Lexi Davidson is the voice behind Lexi’s Clean Kitchen (soon to be Lexi’s Clean Living), the go-to food & lifestyle blog for clean and delicious recipes that shows readers that living a healthy lifestyle can be simple, fun and above all satisfying.
We recently teamed up with Lexi at Room & Board Boston to help her create a cozy modern office for her growing team. Read on to learn more and see the colorful space.
Shop this look: Parsons desk, Tenley office chairs, Sequence rug, Otto Freundlich serigraphs, Sur bowl
We first met you at Room & Board Boston when you lead a conversation with Teri Turner during her No Crumbs Left book tour. Tell us about that experience.
Oh I loved that night so much. For one, I had never met the amazing Room & Board crew (who are truly some of the kindest people around), and I had not yet been to the Room & Board Boston store (guilty)! That alone was fun and I wanted to take home everything, haha.
Secondly, Teri is a true gem of a person in every sense of the word. She just lifts you up! We had a lot of fun. Teri and her team and everyone in the audience were just so awesome, engaged and excited to be there. We had amazing conversations both on stage and afterwards privately, and it was a total blast!
Shop this look: Custom Berin sleeper sofa, Velvet pillow
What sparked your interest in cooking?
I have ALWAYS loved to cook. As soon as I was tall enough to reach the counter, I loved being in the kitchen and helping my mom prepare dinner. During my art career in college, my work subconsciously evolved around food (seriously, I only painted candy for a long time). Simply put, food was always my thing. And it still is today.
It wasn’t until after graduate school when I started thinking more intentionally about diet and exercise, and paying closer attention to how I was feeling—physically, emotionally, and mentally. I began to exercise more regularly, but my gastrointestinal issues were worse than ever and started affecting my daily life. I didn’t want to go out or do things because I was so bloated and felt sick all of the time. I’ll spare you the details, but it was escalating and something needed to change.
At that point, I learned the ailments I was experiencing were gut related, so I decided to research foods that cause inflammation and prevent proper digestion. I decided to cut out gluten and dairy. Guess what? Fairly instantly, I started feeling pretty good. Not amazing, but I began seeing improvements across the board. I slowly began to eliminate other trigger foods from my diet, such as grains, soy and refined sugars. From that point on I started to see a dramatic change in my health. I began working with the right doctors to get to the bottom of the issues, I was going to the bathroom regularly, I wasn’t bloated all of the time, I was feeling confident in my body and I started having more energy.
Shop this look: Beam bookcase, Saco utensil holders
When did you decide to launch your blog Lexi’s Clean Kitchen?
Once I started to feel better and had more energy, I became more creative in the kitchen, excited to make delicious meals with the clean ingredients to fuel my body. I began to realize there were likely many people out there struggling to heal various ailments or just wanting to be healthier, which I’d come to realize could be done through eating real food. This motivated me to reach out and share my clean eating experiences, hoping they could be help to others. Lexi’s Clean Kitchen evolved from there! It is a place where I can help others create an approachable and realistic cleaner lifestyle, create and test delicious recipes, share cleaner and safer products, and interact with readers on a daily basis. I couldn’t be happier and more grateful for this little corner of the Internet that I have since built.
Shop this look: Sequence rug
How do you relax and unwind at home?
I love this question, because honestly sometimes as an entrepreneur it can feel hard to unwind! I call myself an extroverted introvert, because as much as I thrive in a crowd, nothing speaks to me more than being home. A relaxing night where I unwind can look like either…a night binge watching a good show, lighting a fire (in the winter), and putting my phone away and being present with my husband. It can also look like: Making a really yummy dinner, having a glass of wine or a big mug of tea, and diving into a good book!
Shop this look:Custom Berin sleeper sofa, Velvet pillow, Infinity round mirror, Slim c-table
What was most important to you in creating a productive office space?
Before going into the design meeting in Boston, there were a few things I knew I wanted for a productive space for us to work in:
- A cozy modern space where we could all work together, even as our team grows.
- A separate photographing station area with prop shelves, so we could see everything we have.
- It was important to me to have a cozy nook to chill and work when we’ve been at the desk for just too long!
- I wanted pops of color and of course, some greenery with plants!
Overall, I wanted a practical design that we have room to grow into and add to, as we need. It needed to feel like a clean space we could be productive in!
Shop this look: Sur bowl
Having your own business and working from home can be challenging. How do you balance your work life and personal life?
Honestly, I struggled with this for a long time! I always thought, wow working from home–COOL! But it really is more challenging than the fun thought of working in pajamas on the couch all day. After years of working from home, I set some clear boundaries that has not only helped with work/life balance, but also better quality sleep! It looks a lot like scheduling things that would in general require me being on at night, phone restrictions past a certain time, and constantly reminding myself to be in the moment and that not everything has to be documented! It’s helped tremendously.
Shop this look: Custom Berin sleeper sofa, Velvet pillow, Infinity round mirror, Slim c-table
When you’re not in the kitchen, how do you like to spend your time?
When I’m not running the business, there is nothing I love more than time with family, friends, and my pups. Eating good food, entertaining, diving into a great novel, watching some good (or debatably good) TV and having lots and lots of laughs!
Shop this look: Custom Berin sleeper sofa, Velvet pillow, Infinity round mirror
With the holiday season quickly approaching, do you have a favorite meal to make for family and friends?
Oh that’s a tough one. In terms of holidays, I am a really big FRIENDSGIVING fan; with all the traditional Thanksgiving eats. But you’ll also find me having a latke party, and hosting many football Sunday game days. Any excuse to entertain, really! As for just having family or friends over for dinner, I always default to either taco night (you can’t go wrong), or a classic like Nanny’s Potted Chicken in my cookbook with tons of veggie sides!
Shop this look: Beam bookcase, Saco utensil holders
What staples do you keep stocked in your pantry?
I’ll do you one better and share the pantry staples guide from my cookbook! Download it (free of course) here. It’s not my most basic list, but it’s pretty comprehensive!
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What’s your guilty pleasure food item?
I don’t really consider it guilty because I am fine indulging but definitely gluten-free pizzas, nachos, and some sort of REALLY epic dessert! Does 3 count? Lol!
Photos by Kristin Chalmers Photography
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