Runways to Rooms: Proud Prada
/The patterns in Prada's spring look are perfect for your home! Watch how we turn it into the perfect living room.
And the Light Studies Art Piece for a little pop of red.
The White House
/There's a new man in town—and he's moving into the White House. The White House is the most iconic piece of architecture in American history. Because we draw so much inspiration from it, and in honor of the upcoming inauguration, we thought we would look into the White House history.
The White House was originally designed for a contest held by Congress in 1790. They wanted to see who would be able to design the best home for the President of the United States. No pressure, right. Irish-born architect James Hoban won, and the current White House looks very similar to what was first constructed.
During the War of 1812, the building was set on fire by the British. President James Madison oversaw the reconstruction, but refused to tear down the original walls of the building. After the reconstruction, President James Monroe decorated the interiors with elegant gilded French furniture, much of which remains in the White House today.
When President Theodore Roosevelt came to live in the White House with his large family, he realized the need for expansion. He oversaw the addition of the West Wing, where he moved his presidential office and the cabinet room. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt would oversee the addition of the East Wing.
President Harry Truman renovated the entire building in the 1950s to ensure structural integrity. Like President Madison, he refused to tear down the white walls that Hoban had built 150 years previously.
No major architectural changes have been made since FDR, but each President and his family make plenty of changes to the interiors to reflect the style of the time.
Now, the White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 residence levels, as well as 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. It also has a movie theater, swimming pool, jogging track and a bowling alley! Talk about the perfect place to live.
Hoban's original construction remains in place today after nearly 230 years. And in spite of this symbol's many renovations, the United States White House has always remained just that: white.
Lakeside Loft Parade Home
/White ship lap walls, large grid windows, reclaimed wood accents...that's what we picture when dreaming of a lake house. It's not everyday you get the chance to design such a home here in the Salt Lake Valley. So, you can imagine our excitement when we received the opportunity to not only design a home along the beautiful shores of Oquirrh Lake in Daybreak, UT, but also a home that would be featured in this years 2015 Salt Lake Parade of Homes. A rare and exciting opportunity indeed! Just weeks away from its debut, Destination Homes is working hard to bring our designs to life! While you wait in anticipation, we want to share with you some of our inspiration and what you can expect to see and feel in the Lakeside Loft.
We want people to feel like they're in a space where they can relax and really take in the amazing lake views that this loft has to offer. When you walk through the front doors, you'll feel a peaceful energy in the home. We've designed the entrance to be light, bright, and airy. White ship laps walls will surround the entryway and move up the stairway into the loft's living space. Needless to say, it will be a staple in this lake house design.
We'll extend that light color palette throughout the home to help achieve that lake-side feel we're looking for. It's always a good idea to keep the bones of the home neutral. This allows for the rest of your furnishings and accessories to really pop and make your space your own. One design trick we'll be using in this home is to float the furniture away from the walls, giving the illusion that the loft is much larger than it actually is.
From the very beginning of the design process, we made sure to make the lake the focal point in the home. The lake is so beautiful and really gives that feeling of relaxation that those feelings should extend into the home as well. We've brought a lot of greenery into our design to achieve this. You'll seamlessly be able to flow from the outdoors to indoors. Are you getting excited yet?
Stay tuned for more updates and sneak peeks of the Lakeside Loft over the next few weeks! We can't wait to show you how our vision comes to life! You can also find out more about the Lakeside Loft here.
Thom Filicia Book Signing at Alice Lane
/We have big big news people!!! Thom Filicia, a renowned interior designer and good friend of ours, will be coming for a book signing event at our Salt Lake store on March 25. Mark your calendars because this is exciting stuff and you do NOT want to miss out. If you haven't checked out his latest book, American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat, you need to. It is beautiful! It's one of those books that makes you literally want to jump into the pages. I mean, just look at that entry setting below. If you don't have a copy of his book, don't worry. You can pick one up at the event that night, Oh...and personally have it signed by Thom, too.
We first met Thom at market years ago and he is the best. Not just the best when it comes to interior design, but one of the best human beings we've ever met. He can instantly make a complete stranger feel like he's known them for a hundred years. That's why we're so excited our customers and the local Utah design community have this opportunity to meet him, too.
We have a shipment of pieces from his latest home furnishings collections on it's way to our store RIGHT NOW! So, you'll also get the chance to chat with Thom about his rugs, sofas, case-goods, artwork, and other pieces from his collection. How cool is that! Hopefully you guys are just as excited as we are. We hope to see you there with your mom, sister, friend, husband, dog...whoever! It's going to be one heck of party.