Frequently Asked Questions
Hi! Thanks for popping into Lars. Here are a few common questions we get asked. Perhaps they’ll explain how this little bright spot in the world wide web was created.
About The Blog
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Who is Lars?
Probably the most frequent question we get. And for good reason. It’s slightly odd, I’ll admit. Summed up, Lars is my dad. Well, his real name is Bob, but his alias growing up was Lars (after a character in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, not because of any Scandinavian roots). I know, I know…lots of layers. At restaurants, he would put his name in as Lars and us kids would get a chuckle when “Lars, table for 6” would be called.
I originally started Lars as a project for graduate school. I studied interior design and was tasked with the assignment to design a house. Dreamy, right? I created a fictitious family to live inside the house and called the dad Lars after my own dad. The name The House That Lars Built just kind of flowed out from there (of course, referencing the classic children’s nursery rhyme, The House That Jack Built and NOT the psychological thriller by Lars Von Trier, whose name is unfortunate in multiple ways because I’ve been receiving Google Alerts about the movie for years!)
ANYWHO, each member of the family in my house represented a different aspect of the arts so I designed a room that catered to each one. Lars represented fashion so I designed him a studio to create his designs, the mom, Imogen, represented fine arts so I designed her a painter’s studio, the son, Abraham, represented music so I designed a spot for performances and recording. The daughter, April, represented crafting. And I guess you could say that was a foreshadowing because I didn’t do much crafting at the time!
I created a blog to go with the house so that my fictitious clients could see the progress I was making. I included things like the inspiration for the house, floor plans, furniture selections, etc. After the semester was over, I continued adding to the blog and the rest is history!
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How did you start this blog?
I started The House That Lars Built for a grad school project for one of my interior design classes and I created a fictional family to live in the house I was designing. I named the dad Lars, after my real dad (see above). I maintained the blog for school for a few years before I realized that I really loved blogging. Over time it morphed into a craft/DIY blog and here I am today! You can read more about the origin story here.
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So, uh, what do you do for a living?
The House That Lars Built has morphed over the years from a single student blog into a full-fledged creative services studio with a full team dedicated to showing you, our dear makers community, how to make life artful. Whether it’s through a tutorial, or a resource guide, tried and true tips and tricks, and now our latest focus, our shop, we are on a mission to show you that life is better (and healthier!) when you have a project to work on. Our aim is to land on beautiful ideas that we think are worth your time and money. Because life is more fulfilling when it’s thoughtfully designed.
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Do you love blogging?
Yes I do! Even though the NY Times wrote an article about how I’m burned out 🙂 but blogging for me is something that I truly enjoy. I love that it keeps my creativity accountable. And along the way I’ve been able to grow along with a supportive community as well as a wonderful team.
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How do you make money?
Oh man, the magical question. Through sponsorships on the blog, affiliate links, and my freelance work. On the blog, I love working with companies to create original content in my voice. I find it a fun way to exercise my creativity. We also have a shop now where we sell our printables, patterns, and other beautiful things!
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What are affiliate links and why do you use them?
Affiliate links are products that we link to—products that we love—that we may receive a commission on sales. On occasion, we may work with affiliate links on our Pinterest pins. All items that we pin are things that we love and would use and/or wear myself.
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Do you take your own photos?
We have a wonderful photographer on staff who takes all our photos. Occasionally we use photos that we find on the web, but we always try to credit when I can. If for some reason we haven’t, please holler and we will make the appropriate credits or take it down.
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What are the terms and conditions for your current giveaways?
You can find them all here.
From Brittany
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Why do you only wear dresses?
Well, sometimes I wear pants 😉 but pretty much, I find dresses to be loose, lovely, and less time to think about (only one piece!). It’s pretty much my CEO outfit. You can read more about it here.
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Where do you buy your dresses?
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Did you like living in Denmark?
Long story short–there were lots of things I liked about living there ;). I LOVE going back to visit! It’s beautiful and a design lover’s mecca.
Partnerships
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Do you want to collaborate?
Yes! Email us: [email protected]
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Can I become a sponsor on the blog?
Yes! Email us: [email protected]
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What’s the best partnership you’ve ever had?
You know I’m not going to answer that 😉 but the best partnerships are ones where both brands align in both mission, mentality, and aesthetic. We love developing relationships with our partners and find them to be a fulfilling element to our work.
