(confessions of a) Calmoholic

Hello, I'm Lara Appleton.

Over 15 years at respected design firms in New York City and Cape Town, I worked on increasingly complex domestic and international projects, and developed a deep respect for what it takes to bring a creative vision to life. Not just the vision itself, but the structure behind it, and the very human work of managing it

My core belief is that we build stronger businesses, teams, and projects from the inside out.

Get the foundation right, and you free up time and energy for the work you love most.

I've done this for growing creative studios, high-profile events, small businesses, and rural nonprofits, including an NGO back home in South Africa, where this all began. Now I get to help you build yours.

African Roots

Growing up in South Africa, daily life was simple. An exciting albeit tumultuous time for the country, electric with fear of the unknown. Yet days formed around simple needs, simple joys.

Our age old, natural instincts have always been clear - we anchor during the storm, embrace life and beauty, despite the waves.

Indigenous cultures have lived this way since the beginning, when daily life meant survival amidst nature's chaos. Tuning in to instinct, connecting to the land.

Building structure in their daily lives, developing routines and methods to nurture well-being, to unify the tribe and minimize suffering.

Shaping their environments to thrive.