Thirty Under 30: Lauren Feurich

By Donna Heiderstadt

When your boss describes you as a “fierce, fearless go-getter, never intimidated by the unknown,” you’re doing something right. As a Senior Designer at Glen Ellyn, IL-based Drury Design, 26-year-old Lauren Feurich has been on an “exceptional trajectory,” says Gladys Schanstra, the company’s President and Creative Director. Lauren’s career path began as a college intern who joined the Drury team as a Design Assistant after graduation and quickly advanced to Designer and then Senior Designer within four years. Lauren’s top accomplishments have included securing two full home design projects just six months after being promoted to Designer — having taught herself the skills to confidently sell by reading sales books, listening to podcasts, and shadowing her fellow designers, she says — and completing 10 projects by fall 2025, just six months after her promotion to Senior Designer.

Lauren cites as inspiration having worked alongside Drury’s Senior Designer, Samantha Schoell. “She was my mentor for three years and taught me so much about how to respond to clients and how to anticipate clients’ needs before the clients may even know them,” she explains. “I cherish all the knowledge and learning that she passed down to me.” This all comes in handy as Lauren spends her typical day working on drawings, handling client meetings, creating project documents such as contracts and purchase orders, and making material selections. “My firm is unique in that our designers handle the designing, project sales, post-sale documentation, and project management,” she notes. “This allows me to follow a job from start to finish.”

While Lauren says the one word that best describes her is “thoughtful,” her own personal design preferences reveal some of that “fierce” personality. “I love designing with a clean aesthetic and a pop of color in mind,” she says, admitting it’s often hard to sway homeowners with a more classic mindset. “I always try to encourage my clients not to fear color. In a world where neutral color palettes are widely accepted, color adds excitement and personality.” 

Outside of work, Lauren loves enjoying time outdoors, either walking or reading in a backyard hammock for “much-needed decompression time.” She also hangs out with her sweet dog, Stella, and routinely spends her weekends baking sourdough bread. “Experimenting with new flavors is something I have come to love,” she says.

While she appreciates the vibrant, design-centric vibe of nearby Chicago, Lauren’s happy place is sleepy Sawyer, MI, where her family has a lake house. “I have such amazing memories of enjoying summers there,” she says. “It is such a peaceful place with a kind community.” On the horizon, Lauren foresees international travel — “the type of trip where you’re gone for weeks just exploring what other parts of the world have to offer” — while also dreaming of one day having a farm. Modern farmhouse may not be her preferred design aesthetic, she explains, but the sustainable, nature-in-balance aspect of farm life has tremendous appeal.