Lauren Trend knows a thing or two about the interior self. As founder and director of online wellness, creativity and self-discovery platform Self Practice, Trend spends her days exploring the delicate balance between the body, mind and soul, and the effect the greater universe has on these connections. It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that when she came across her art-deco apartment alongside Melbourne’s Yarra River it felt like, well, destiny.
“It was a very fortuitous turn of events. For three years prior to moving in here I was living in … the building right next door. I had given moving out some thought before I stumbled upon a ‘for lease’ sign out the front of this building. I called the agent, inspected the property that afternoon and had the keys by the end of the week. It all lined up seamlessly.”
“I’m always moving things around to circulate newness and ensure that things are exactly where they’re meant to be.”
The sun-drenched apartment appeared fated for Trend in more than one way. “I’m pretty big into numerology and this is apartment number eight of 81. I got the keys on 8/1/18 and the number eight is the luckiest number in Chinese culture because it sounds like ‘fa’, which means wealth, fortune and prosper.”
“I am so reliant on this space to serve and support both my person and my practice. And that affects, informs and inspires all things Self Practice.”
Trend grew up between farmland and the ocean, in the wide-open spaces of the Mornington Peninsula. When it came time to put roots down in the city, choosing a place surrounded by trees and water made intuitive sense. “I moved during a pretty poignant time in my personal and professional life. It’s felt like the landing pad for so many things to take off … and they have! Since living here so much has changed.”
When it comes to her personal aesthetic, Trend acknowledges she is by no means a maximalist – instead choosing to carefully furnish the sanctuary she shares with her partner Lucy with items of great sentimental value. “As cliché as it may sound, I can’t help but see and celebrate beauty in the things that mean the most to me,” she explains. “Each piece has a story, a purpose or a carefully considered reason for being there. Whether it be furniture, ceramics, framed photographs or artworks – almost everything can be traced back to a friend’s practice or business.”
Favourite pieces include a cane lounger from Worn store, gifted from the boutique’s founders following a collaboration with Trend, and the curly maple and glass side table from Smith Street Bazaar. “It was the first piece of furniture Lucy and I purchased together, so is very special for that reason.”
An extension of the natural world outside those wall-to-wall windows, she accents her space with delicate florals styled by close friend Hattie Molloy. “Having her work at home is not just an absolute dream visually, but sentimentally; reminds me of how far we’ve both come, both together and in our respective careers.”
For Trend, the true beauty of these surrounds comes down the feeling they elicit. In her personal life and, by extension, her Self Practice philosophy, a space is only as beneficial as its ability to stimulate internal wellbeing and happiness. “As wonderful as a well thought out home in the physical sense can be, I can’t help but feel that ‘home’ can be anywhere. In objects, in moments, in people. Whether it’s within the walls of our buildings, or the walls of ourselves, space to retreat is important for nothing if not connection.”
