Rising Stars: Meet Lauren Harris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Harris.

Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
Trail Mixx KC was birthed from a desire to have everything in my life be about comfort and peace. When I think of homes and how to furnish them, what I don’t like and what I do like, I’m drawn to items that speak to me. I’m only a shopper if I can only live without it. I am a person who has serious buyer’s remorse. However, I never feel that way when looking for household items. To remedy that buyer’s remorse, I started visiting thrift stores around the city, going to flea markets, and simply finding things on the side of the road. Yes, the items you put out on the street may have been shoved in the back of my Xterra. At the time, I worked for a salon on W39th street and drove down that particular road every day. I would see the residents putting nice items on the curb with a sign that said Free or no sign at all. I took that as a sign that they wanted me to have it because, be real, who puts stuff on the side of the road if they did want it? I drove up and down the blocks looking for items the community didn’t want. Keep in mind this just wasn’t trash.

I wonder why the owners didn’t want it, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The name Trail Mixx came later for me. I love listening to NPR on Sundays. From 12-3. They had a segment called Trail Mix; it was a mix of music, very calming music, crooner, blues, jazz, I’d hear Irish music, lol, and a lot of other mixes that just took you on this journey of peace. I would sit in my car and have a coffee, just listening and thinking for hours. My old Box radio didn’t pick up that signal in the house, so I would have some serious time to think and reflect.

One day, as I search our local neighborhoods for random finds, it hit me. Trail Mixx KC is the name because it’s truly an adventure finding these pieces that our neighbors put on the road for someone else to enjoy. I can never say where I found an item. It’s not one store or brand; it’s a story behind every piece I randomly found throughout the city. Trail Mixx KC is home. Trail Mixx KC is a vibe! Trail Mixx KC is a path to finding peace. We find items and sell them to the public, or sometimes I can keep an item or two and put those items in my home.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road is still a road, which isn’t a bad thing. This journey that I am on is a journey I started to take seriously, not just a hobby. 2019 I started an Instagram page dedicated to my finds and Kansas City. I was born and raised in Kansas City. I’m a very Proud Kansas Citian! I love the mix of city and a little country since we are in the Midwest. I’ve been asked if I have a storefront which I don’t, and I communicate with the public from my Insta page. I dream of having a storefront where I can welcome the public to find items that fit perfectly with their home decor. Or to find something that stands out to them or they can’t live without it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
By Day I am a licensed Hairstylist. See me, by the way, at Hair Love: I had to give a shameless plug! Being creative and having a vision of what my client’s hair would look like by the end of her appointment goes hand in hand with being a curator. The client wants a hairstyle that fits their lifestyle, and I apply that same practice when choosing items the public would love. My style isn’t yours, so I only sometimes find one thing that look like the other. Trail Mixx KC is much more than furniture and finds. My love for the KC area is also highlighted within the brand of trail Mixx KC. I love taking pictures of my surroundings. Trail Mixx KC is a lifestyle only we Kansas Citians can appreciate.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
In 1996-97, my parents were in the process of looking to buy their 1st home. We were moving from a townhome in Midtown, KC. We looked at home after home after home: In different areas in the city, I fell in love with looking at home decor and was very interested in how the homes were furnished. I loved the different style’s that I saw that I had never been introduced to before. I can’t remember where, but I remember seeing a Log home, if my memory serves me, right here in Kansas City. I wanted them to buy that house Badly! The inside looked like Ralph Laurens Colorado home, with a Giant staircase, and I knew I wanted a cozy, peaceful, and unique home. I wanted a space where anyone could come over and feel at home. We moved to South Kansas City, which meant new developments. More of an open concept, and I quickly realized that my love wasn’t for the new; although it was a lovely home, my heart was in the city where there were stories about the homes we lived in: our grandparent’s stories and the history. Something that South Kansas City couldn’t offer. I vowed that it would be in the city when I bought a home.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @trailmixxkc
• Facebook: Trail Mixx KC