Jennifer Garner commissioned Serena and Lily to create "a space, chic and comfortable and not overly babyish but still sweet" for her baby Violet's nursery. The success of Serena and Lily is largely a product of the combination of their individual strengths. Lily Kanter's one-time employer, Bill Gates, once gave her the Chairman's Award for creating the first Microsoft flagship store. She and Serena Dugan, once a freelance artist for Pottery Barn Kids, started Serena and Lily in 2003.