Lauren Wood was born in 1985 and grew up in Kent. Her mum is a seamstress and her dad is a plumber, and her parents inspired her to get into woodwork. She and her twin sister Lydia were inspired by the TV programme Ground Force to start their own landscaping business in their early teens, mowing lawns and building patios, decking, and sheds.

After completing a degree in Furniture Design and Making at Ryecote Wood in Oxford, Lauren went on to gain a teaching qualification. She then enjoyed a ten-year career as a design and technology teacher, teaching at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in Bexley, and Cornwallis Academy and Maplesden Noakes in Maidstone.

After her wife downloaded an application form and convinced her to apply, Lauren wowed the judges and won the second series of Channel 4’s Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker in 2022. At the time of filming, she also worked for her twin sister’s landscape architecture firm, Hill-Wood & Co, in Maidstone.

Lauren joined The Travelling Auctioneers in January 2025. She lives in Larkfield, Kent, with her wife Martha and their children.