Community Highlights: Meet Lisa Christine of Vintage Honey Co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Christine.

Hi Lisa , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I think sharing my personal story is often one of the most challenging things for me to do. How much should I share and how much do I want to share because it involves a lot of trauma. Most of the time, I keep my story private; not out of shame, but because there’s been a lot to carry, and I am deeply personal with that part of my life. I was born in Riverside County and have lived in Los Angeles since the fifth grade. Growing up, I moved schools nearly every year until middle school. Life was tumultuous. During my early childhood years, I had both my parents and my brother with me and cherished memories of a life that unfortunately did not remain that way. My parents got divorced at the age of 9 and I went to stay with my mother at first and then my father and then my mother again when she moved up to Reseda in the San Fernando Valley. My father was in my life on and off, mostly seeing him for sparse visits throughout the years. My mother was ill and unable to work, and we struggled financially; even walking to a payphone or ordering a pizza felt like a big moment. There’s more embedded in those years relating to my mother and father, including loss, parental drug abuse, instability, and hard transitions that I’m still processing. What I can share is those early experiences planted something in me: the desire to build a life of stability, safety, and beauty. A life where I could offer more to myself and to a family of my own, if I had one.
Eventually, I felt more like I became a caretaker for my mother, and it became too much for me. I had a nervous breakdown in middle school and shortly after I went to live with my twin aunts in Granada Hills. It was one of the hardest changes of my life, but also one of the most important. They gave me a stable, safe, supported, beautiful space to land, and I’m forever grateful. Their circle of friends embraced me too, and I honestly don’t know where I’d be without all of them. This also led me to meeting my high school crush and future husband, more on that later. Once I graduated high school my mother passed away unexpectedly from heart failure. This was a devastating moment in my life and one that I will never forget. Grief is not linear and contrary to what some say, I believe it comes and goes with us all our lives. Amid all that chaos, there was one steady spark: my love of art and history, especially ancient Egypt. My mother’s shelves were full of books on the subject, and I would sit and pore over them, mesmerized by the images of objects and distant places I longed to understand. That fascination grew into something more enduring, and it’s what eventually led me to the path I’m on now.
I built a career in museum education, working with students across Los Angeles, bringing stories and objects to life. I’ve worked on-site at museums and, in the community, including at the Getty Villa.
In the last five years, something else started to emerge, something quieter, a more personal feeling and desire to create. After marrying my best friend and moving to Rome—where I worked on a program focused on sustainable cultural heritage—I found myself imagining spaces, not exhibits. After returning to Los Angeles and becoming a mother, that creative pull became undeniable.
It started with our home. As I painted and reimagined the space, I felt something in me light up. I realized I loved creating spaces that felt meaningful, layered, and full of story, spaces that offered beauty, comfort, and belonging. That love turned into Vintage Honey Co., a design studio where I now help others create homes that feel personal and alive.
I’ve come to realize that my love for objects, stories, and history has simply taken on a new form. Designing interiors isn’t so different from the work I’ve done in museums. In both, I’m helping people connect more deeply with art, culture, and their own sense of place. And now, as a mother and wife, creating that kind of sanctuary both for my family and for others feels more meaningful than ever.

Looking back, I hold so much of those early years in me to this day, but I also carry so much grace. Amid the trauma, I’ve been incredibly lucky. I was lucky enough to have the kind of aunts and uncles who made me feel seen and safe, whose presence stitched warmth, stability, and love into my childhood. Through them, I found extended family and a cousin who feels like a sister and my other half who has been my safe place, my history keeper, my heart. As an adult, I’ve been blessed beyond words with a husband whose steady presence, kindness, and the way he believes in me has been one of the greatest gifts of my life including our daughter whose curiosity, laughter, and light, reminds me daily of the beauty in this life. I have been given the gift of travel, friendships that have grown deep roots, and work that has challenged and fulfilled me. Life hasn’t been easy, but it has been rich. And as much as I’ve lost or survived, I’ve also been given so much. Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard parts it sits beside them, softening the edges. And I hold both.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My path hasn’t been linear—it’s been layered with setbacks, redirections, and quiet resilience. I had to grow up quickly and carry a lot from an early age. I put myself through college, which is something I’m deeply proud of, even though it took years of hard work and sacrifice. Getting into the museum field wasn’t easy either. It took persistence, flexibility, and a deep love for the work to get to where I am now. Entering into interior design has also been full of its own challenges, learning and growing my business from the ground up takes patience and hours of time I don’t always necessarily have, I always find balancing out my museum work, business, and life as a toddler mom something I am still constantly trying to learn.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Vintage Honey Co. is a boutique interior design studio where story meets space. I specialize in creating artful, layered spaces that feel meaningful, not just curated. My design style blends eclectic vintage and contemporary pieces with timeless classic elements, resulting in homes that feel warm, lived-in, and personal. I don’t follow trends, but I love to follow your story.
What sets Vintage Honey Co. apart is my background in museum education and art history. I’ve spent years helping people connect with art and objects in a deeper way, and that sensibility naturally flows into my design work. Design has always been a kind of personal archeology for me, layering the old with the new, the practical with the poetic. I approach every space like a narrative: What do you want it to say about you? What emotions should it hold? What history can we weave in?
I offer design services for clients who want a space that reflects who they truly are, not just what’s in style. From mood boards and sourcing to full renovations, I work closely with clients to build something that feels soulful, intentional, and grounded in beauty. I also love sharing historical design motifs and cultural references that help people see their homes through a more meaningful lens.
What I’m most proud of is that my brand honors depth. My clients don’t just get a pretty space they get one that tells a story, reflects their values, is functional, and invites them to feel at home in a way that’s personal and enduring and most of all a safe space to feel at peace in.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My best advice for finding a mentor or building connections is to show up, be curious, open, and ready to learn. Every field I’ve ever entered, I did so by seeking out conversations, building relationships, and listening closely to those already doing the work. Volunteering in that field or working as an intern is also a wonderful way to get to know the job and peers.
Joining local organizations, attending events, or even reaching out for coffee chats can be incredibly helpful. These connections have not only shaped my understanding of the field but, in many cases, helped me land opportunities that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Community is everything.

Pricing:

• Based on project scope and range

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vintagehoneyco.com
• Instagram: vintage_honey_co

Image Credits
Nicole Martinez (flower arrangement x2, shelf styling only) , nicolemartinez.co