training. From Charleston we moved to Virginia Beach, VA, then finally on to our last duty station in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii where we lived for three years. We made it through multiple deployments over the years, and we couldn’t wait to finally feel ‘settled’. I worked as a nurse in each different state, but I never let go of my dream of one day opening some sort of home interiors boutique. I was pregnant when we separated from the Navy in 2012, and we moved home to our first house we bought together in Zachary. We welcomed our little girl, Landri Lillyn, into the world in September 2012. We quickly outgrew the space and spent all our free time looking at real estate. We had our eye on a home that had been vacant for years. It finally went on the market as a foreclosure in 2013, and we jumped on it! After months of waiting and processing, we closed on our dream home on my birthday, December 26, 2013. My husband is now working at RiverBend Station in St. Francisville, and I work as a nurse part time while juggling all the tasks that come with opening a new retail store. We are so excited to see what the future holds for us!
Q: What do you love about living in Zachary?
We love living in Zachary because it’s where we both grew up. Where we live still feels a little bit country, but we’re only a few minutes from the things you need and not too far of a drive to Baton Rouge. I LOVE that I can see a sky full of stars at night in my backyard! Zachary has a small town feel, and they know me and ask about my baby when I walk through the grocery store. We love that our daughter will have some of the same memories we had growing up in this community, and we can’t wait to share those experiences with her.
Q: I see you recently started a new business, Maison Greige. Can you tell us more about how this all began?
Like I mentioned before, I have always dreamed of owning my own home interiors boutique. Maison Greige came about when my good friend Jessica Neal and I were throwing around names for a new design blog we wanted to start (www.maisongreige.blogspot.com) . Eventually we opened a small booth in 4 Sisters & Etc Antiques store, and I will be opening a full retail store in Zachary in April of this year! In addition to home decor, lighting, and furniture, MG will also be carrying a selection of children’s linens, clothing, and gifts. It’s approaching fast, and there’s still a ton of work to be done! I cannot wait to share it all with you!
Q: How would you describe your day-to-day?
We don’t have much of a routine. Every day seems to be different since my work schedule isn’t always the same, and my husband works shift work so finding time together can sometimes be challenging.
Q: Online shopping is becoming so norm, especially for busy moms. What do you think are the advantages of still visiting and shopping in a brick and mortar store…especially when it comes to home decor?
I LOVE online shopping, but there’s just something about holding and touching and feeling an item in person that gets me excited! I feel that many people are visual, and seeing an item set up and displayed helps them see how they could use it in their own home. Seeing and touching things in person is part of the thrill of shopping!
Q: What has inspired the design style of your home?
Since we purchased our home as a foreclosure, the colors and fixtures were already in place and very much “as-is”. At the time, we didn’t really have the budget to be updating or changing anything, so we just left the color scheme. Luckily, the walls are pretty neutral, so everything blended nicely. I love how the previous owners incorporated the rustic floors and beams and used reclaimed bricks to build the arches and walls. Some of the bricks on our walls have years of paint on them, and I love how it adds so much character to the space. Many of our interior doors are old with doorknobs still intact, which is just my style. I think it’s so fun to add the old with the new!
Q: We must know about that bed in your daughter’s room? Is there a story involved?
Ah, the bed…. I’m so in love with this bed! I saved pictures of it for years before I had my daughter! I was ‘pinning’ things like this way before Pinterest! It’s from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child, and I spent countless hours drooling over the catalogs that came in the mail. I knew that was one thing I wasn’t willing to compromise on if I ever had a little girl. I think I probably gave my poor father-in-law a heart attack when he asked what crib he could buy for us. But I know that it will be treasured and passed down for future babies. It’s such a beautiful piece for a sweet little girl. I just wish it converted past a toddler bed!
Q: What do you want your daughter to remember most from this home?
I want my daughter to remember that our home was a happy one: a home with windows and light, and pets and dust. I want her to feel that there’s no place better to come home to than this one, and that’s it’s her home just as much as it is ours. I also want her to know how extremely grateful we are and how blessed we feel to be able to provide her with a warm house where she can get “comfy-cozy”, as she puts it.
Q: What is the greatest lesson you have learned since becoming a mom?
Oh this is SO hard to answer…. I have learned SO much… And I’m STILL learning everyday. I’ve learned that I am so small and God is so great. I see it everyday in my child’s smile and laughter. Every day I become increasingly aware of how truly human I am. I will fail at something every single day, but that doesn’t mean I’m failing as a mom. Each day I wake up hoping to be a better mommy than the day before, and I hope that my daughter will see that even through the mistakes I make along the way. I’m learning to just keep moving forward and enjoy her while she’s “just this little”, because there will never again be a time where she is “just this little”.
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Lacie, thank you for opening your doors and letting us in! What powerful words that I know we all connect with: “Every day I become increasingly aware of how truly human I am. I will fail at something every single day, but that doesn’t mean I’m failing as a mom.” I hope all our mommas hear that loud and clear today! And we can’t wait to come by and visit when your store doors open in April. Just seeing the taste you have in your home makes me SO excited to see what you will have in store!
Moms, what was your favorite part of the tour?
To see all our Heart & Home posts, click right here. And if you or someone you know would like to share your home right here on the blog, email [email protected] for more info!
