Southern Home (SH): Let’s start from the beginning. I understand you two met in college?
Sandy Lucas: Yes, we were both in the design program at The University of Texas. It felt like we were instant friends. After graduation, unbeknownst to each other, we went to work for the same design firm. We were there together for 15 years and got to know each other even better. The principal of that firm decided to retire, and we realized we didn’t want to work in a large firm anymore. So we started Lucas/Eilers with just the two of us.
SH: How would you distinguish your styles from each other?
Sarah Eilers: I am probably a little more traditional, and Sandy is more contemporary, but our styles really complement each other. The main difference is the way we approach each job. We laugh about it. Sandy starts with the art, and I start with the rugs. Our offices tell you a lot. Mine has an old-world partner’s desk and a pair of Queen Anne chairs that were in my father’s office. Sandy’s space is sleeker and more contemporary, with a clean-lined laminate desk. We both have Aeron chairs.
Sandy: It’s true that I’m very passionate about art. I do encourage my clients to at least think about art, even if they’re not ready to build a collection. I like for them to shop with me and visit galleries so that I can get a sense of what they like. I want my clients to care about the things they hang on their walls and look at every day.
But we do have to laugh that as much as we are alike in so many ways, there are definite differences. For example, when we’re arranging our bulletin boards at the office, I will stack images vertically, and Sarah will always hang them side by side. If we’re looking at paint colors, I will always lean toward a cool gray, and Sarah will always go a little warmer.
SH: It probably worked out pretty well to have a partnership during those years of raising kids and launching a business.
Sandy: You always have that other person that you trust, that can answer a question, that can come in and help you to see the solution to a problem. We don’t actually design together, but we work alongside each other. It works out beautifully. Sometimes a project comes in the door, and the client hasn’t specifically asked for one of us. So we’ll see who’s less busy at the moment, who’s interested in the project. As long as it’s in the program, it’s okay.
SH: What’s the secret to the success of your partnership? You’ve worked together more than 30 years, right?
Sarah: I’m a banker’s daughter, so I feel like we are making investments for our clients. Our job is to make sure every decision is the best for functionality and aesthetics. The glue that held us together all these years is that we love for our design to be creative, but we want the business end of things to be totally predictable. Our business model has not changed over the last 30 years. The money end of things is black and white. Early on we decided we needed an office manager. And then we got to the next level, and now we have an in-house accountant, too. We have many out-of-town jobs, and the sales taxes in different states are complicated. We just wanted to focus on the design work. I was very proud when we passed our first audit. They spent all day looking through our records, and they couldn’t find anything wrong. We got a glowing letter from the state.
Sandy: Sarah’s filing practices are as beautiful as her design work.
SH: What are the values that drive the process of your projects?
Sarah: We treat every project like it’s our own house. And we make decisions based on what would we do if it was our own house. That serves you well. We scrutinize every decision to be sure it is the very best one to make, so that down the road, our client’s are going to feel great about their home.
SH: What is something that we would never see in a Lucas/Eilers house?
Sandy: You know, I would have said fabric with metallic threads, but I do love a good Fortuny fabric that has a soft gold cast to it.
Sarah: I used to say animal prints, but then Stark came out with that antelope carpet, which I love.
SH: What do you think every Southern home should have?
Sandy: A piece of art that you love and then a piece of something from your family, an heirloom.
Sarah: I think every Southern home needs something green and alive. When we finish a project, the final touch is always something green. It makes such a difference.
Sandy and Sarah get candid about their own homes and some favorite things.
