Hidden Gems: Meet Rachel Westphall and Lauren Swedenborg of Lykke Haus Curated Vintage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Westphall and Lauren Swedenborg.

Hi Rachel and Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After 4 years of designing Airbnb’s together, March 2020 completely rocked our niche industry and led to massive career transitions for both of us. Rachel started her own vintage business called @thefoxwhisker while I moved away from the interior design world to pursue investment real estate. But we always knew we would join forces again one day. In August of 2023, Lauren was let go from corporate America without the intention of returning, so she approached Rachel about making moves and moves we made. In 3 months, we found the perfect location in East Nashville in the old TNT Appliances building, designed & renovated the space with the help of very patient & giving friends & family, and officially opened the doors the day after Thanksgiving. We’re shop girlies now 👯‍♀️

Lykke Haus is joining The Fox Whisker & Lauren Swedenborg Design, accompanied by some of the most dedicated & knowledgeable vintage procurers in the South, to launch a stunning collaborative showroom & collective vendor shop. Lykke Haus was born out of our shared obsession with the unique, the beautiful, the odd, and the funky that comes from Vintage Home Decor & Furniture and how it elevates the interior design process. Interior design should be approachable, affordable & sustainable- finding timeless gems & creating comfort in your home should never be gate-keeping. Lykke Haus is the physical manifestation of us joining our East Nashville Neighborhood in building up small & local businesses while creating a life for ourselves & our families that prioritizes creativity, community, and the continued efforts to find a balance that feeds us.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening Lykke Haus is the most significant business venture we have ever taken on, so we’ve had to learn some standard “Small Business Lessons” along the way. But the biggest challenge we’ve encountered has to be finding the balance of working ON the business rather than always IN the business. The vintage world sometimes requires you to be in multiple states a week, sourcing the dopest pieces and, at the same time, resetting & staging the brick & mortar to ensure all of the products are highlighted in the best way. Finding a balance in this meant bringing on more help in the store, which felt like a hard pill to swallow financially but was the best decision we’ve ever made. We are now able to continue to grow and better Lykke Haus in a sustainable way without our ADHD brains going into complete burnout. It’s a very boomer dad statement, but it holds the truth- “ya gotta spend money to make money.”

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Vintage furniture and decor aren’t a secret to the Nashville shopper; you could throw a rock and hit an antique mall or vintage shop around the entire city. As a business, we wanted to set ourselves apart from the typical shop by creating an intentionally curated experience. When shopping for vintage, sometimes it takes a lot of hunting, energy and imagination, so one of our major goals was to ensure that entering our doors was as source of creative inspiration, a simplified search and quality decor at reasonable prices. Lauren aimed to prove to the skeptic that various eras and styles can in fact be stylized into fresh beautiful motifs and the customer consensus has ensured us that it has been a worthy effort, and well appreciated. In everything we do as a business, we never want to overlook a harsh truth; over ten million tons of furniture ends up in the waste yearly with over 80% ending up in landfills! Sustainability awareness is something we love seeing on the rise, and it’s a privilege to play a small role in minimizing the problem!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lykke_haus_vintage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lykkehaus