Lauren Siegel is a designer and the brains (and beauty) behind Bangers Sausage House and Beer Garden, which she owns with husband Ben. She opened up her restored East Austin bungalow to us and shared her and Ben’s sweet love story, the simple tool she uses when designing a space and how her family is preparing to welcome baby number two this summer. Photos by Heather Gallagher Photography
1. Tell us about your family including how you and your husband met, how old your sweet boy is, when you’re due with baby #2, and how you guys came to live in Austin.

2. Every house has a story. Tell us yours.
We saw our house the first day we started looking to buy. Our real estate agent brought us to see it randomly while we were going to see another house in the area. It had been vacant for 13 years and was quite literally an eyesore; There wasn’t plumbing or power, the windows were broken and boarded up, and it was termite ridden. We said we wanted a project but this was WAY more than we were planning to take on so Ben & I both dismissed it immediately and went to look at other places. But, a few days later we both admitted that we couldn’t stop thinking about it. There was just something about her that spoke to us. She was a traditional craftsman built in 1912 with a huge heritage pecan tree in the back yard and a wrap around porch. Despite the fact that everyone we knew thought we were crazy and told us not to do it, we decided that it was the perfect opportunity to build our dream home, and retain the history of this house that makes it so special. We closed in July (2014), plans were finalized in September, we broke ground in November, and moved in May. I designed it, oversaw construction, and did as much hands on work as I could throughout the process from sanding doors to tiling vanities. It’s far from perfect but man did I learn a lot!
3. What was your approach when designing your home?



4. Is this similar or different to your approach to personal style?


5. Where do you draw design inspiration?

6. Tell us about that swing!

7. You and your husband, Ben Siegel, own Bangers Sausage and Beer Garden. Your kitchen is a perfect balance of clean lines with elements of wood. Did you take the reigns on designing the kitchen or was it a space you designed together?

8. Any rules you follow (or break) when designing a space?


9. You recently announced your pregnant, congrats! Do you have plans to decorate a new nursery or will the babes be sharing a room?

10. Describe your maternity style?

