December 16, 2024
People, Home & Real Estate, Lifestyle,
The soft glow of a candle flickers across a table set with fresh flowers; warm light reflects off a sleek, matte-finish Dutch oven in the center. Its delicate light blue hue is both modern and nostalgic, effortlessly blending into a curated mix of vintage and contemporary decor.
This coalescing of cool tones, a burning flame and light floral scents fosters a sense of peace and serenity, creating a space that feels both inviting and timeless.
This scene—brought to life with pieces from Paige Lorenze’s brands Dairy Boy and American Charm—perfectly captures Lorenze's goal.
“Making your home feel beautiful is one of the most important things in self-care that you can do,” Lorenze tells Modern Luxury. The lifestyle influencer and entrepreneur is on a mission to help women create beautiful spaces that empower and inspire.
For Lorenze, creating an inviting and aesthetically pleasing home isn’t just about appearances; it’s about how the space influences her mindset. Walking into a room with thoughtfully chosen decor, lighting and accents brings her a sense of confidence and calmness.
Beyond her own experience, Lorenze sees homemaking as an opportunity to create an environment where others feel welcome and cared for. She believes that a beautifully curated home fosters connection, making loved ones feel at ease and bringing people together in meaningful ways.
This philosophy is the foundation of her work and a reflection of her own journey toward building an intentional life.
Founder of Dairy Boy and American Charm, Lorenze has turned her passion for homemaking into a growing business empire. Her purpose is simple but important: to empower women through homeware and lifestyle design, encouraging them to romanticize their spaces and celebrate the everyday moments that make life special.
Dairy Boy offers denim, clothing and accessories that reflect Lorenze’s New England roots, while American Charm is an extension of Dairy Boy, focusing on home goods like bedding and kitchenware that embody Lorenze’s passion for homemaking. Its latest collection dropped on Nov. 17 and features bedding inspired by her Connecticut cottage with cozy fabrics and nature-inspired prints.
Her path to entrepreneurship ultimately has roots in her youth. Growing up in Vermont, Lorenze spent her formative years immersed in competitive sports, including skiing. These experiences shaped her disciplined work ethic, ability to adapt to challenges and creative outlook on life.
“Being an athlete taught me so much about resilience and focus,” Lorenze explains. “Those lessons are still with me every day as I build my business.”
Her journey into the world of social media began in early 2020 when she started sharing glimpses of her life on YouTube. Lorenze used the platform to document her experiences, and her candid personality and eye for detail quickly resonated with viewers. As her audience grew, Lorenze expanded her content to cover lifestyle, fashion and home decor.
Her ability to connect authentically with her followers set her apart in the crowded influencer space. With a combined following of nearly 1.5 million on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, she often shares her love for vintage clothing, table-scaping and creating cozy spaces—a passion that would later inspire her entrepreneurial ventures.
From her days on the slopes to her current role as a female entrepreneur, Lorenze has carved her own path, rejecting fleeting trends in favor of creating something long-lasting and deeply personal. Her new collection of kitchenware and bedding reflects her belief in the transformative power of beautiful, functional spaces.
“I’ve always been inspired by mountain towns and their cozy, timeless feel,” she says. “Modern homes with antique furniture inspire my products; the mix of old and new is what makes something feel special and timeless.”
For Lorenze, homemaking is much more than a chore; it’s an act of empowerment and self-expression. Her brands are designed to help women see their homes as a reflection of their personal style and a sanctuary for self-care. “So many women are responsible for making homes feel beautiful, and I wanted to celebrate that,” she explains. “We think about face masks or getting a facial as self-care, but I think investing in your home and making it beautiful is just as important.”
Her new kitchenware and sheet collections embody this philosophy. The Dutch oven, with its elegant matte finish and light blue color, combines practicality with aesthetic appeal. Meanwhile, the bedding collection offers high-quality, affordable options for women looking to elevate their daily routines. “I want girls, whether they’re 18 or 27, to romanticize their space and make it feel beautiful while encouraging them to cook and create at home,” Lorenze says.
One of Lorenze’s most memorable moments as a homeowner was hosting her first Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago. Surrounded by family in her new home, she experienced the fulfillment of her dreams. “It was a full-circle moment,” she recalls. “Everything I’ve worked for has been about creating moments like this with my loved ones.”
Her passion for hosting is evident in her designs and philosophy. From curating the perfect playlist to choosing the right lighting and flowers, Lorenze sees hosting as a creative and fulfilling activity. “Hosting is more than just setting a table. It’s creating moments that make people feel at home.”
Lorenze’s approach to brand building is profoundly heartfelt and rooted in fostering connection and nostalgia. Each product she creates, from a timeless glass tumbler to a charming camo sweatshirt, is designed to evoke a sense of belonging.
Pop-up events have been pivotal for Lorenze. “Meeting my customers in person through pop-ups made me realize how supported and connected I truly am; it’s everything to me,” she says.
Through social media and recipes posted on her platforms, Lorenze has fostered a community that celebrates creativity and shared experiences. She shares recipes and glimpses of her own life that invite her followers to join the journey, whether it’s preparing a cozy meal in her Connecticut cottage, showing behind the scenes of her brands or sharing clips from her boyfriend’s tennis matches. Her usual videos capture her daily routines, home updates and favorite beauty products, often blending personal anecdotes with practical advice. On Instagram, Lorenze invites her followers to enjoy snapshots of her life, cooking ideas and products. Through these interactions, she has created a space where creativity and inspiration thrive.
Building and scaling a lifestyle brand hasn’t been without its challenges. From managing inventory to planning collections months in advance, Lorenze has navigated the complexities of running a growing business while maintaining her brand’s authenticity. Despite these hurdles, she views them as opportunities to grow and inspire others.
Her creative process is as intentional as it is inspired, reflecting her dedication to producing items that deeply resonate with her customers. She describes herself as a highly visual person who draws inspiration from a mix of personal taste, nostalgic memories and a keen awareness of what her audience loves.
“I’ve always been an idea person, but streamlining those ideas into a cohesive product can be a challenge,” she admits. Lorenze begins every product by envisioning what she personally would want in her home. Her intuition and emotional connection to her designs guide much of her work. The process from concept to product launch is far from quick. Designing and producing items requires months of planning, prototyping and fine-tuning. “I'm working on summer collections in December,” Lorenze says, emphasizing how far ahead she has to think to ensure her products meet her vision, as well as her consumers' needs. Her ability to merge her artistic vision with the demands of running a business is a testament to her creativity and ambition. By staying true to her personal taste and closely listening to her community, she has created products that not only look beautiful, but also carry a deeper meaning.
The blossoming businesswoman is also passionate about empowering aspiring female entrepreneurs, encouraging them to take the leap and pursue their own ventures. “You don’t need massive investment. Just start and learn as you grow,” she advises. “The ability to create a direct-to-consumer brand is one of the most empowering things for women today.” By sharing her journey, she hopes to illustrate the entrepreneurial process and show that success is attainable, even without a traditional business background or major investor.
Lorenze envisions Dairy Boy and American Charm as deeply intertwined, each complementing the other while maintaining its own unique focus. While Dairy Boy encapsulates her overarching lifestyle brand—blending fashion, nostalgia and function—American Charm serves as its natural extension, dedicated exclusively to home goods. Together, the brands allow consumers to create a holistic representation of Lorenze’s philosophy in their own lives. “American Charm is an arm’s length away from Dairy Boy,” she explains. I want these brands to feel like love letters to each other.”
Lorenze is excited to expand her offerings into hosting-focused products like table-scapes, vases and cutlery. She sees these items as essential tools for creating meaningful connections around the dinner table.
She also dreams of opening flagship stores to provide customers with immersive brand experiences. “I want people to be able to touch and feel the products in person. It’s such an important part of connection with our community,” she says, ultimately hoping to build a heritage lifestyle brand that celebrates women, home and self-care for generations to come.
“Everything I do is about helping women create spaces that inspire and empower.”
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