Dear Alice | Rachel Parcell's Nursery
/This week’s episode is all about Rachel Parcell, her incredible lifestyle, and her new nursery! This week’s episode can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcast.
JESSICA BENNET (JB): Hello everyone and welcome to Dear Alice. We are on location today. Tell ‘em where we’re at, Sue.
SUZANNE HALL (SH): We are in the fabulous library of Rachel Parcell - one of our favorite clients. It’s lovely and we’re so lucky to be here. I’m so jazzed. I love this room.
JB: And we’re here because we have the fabulous Rachel Parcell with us today. Welcome, Rachel.
RACHEL PARCELL (RP): Thanks for having me.
JB: For those of you who don’t know Rachel (who have been living under a rock), she is a blogger, an influencer, and social media phenomenon. She is best known for her Pink Peonies blog and has a successful line of dresses at Nordstrom, and she has over 1M followers on Instagram. Her clothing line curates chic and romantic inspiration for wardrobe. She has pajama and loungewear sets, ‘mommy & me’ looks, and occasion dresses.
She is also a Mother to 3 beautiful children. And her husband is a talented custom home builder. And, I’d say, entrepreneur. Rachel’s Instagram handles (if you don’t already have a visual on her) are @RachelParcell - clothing, dresses, home decor and @RachParcell - family, travel, home, and fashion. Her website is RachelParcell.com. And we get a lot of questions about Rachel, so we’re just super excited to have Rachel and to able to share. Let’s launch into it.
SH: Okay, we have a bunch of questions that we’ve been gathering from our team and audience and I think the thing that most people want to know is - What does a day in the life of Rachel Parcell look like (because I know you’re busy)?
RP: Oh my goodness. I feel like my day in the life is different every day. As you witnessed me trying to get here, I feel like it’s crazy running from one thing to the next. Every day, literally. Trying to run 2 businesses and keep up with kid’s activities and workouts and all of the things. So, I feel like it’s different every day. I feel like I’m running from one thing to the next - constantly.
JB: And you’re designing a whole line of dresses. How do you fit in work? Do you have certain hours where your folks know that they can corral you? Or is it just certain days of the week that are more office days and then days of the week that are more home days?
RP: Yes. So, Mondays I go into the office and I meet with my team and I really try to get through their questions that they have for me. We also have a team in New York. Most of our design and production team is in New York, so there are a ton of Skype and Zoom calls throughout the week.
When my kids are in school, I feel like I have a much more balanced life because I send them off to school and then I just focus and get the work done. And then I finish up before they are done with school and run all their carpools. I like to be super involved. But, in the summertime, I feel like I’m on a conference call while I’m doing dance carpool so that I can see the choreography and work with her on it. I don’t want to miss out and I think I drive my team crazy, but I try to schedule work calls around my kids’ busy summer schedule. I’m secretly excited for school to start again so that I have that block of time to get work done.
SH: Wasn’t there a meme once that was like “In the summertime, I’m half the woman I once was” . Seriously, we’re so stretched.
RP: Yeah, as a kid the summers are easy and fun. But, as a mom, I am just going, going, going.
SH: Yeah, it’s so true.
JB: Well, at least you won’t have any regrets though. At least you get to see them grow up.
RP: I love it and that’s why I schedule things around their activities because I know that I only have them for a limited amount of time. So, I’m like, “Sorry guys…move the conference call. I have a soccer game right now.”
SH: I love that. So, how did you get into Interior Design? Where did the love for Interior Design spring from?
RP: When I was a Junior in High School, I needed a few more electives, so I took an Interior Design class. This is where I discovered Elle Decor magazine - we had stacks of them in our classroom. When we would create mood boards or collages for projects we were working on, I would pull everything from Elle Decor because it felt so much more elevated. And then I discovered Arch Digest. There wasn’t Pinterest when I was younger, so this was the way that I discovered how other people lived (besides going over to your friend’s house). I’ve always been very intrigued by people watching, so I would get a look inside celebrity homes or homes in Nashville, New York, or LA. And then I would sketch out what I wanted my own dream home and floorplan and what I wanted. It was through those magazines that I fell in love with design.
Pinterest was fun because it was a whole other layer. hen you got to see more everyday people and what they were doing with their homes and making it unique.
JB: That’s a great answer. When we began working with you, you had an idea of what you wanted and you would let your feelings guide you. You would say, "I have to get the feels.” Right? And even when you saw this exterior which it was a portion of a home, it gave you a feeling - you had to build. Even though you had a really beautiful home at the time, you knew there was another home inside you. I feel like you let your gut guide you, which is a true guiding principle.
RP: Yeah. Drew and I always say, “That home gives me the feeling,” or “That room gives me the feeling.” When we go to the Parade of Homes or look through a magazine, certain ones give us the feeling. So, when I was designing rooms in my house, it was important that each one gave me the feeling.
SH: I feel like that’s so important and something that we try to stress on the podcast and with our clients. Find your style. Trust your gut.
JB: So, why Alice Lane?
RP: When I was in college, I would drive past Alice Lane and it would give me the feeling. I wanted to know what was inside the store because it was so beautiful. I needed to go in. So, as a poor college student, I walked in and wanted some bedding. I looked at the price tag and was like, “Oh, never mind!” It was out of my poor college student budget. But, I decided that one day, I wanted everything in this shop.
My in-laws live in a beautiful gated community and you helped with a home in their neighborhood. It got published in French Country Magazine.
I was flipping through and saw that Alice Lane had helped with the decor, so I started following your blog and social media. As I could afford it, I would go in and buy one piece at a time. The first space that you designed for me was my closet in my previous home. I just fell in love with your aesthetic and how you curated pieces from different designers.
JB: I remember that we came up to your previous home - even before that - do you remember our first meeting? We were going to do a closet there and you guys were like, “Wait…I think we’re going to build a whole new house.”
RP: Well, when you’re married to a builder…It’s funny. Every time I go to you guys to design something, my husband will just start looking for a new lot to build again.
JB: She’s so lucky!
RP: We bought a lot in American Fork and built. The market went up and we didn’t have any kids, so we decided to sell and build again. With this next house, we wanted to change a few things in the kitchen, so Drew said, “Let’s just go lot shopping again”. We found this one and you guys have been designing it from the ground-up.
SH: How cool. High five, Drew!
JB: I feel like when you give a TED talk one day, Rachel, it should be on manifesting. Because you really do have this idea about yourself from when you were a Junior, in college.
RP: I was such a daydreamer when I was younger - in math class or church. And then later there was this moment when I was older and getting into my car with 2 kids and it hit me that “I literally daydreamed about this moment.” When I was younger, I cut my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, which was fun. But, then I couldn’t get my hair to grow. I would imagine myself with this long hair, slicked back ponytail, shoes with the red bottoms (I didn’t even know what they were). I had little kids and a beautiful home. I manifested it.
JB: Daydream, ladies and gentlemen. Let your kids listen to this podcast. I think that’s really powerful. And, I’d love to actually talk to your mom about you as a kid. That would be really fun.
RP: Visualize your life.
JB: Do you feel like fashion and interior design go hand-in-hand?
RP: It’s fun. For my fashion line, we’re subscribed to WGSN - all the trend reports. They’re forecasting a year or two out and what’s trending with clothing also translates into interior design. Color palettes. Moods.
My lifestyle with Interior Design is Transitional. I love the Traditional side of it, but I also love to add in more modern pieces. I do the same thing with what I’m wearing. I love those pieces and then add in a little edge or twist to make it more modern.
JB: I think the palette of your home is something that you would wear. I see it in your dresses and notice that connection.
SH: There’s a real timelessness to it. It’s rooted in tradition, it won’t go out of style. It’s fresh - doesn’t feel stodgy.
JB: We’re using the word ‘trend’ for the reports that you’re following. But, your dresses aren’t trendy. They’re trending.
RP: Yeah, very timeless and romantic and classic, which could be said for so many rooms in my home. I’m definitely drawn to I light colors. I have dark hair, so I like to wear light colors for the contrast. You guys pushed me to go darker in the library, which I’m so grateful for. I like everything light and airy. I’m drawn to light colors so I don’t lose my hair.
SH: That’s so interesting. Jess and I are both blondes. I can’t wear light colors.
RP: My sister is blonde and I always tell her, “wear the black”.
SH: That’s something we always ask our clients (we probably asked you), “What’s your favorite piece in your closet?” What we’re comfortable wearing is how we should design our home and what colors you should use. That’s your cue, people.
RP: Yeah, I remember that you guys came in and looked at my closet and what I wore to get a sense for my style.
JB: We usually do that. Sometimes people have a hard time finding their voice on what they want. If we can look at other buying decisions that they’ve made, it helps us know what to do.
SH: Yeah. What gives you the feels. What ignites you.
JB: How would you advise people to find their own personal style. It’s easy to get lost with all the crowdsourcing and influencers. You’re obviously a thought-leader in this industry, so how do you advise others to find their style?
RP: I think you have to understand to appreciate something is beautiful and love it, but know when not to use it. Once you decide on a style that you love for the exterior, run with it. I see homes with Modern, Traditional, and Coastal all on one home. I think you can appreciate the styles, but don’t go for them all or else it will look hodgepodge. For my home’s exterior, I love Coastal and Drew loves Modern, so we needed to pick a style and go for it. We wanted to create something that looked like it had been here for a long time that had been updated and has a true style to it. I trusted that and went all-in. These other styles are just as beautiful, but don’t let them cloud your decisions.
SH: It’s so cool. That base layer is so important. You don’t want to mix Modern and Traditional on the base layer. You can layer it in with modern art and clean it up with the top layers as long as the base layer is consistent.
RP: I wanted my home to feel really warm and inviting, so I tried to let that guide me.
JB: What’s your favorite part of the design process?
RP: I would say 2 parts. First, gathering the inspiration for the room. And then watching it come to life in the build stages.
JB: Just while we’re talking about this, we want to point out that Rachel is really involved in the design process. She really sits in on every piece and detail. This isn’t something we did FOR her. She was doing it along with us.
SH: Yeah, it has soul. You can feel YOU in the design.
JB: How was it working with your husband, Drew, as the builder?
RP: I mean…I thought it was great. He might not say the same. Haha! We’re a good team. We’re super creative and we love doing projects together. I have the ideas and he executes it. But, also with him being the builder, I’ll say, “Why didn’t the railing get on today?” and he’s like, “We had to build it piece-by-piece.”
We’re not going to move again for a while, but we’re already gathering inspiration to save and picture our lives for the next 10-15 years.
JB: We were going to ask you that, actually. Is this your forever home or is there another home in you?
RP: There’s another house.
JB: Your view!
RP: That’s the thing that we keep coming back to. We’ve looked at other property, but nothing beats this view.
JB: Rachel lives in a setting that looks like the Swiss Alps. It’s the most beautiful, stunning setting. You have an unobstructed 360 degree view.
RP: It will be hard to replace this property, so who knows?
JB: People want to know - how do you live your lifestyle with children and a dog in this beautiful home?
RP: We have a sofa that’s off-white and light. People will say, “How do you have a dog with kids?!” or “How do you have trinkets everywhere?” But, when you live in it, they are intrigued for a second and then get used to it. I feel like your home is the backdrop to your life. There may be fingerprints and dog hair, but you have to live in your home. It can’t be perfect all the time. My little boy got lipstick all over my ottoman. It’s totally ruined. We tried to get it out and couldn’t. But, it’s lived in. That’s his little signature on our ottoman.
JB: I like that you’re saying this because so many people will say, “We can’t have nice things. We have little kids.” I love that you’re saying, “No, you can.” It’s your life and eventually the nice things are normal to your kids and it’s not going to be so intriguing.
RP: And honestly, they are just things. It doesn’t need to look perfect all the time.
JB: We tried really hard in the design process to give you fibers that were buoyant and could live through things. Her sofa is a fabric that’s hydrophobic. You can pour Diet Coke on it.
RP: Yeah, we did the Diet Coke test in the conference room.
JB: Yeah, and you just put a paper towel near it and it soaks the liquid up. It looks like a linen. It looks incredible, but it’s bombproof. We tried really hard to give you the look, but make sure it would withstand kids and dogs. We didn’t want to give you a brown sofa. That wouldn’t work with your lifestyle.
SH: Yeah, your hair would disappear.
RP: Another thing I loved when we were designing our Family Room were some options. You gave me 3 options for the rug - a really expensive hand-knotted rug and a less expensive $600 Magnolia option that we ended up choosing. I’m glad because about 3 months after we moved in. Bear snuck off with my food coloring when I was making sugar cookies.
I thought, “It’s a little too quiet" and then I saw Bear under the coffee table. At least he picked the right color. He picked blue and the rug is blue. But, it’s there and you can see it. It’s just a $600 rug and I’ll have to replace it, but it’s a choice I’m glad I made.
Rachel Parcell Master Bedroom
JB: Now that you’ve lived in the space, what’s your favorite room and why?
RP: I would probably say my bedroom. We spend a lot of time in there as a family. My kids shower in my bathroom, get ready in my bathroom.
SH: Can you blame them? It’s really good.
RP: We spend a lot of time in the bedroom. It’s so serene. I love the wallpaper and that fireplace. That mantle. Staring at that every night. It’s my safe space. It’s where I go to unwind and decompress. I love it.
SH: I think that’s a really good cue because you knew that. You knew that you would need a lot of space in your Master. You do have a very gracious sized Master, but you live in there. You knew that’s where your kids would gravitate.
RP: At night, my kids come down into my room and into bed. Drew will move them over to the sofa. When we were designing, you gave me those living spaces in that room so that we could really live in there.
Rachel Parcell’s Nursery Reveal
Rachel wanted a space that was "elegant and versatile". Our team worked with Rachel (and Ford!) to create a space that embodied softness and sophistication, while still providing the functionality of a nursery.
JB: Okay, let’s talk about the nursery. It’s brand new. How have you liked it?
RP: I love it. I gave you guys a challenge because I said that I didn’t want to do anything to the walls - no wallpaper or paint. I just wanted it to be really neutral because I wanted it to be my nursery. We’re going to have one more and we don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl. I didn’t want this expensive wallpaper and be stuck with it. You guys did a good job with the limitations I put on you. I wanted this one to feel light and airy and serene. And I think you guys totally captured that.
JB: Yeah, it’s so peaceful. I love that room. Everyone is so excited to see it.
SH: Does he sleep in it?
RP: He loves it. He’s my only child that is easy to put to bed and stays in bed.
JB: Do you have a favorite part?
RP: I love that ottoman. I use it all the time for changing his diaper or getting him dressed. And then my kids will pull it over to the crib to get him out. Isla Rose uses it as a stepstool. And then I love the rug. It was the perfect color to add because the drapery and walls are neutral, so it grounds it. That grey-blue rug is a good color and adds a beautiful layer.
JB: The ottoman was a really good trick. We’ve never done that before. You need one of those ottomans in your nursery.
SH: They’re so nice. They roll around. Little Isla Rose. She’s right here. Little mommy me.
Pippa Ottoman
Versatile and neutral, the Pippa Ottoman easily styles into a variety of rooms. Its wide, rounded form is complemented with its textured fabric and set on solid wood legs.
JB: Let’s talk about the Mud Hall. It’s probably one of the best we’ve ever seen.
SH: And you had so many interesting requests. We’ve never done a dog bath. How did you come up with that?
RP: Dash, our dog, is a family member. He’s an English Lab (not American). People think he’s overweight, but he’s English Lab and they are huskier.
SH: I wish you guys could feel this scene right now. We’re in the beautiful library. Dash is sprawled out on the floor. Isla Rose is in here.
Podcast Recording
Recorded live in Rachel Parcell’s Library.
Isla Rose (daughter) and Dash (family dog) were a part of the charm!
RP: Yeah, we put that dog bed at the base of the sofa in the family room, but Dash makes himself comfortable on the sofa and in our bed. He’s a person in our family. So, he needs a shower. We live in the mountains, so he trots off and gets his paws muddy. Honestly, sometimes we throw the kids in there too. After they swim, it’s a quick bath.
JB: It’s the mud hall of all mud halls. There are so many amazing lockers. A bench to sit at. A hat display.
SH: I love your hat display! It’s so beautiful!
RP: I love that lamp you added. In the evening, when all the lights are turned off, but the lamp is on. It’s a moment. I can see from my kitchen into the mud hall. That moment gives me the feels.
SH: Nancy Meyers moment!
JB: And I feel like the mud hall is your entry. You park in your garage and enter through the mud hall, so it should be beautiful. It’s how you feel, so it should be beautiful.
RP: And the vintage rugs that you guys layered in. I would have thought that it would have been one rug or the same pattern. But that just brought so much warmth and makes it feels collected. Again, a Nancy Meyers feel.
JB: What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you, Rachel Parcell.
RP: Well, I feel that (and I hate this word) Influencers and Bloggers are coined as always having to be perfect and ready. i’m literally sitting here - sweaty from my workout, no makeup on, hair in a bun. That’s what I look like most days.
I feel like Instagram Stories has given people a chance to get a look at my real life. I talk about probably too much on my Instagram.
JB: I feel like you are super real. We know you in real life and I see you on Instagram and you’re the same person. I feel like, what you see is what you get.
SH: We love that vulnerability too. She’s the real deal, guys.
JB: Okay, so 2 last questions. What projects are you working on next? And how would you define luxury?
RP: Our next project (with you guys…I’m so excited) is our basement. We’re starting construction on our basement. Drew and I are working on that together. For a second, I was like “I’ll just tell you what to do and we can just get it done.” And then, I was trying to tell him where art light and sconces should go. He asked me about the height. That’s when I knew i had to call Jessica and bring Alice Lane on.
We’re finishing construction on the basement and then moving to the living room. I’m so excited about the living room because it’s sat vacant for almost 2 years and it’s right in the middle of my home. So, I’m excited to get that room filled up and finish off the main level.
JB: Just so you guys know, Rachel is always having events and parties, so that room has been a makeshift ballroom. It’s transformed into whatever she needs it to be. So, setting down furniture means that she’ll be embracing it and using it as a new room.
RP: I know, I’ve done product photo shoots for my clothing line. Drew threw me a magical 30th Birthday Party in there. So, having it sit empty has meant using it a lot of different ways.
JB: Your basement can be the new party lair.
RP: And if I need to throw a party, I’ll just make Drew move all the furniture out of there.
JB: And he would. We love Drew Parcell. He’s the best.
SH: Never has there been a nicer builder.
JB: Okay, how would you define luxury?
RP: Well, I loved what you said about the designer…
JB: Oh, Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Yes!
RP: I love what he said about using his special pieces in every day moments. I have girlfriends who are like, “How can you always have your Hermes blanket out? Or how can you use that fancy bag?” But, if I’m going to spend the money, I’m going to use it. I’m not going to let it sit in a box. I think every day moments feel beautiful. Give my kids the feels. And the people that come into my house.
JB: I love that answer. And I think sitting here in this beautiful library is a luxury. Any moment in your home is a luxury. Thank you so much for your time. We know how busy you are and how much our listeners are going to enjoy hearing about your lifestyle. Thank you for joining us.
RP: Thank you for having me!
Any questions or podcast ideas? Email us at dearalice@alicelanehome.com