While Lauren Ames is a recent transplant to the Shepherdstown area, she’s quickly becoming involved and interested in making a difference and the local art community.

Her business, Lauren Ames Interiors, started after working in the editorial and publishing world for a number of years, but still found herself wanting more. That’s when she turned to what comes most naturally, her love for artwork.

Her business is quickly growing and gaining notoriety, recently one of Ames projects was featured in What’s Up? Eastern Shore Magazine and served as the cover story.

Originally wanting to pursue a career in English education, she met her husband, Christopher Ames, while she was studying for her masters in English at Agnes Scott University. And after living in Atlanta for 13 years, the couple moved to Chesterfield, Md., when Christopher took a new job at Washington College.

Her passion for art shines through in her interior design business today, working with couples and homeowners to carefully select pieces of art that serve as the inspiration and foundation for the design of the home or particular room.

“My style is uncluttered, eclectic, with a modern twist,” explains Ames, and while her personal taste may not suite everyone she agrees that “a good designer should be able to work in any style, not just what they like.”

After moving to Shepherdstown early this past year when her husband became the vice president of academic affairs at Shepherd University, Ames is now looking forward to expanding her mostly eastern shore and DC metro area based business into the Shepherdstown community. And after visiting her beautifully put together and art filled home here in Cress Creek you can see that interior design is what she was truly meant to do.

With her father working as an industrial designer on Madison Avenue and an avid art historian and a mother who was an artist herself, you can see how Ames design ability comes naturally. Growing up in New York, one of her first jobs was working in a gallery. And it’s all come full circle today as she’s now looking to become a permanent part of the community with hopes of opening her own offices and gallery space here in Shepherdstown soon.

Promoting local area artists is imperative for Ames, like Marcy Dunn Ramsey, whose artwork is her personal favorite, and is showcased at the Carla Massoni gallery in Chestertown, where Ames’ office space is currently located.

She also has hopes that an eventual gallery space here in town will allow her to work closely with the University and their art department to provide an additional space for young artists to showcase their work.