LES Collection brings the gallery to your home

Artist and curator Lauren Sands' vision becomes a reality

When I think of the word gallery I often feel a bit conflicted. On one hand, it’s a beautiful word that showcases and celebrates incredibly talented artists from around the globe and their array of mediums. On the other hand, the word evokes a sense of cold, stark, inaccessibility, as if these places are solely for the enjoyment of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Even the way galleries have been portrayed in popular culture reinforces this perception - most recently as I recall an episode of And Just Like That from a few weeks ago, where Charlotte sells an Alex Israel work to singer Sam Smith. The tragedy of this all-too-common version of gallery is that it fails to warmly embrace the perhaps lesser known, but equally as talented community of creators and their deep admirers - a great and growing population of aesthetes...especially in the age of social media. This is where Lauren Sands and LES Collection comes in.

Lauren Sands in her Brooklyn home.

Lauren founded NYC-based LES Collection as a digitally-native, “new concept gallery showcasing a curated and eclectic selection of contemporary and vintage art and design from around the world” just 2 years ago. Her website and instagram presence bring to life a brand that organically places art onto the walls and shelves of Lauren’s own Brooklyn home, creating conversational vignettes that never feel cookie cutter. I’m especially drawn to her rotating collection of ceramics available for purchase that she styles on her living room shelves, which have become one of her “photo studios”. As many of you know, I’m a sucker for home design, so it also doesn’t hurt that her house could easily be in Architectural Digest, as featured in The Coveteur.

Lauren’s dining room with an art piece by Margo van Erkelens.

The living room where she styles her shelves and often features them on the product pages of LES Collection online and in her social media vignettes.

The art-adorned seating room. Even the stair railing is a sculptural work of art.

LES Collection sells paintings, drawings, and photographs, plus ceramics and metalworks in the form of bowls, candlestick holders, vases, lamps, and sculptures - all from artists across the globe. Lauren, an artist in her own right, aims to provide a platform to incubate artists, growing their audience and giving them an outlet to tell their stories. To further round out the execution of her vision, she has created a print and digital journal that generously dives into art history lessons and the stories behind full movements, in addition to highlighting specific artists she supports, as well as home design. I love the progression of learning about a style, then discovering both older and more modern-day artists who have further evolved the concept. The icing on the cake is being able to purchase and then admire these works in your own home.

The Moshe Vessel from LES Collection in our home.

At the beginning of the summer, I bought a ceramic piece from LES Collection by an artist named Talia Warshawsky. Of course I was drawn to the aesthetic of the piece itself, but decided to acquire it when I learned that Talia is based in London, once made textiles for the fashion industry, and her ceramic style and influence is most reflective of wabi-sabi because she studied the craft in Japan. Her goal is to have each piece feel unique and “ancient” - never mass produced. I think of her story every time I walk past this piece because she has been influenced by the same places and industries that I love. Despite being strangers, our journeys overlap a few times.

If you’re looking to bring an artist into your home, or that of a friend or family member, here are some pieces on LES Collection that I have long coveted.

Mini Bud Vase in Sand and Oat. These are perfect host gifts.

Wave Form Vase in Crystal Cream and Bronze. These are ceramic but look like glass.

Esme Vase in Pearl Froth. Comes in 3 different sizes and looks like a piece of jewelry for your counter.

Arq 5 Canoa Lab Vessel. Canoa Lab is a ceramic studio based in Spain that makes vases and vessels that look like they were discovered on an archeological dig.

Smoke Signals by Tara Rad. The statement piece serves as a sculpture, vessel, and incense holder.

Barbican Sculptural Ceramic Vase. I love the subtle green-teal color juxtaposed with the gray-brown glaze.

One-of-a-kind Lily Vase. This reminds me of my late grandmother because it was her favorite flower. The movement of the folds within the clay is breathtaking. This Ukrainian artist also makes stunning sculptures sold at LES Collection.

About Lauren Sands

Lauren has lived many lives before starting LES Collection - this is likely what makes her vision for her company particularly unique. She has a law degree, worked in international public health, spent a year surfing throughout the world, and at one point thought she wanted to be a vintner. The through line has been her love of art - both making it and collecting it. She combines this with her passion for anthropology and art history. She founded LES just two years ago, yet her rich, layered storytelling makes me feel like the brand has been around for decades.

Lauren in her dinging room.

Though I’ve never met Lauren, I somehow feel connected not just because I admire what she has built, but because when she’s not in NYC or Brooklyn, she spends much of her time in Upstate NY where I grew up. The places she visits in Upstate are so familiar and personal.

For those aesthetes out there, I hope this inspires you to have a piece in your home that has a story…and in some way that story intertwines with your own.

x jz

Images | 1 - 4 | The Coveteur | 5 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 6 - 11 | LES Collection | 12 | Shoutout LA | 13 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me

Note: I do not get paid for nor make money off of this post. All opinions are my own.