Sarah and Katie Lambert, sisters who own Lambert Home & Garden in Southlake.
As an interior designer, Sarah Lambert had years of experience searching the market for beautiful products, according to Lambert Home & Garden's website. When it came to buying interior design accessories, Sarah and her sister Katie found a lack of knowledge, accountability, and sometimes integrity in the manufacturing, processing, and retailing.
"We decided that just wouldn't work, and since then we've made it our priority and passion to source lifestyle products with integrity," the website says. The two built a company in Southlake and use their belief in true, honest work to drive them to everyday successes.
We caught up with Katie, who took some time to answer our questions about their business and its cause.
Southlake Style: Tell us about your business - how/when you got started andbrthe story of how you got to where you are today.
Katie Lambert: The idea of our business started in January 2012. Sarah and Ibrattended a christian conference, Passion, in Atlanta, and there learned aboutbrthe issue of modern day slavery. The fact that over 27 million people arebrenslaved today was absolutely unacceptable to us. We knew at that point thatbrour lives would be about ending slavery..but how? May of that year, Sarah and Ibrdecided that we would open an interior design retail store where all thebrproducts were ethically manufactured with no slave labor and no child labor.brSarah had started her own interior design business years before, so it feltbrlike a natural next step to open a store front!
SS: Why operate in Southlake? Do you have local ties? Was there anotherbrreason why this area was perfect for your business location?
Lambert: We were raised here! Right between Keller and Southlake. Webrbelieve Southlake has the power to influence the globe in terms of thebrslavery issue. Our thought at Lambert Home & Garden is that the worldbreconomy often times dictates morals. For example, if the buyer would quitbrbuying slave-made goods, the manufacturers would have no choice but to quitbrmaking slave-made goods. Since Southlake has been so blessed, we feel confidentbrthey will take a stand for the helpless.
SS: Tell us more about the Slave Free initiative featured on your website.brHow did your involvement in this come about? How have you pushed thisbrinitiative forward lately?
Lambert: Like I said before, we learned about modern day slavery atbrPassion in 2012 and were honestly so floored. We had no clue this wasbrhappening. The studies show that truly well over 27 million people arebrenslaved, up to 36% of those people are trapped in forced labor. This is thebrtraditional type of slavery we think of. Forced to work for little to no paybrwith no freedom, no choice, no opportunity to leave or find other work, oftenbrunder the threat of physical abuse.
Our primary push is that everything in our storebrhas been manufactured ethically with no slave labor. When we pick our productsbrat markets we have pretty tedious meetings with the manufacturers about wherebrtheir products are made, and by whom. Most often, we talk to the actual personbrin charge of visiting the factories to ensure a good quality of life for thebrworkers. This has been a very eye-opening experience as many many manufacturersbrhave told us flat out, “that’s not something that we’re interested in. Webrintentionally avoid our factories because we don’t want to see what’sbrhappening.” Essentially they’re keeping their head in the sand so as to not bebrheld accountable.
Secondarily, we are involved with severalbrslave-free organizations. This month we're sponsoring the Race 2 Rescue 5k,brhere in Southlake, at Bicentennial park. It's hosted by Rescue Her, a localbrorganization that rescues girls out of sex trafficking. We've been involvedbrwith unlikely heroes, A21 campaign, End it Movement, and Love146.
SS: What makes you different/stand out from other interior designbrbusinesses?
Lambert: Well, all designers are different. Some of the Southlakebrdesigners have a specific style, and stick with it. So if you’re looking for abrTuscan home, you go to so-and-so designer! This is not us at all. Sarah is ourbrdesigner, and she’s really incredible because she truly learns the character ofbrher clients and then translates that into their living spaces. I’ve seen her dobrit time and time again, and It blows me away every time. (I am NOT a designerbrin any way. Colors? Matching? What?!)
We also come into every home, with humility.brWe've heard horror stories from clients about past designers demanding certainbrbudgets, or certain timelines that our clients were uncomfortable with. I thinkbrSarah's spectacular because she can work with any budget. Our current clientsbrbudgets and projects range from “I can spend $500 a month, and we'll do abrlittle project here and a little project there” to “I hate my house. i want tobrchange every single thing. new rugs, drapes, furniture, accessories, wallpaper,brand I have no budget, just make it happen!” The cool thing is, we really lovebrour clients, and treat them all equally. So a high-budget project gets nobrbetter treatment than a low-budget project.
SS: Tell us more about yourselves, personally - give us a short bio of whobryou are and what you like to do outside of normal business.
Lambert: Sarah and I both went to Keller High School, and TexasbrTech University. Sarah majored in Interior design and minored in music. Shebrloves movies, traveling, hunting for cool antiques, and teaching bible study tobryouth girls. Her guilty pleasure is for sure cheese enchiladas.
I majored in Restaurant, Hotel, andbrInstitutional management. My favorite thing in the world is being outside. Ibrlove to garden, kayak, swim, hike, camp. I, too, love teaching bible study withbrSarah to the youth girls at our church. My guilty pleasure is binge watchingbrBob's Burgers on Netflix. Yikes!
SS: Where would you like to see the business in 5-10 years? What are yourbrgoals and aspirations?
Lambert: This is the question people ask us, and when we answer, theybrlook at us like we’re insane. And we may be!
We have several business plans in the work forbrnew brands to open in the next few years. We have a women's clothing and lifestylebrbrand: “West.” A men's clothing and lifestyle brand: “B.F. Schroeder.” (namedbrafter our grandfather, a WWII Veteran and general beast of life) Abrkitchen/dining/entertaining brand: “The Beehive” —And several other brand ideasbrthat are unnamed so far. Baby clothes/nursery design. We want to write books.brProduce music. Publish magazines. And after all those things, we plan to openbrorphanages in several countries in Africa.
I think an overarching theme of our brands, andbrthe general goal of our lives, is we want to be a light to a dark world. Webrwant to bring hope, and positivity, and truth, and joy to America and muchbrfarther.