Dear Alice|Q&A with Home Furnishing Design Team | Finding Value in Your Style

This week, we’re discussing home furnishings with two designers from our In Home Design team and celebrating our 100th episode! This week’s episode can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcast.

A few notes:

1. We are not sponsored, affiliates, or getting any kind of commission with any of these mentions or links.

Jess: We are so excited to share our Home Furnishing Design Services team. This team as was born out of a need to help more people. We have a beautiful store in Salt Lake City, Utah but most of the work we are doing is virtually right now for our out of state clients.

This is a team of designers that work specifically on furnishing your home. They will do wall coverings, custom draperies, and even talk you through hanging your chandelier. It really is full service!  

With that we want to introduce Jenna!  

Jenna: Hi! Thank you for having me!

Jess: Of course! Jenna has been with AL for 3 year and was born and raised in Utah. She has a background in window coverings, lighting design, as well as fashion. She designed wedding gowns and has incredible makeup – you should see her face. She is so gorgeous!

Jenna: It’s a necessity. It’s who I am.

Jess: I’ll text Jenna on a Sunday and say, “Tell me how you do your brows.”

Jenna: I tell her – they just are. I can’t help! They just are.

Jess: Jenna knows all things makeup and is such a great a tastemaker – working in fashion and everything else she does - and she has fantastic glasses too!

Jess: And we also have Emily here. Welcome Emily!

 Emily: Thank you!

Jess: Emily started in 2010 at a design firm and has been designing for 11 years now. She is local and specializes in a more contemporary look. She went to Utah State and received her degree in Interior Design and Business. She’s worked with clients in Salt Lake on other projects until she came to Alice Lane. For the last few years, she has helped pioneer the Alice Lane team.

Jess: We are happy to have you both here to break down what your service is and what you’re doing, how you do it virtually, and how long it takes. There’s a lot of questions we’ll answer today!

Q: First up, what sparked creating the Home Furnishing Design Team?

Jenna: There was a need for this missing service. People weren’t necessarily doing their whole home or a new built but needed more than just a chair. They would come into our showroom and ask for help for their entire living room from the ground up except for all the construction was done. They just needed the fun stuff. So, to have a team to help with that and help to make a house and home without having to do a full new build. We started with a team of two and it has quickly grown. We have now have nice team members with plans to grove even more. It’s all very collaborative. You have a point person and will be getting a space that everyone on the team has looked at. It’s very fun and very hands on with our clients.

Emily: That is how we started – we had people who needed help with their homes. We took a few people working in the showroom that had design experience and give them the opportunity to design. The clients and their needs essentially have dictated where we took the service. And it’s become so popular. We have clients all over the US because we’ve figured out a way to do that successfully.

Q: Let’s talk about the clients for a minute. What does a client need to do before they make the call to us?

Emily: Hopefully they have a list of needs. The most important thig is you have one room you need help with. If it’s from the ground up that’s easier but if we need to include some of your existing pieces that’s great too. Some people have things they have inherited from grandparents or have things they’ve collected in travels and that’s good too. There needs to be a need of at least one space or a want to refurnish or a change and start there.

Fill out the form on our website under our Home Furnishing Design tab and someone will call you and tell you what is possible and what we can do for you. Answer questions about your space, budget, and timeline and then expect a call within a few business days.

Jenna: Just like Emily said, if you have any questions at all, fill out the form and we will talk to you about what is realistic about your space and what you can expect from us and what we expect from you in order to work with our team. The other thing I think is important is to have a vision for your home and how you want it to feel and how you want to use your space.

It is tricky sometimes if you have a client that doesn’t necessarily have that clear vision. We are willing and happy to work on that with you and make that clear.  If you don’t have that clear vision, we will still work for you and find that vision.

Emily: It could even be just a feeling that you want too. If your room is dark and damp but you want light and airy we can make that happen for you.

Q: Talk to us about home furnishings design service – what do you offer to clients? Or what is it that you don’t offer?

Jess: It’s really a wholistic experience. You could do an existing powder bath and bring in wall coverings and replace the mirror, fixtures, and hang art. You could do almost every part of it.

Emily: It’s everything but new build and new/remodeled construction. No hard surfaces or cabinetry drawings. But you could do a paint color for cabinets and pull that from the wallpaper to give that feeling Jenna talked about.

Emily: We don’t charge for our service. Our service isn’t to direct what you already have existing. It really is to bring new things into your home. 

Jenna: We’re here to help you shop and help you go through that. There are 100’s of vendors and 1000’s of products within those. We look at that all day. We are furniture encyclopedias and here to help you sift through all of that and present you with those things.

Jess: At Alice Lane we are mix masters to help you get the look. We haven’t been one to use the same brand for the dresser and the nightstands and the bed. We aren’t one collection. It’s also to get the look and it would be painful for the average person to shop that way. It’s like an easy button for them to get a collection of something. We are trying to curate this bespoke look out of all of the difference vendors we offer.

Emily: Something that came up that became a lightbulb moment for us what that our service helps our clients understand what they value.

Jess: Fascinating! Speak more about that.

Jenna: I would never spend money on a car but I would spend money on my hair. It comes down to the things you value.

Emily: Our clients would come in and will want to pay $2000 for a sculpture to put on their pedestal. But they don’t want to pay that for a chair. But I can’t guess what you value and don’t value. You have to tell me. And that’s what this discovery process is throughout program. It tells me what does this person value? And what is going to make this person love living in their home? What are they proud of? There is no wrong or right answer. It’s what is great about Alice Lane as a whole – we don’t say what is right or wrong – it’s completely curated for the client.

Jess: That is what is great about this process. It’s very personal.

Jenna: It’s completely curated for the client. And we are laughing because we will have clients too that what they value is beauty. And they will spend anything to get the most beautiful and unique home that speaks to them. And then we have other clients that value comfort over beauty. And they would rather have the comfortable chair that maybe is not the prettiest chair. And that’s okay too. We’re still going to make that work.

Suz: We’re still going to make it look as pretty as it possibly can be.

Jenna: Of course, make it look pretty with the way it’s dressed or styled. But maybe it’s not the $5000 chair.

Emily: It’s pretty to them. It’s what they want. But they are also trusting us to tell them and be the tastemakers and they lean on us to tell them what is good but the client will have to want it. We won’t show them a design and say this is what you get. Often times they are not going to want it because it has nothing to do with their values and what they want.

Jenna: Which is why we go piece by piece and room by room and focus on one space and start from the ground up. We show you individual pieces at a time. I’m never going to show you something that won’t look good in your space.

Emily: Jenna that’s when we are taking them out of their comfort zone. That’s when you know they are getting excited. They ask if they’re allowed to do that. And we tell them yes you are allowed! Absolutely! Please do it!

Suz: Everybody understand that there were so many options, but we narrow it down to their filter and what would look best with your space. There is a lot of legwork that goes into what we present you.

Jenna: Those options were what we were most excited about.

Emily: That is why it’s so important to get to know the client beforehand and really understand what they want so we aren’t guessing.

Jenna: We have a good conversation and consultation with each client to get a good understanding of what they value, their family, how they use the space and how they want the space to feel. When they are sending us inspiration photos, we can work through those as well and then we can start the design process. And I’m sure in our design center it goes the same way.

Q: Tell us about the timeline. When you first contact a person and they are ready to go, how long does it take to get something designed?

Suz: I know that we work at a really quick speed which is so incredible to so many people.

Jenna:  I’ve done designs that have been designed and ordered within 24 hours. It depends on the client how and how quickly they move. Most of the time, even busy season it usually takes about 2 weeks.

Emily: But most of it is collaborative and it’s us mostly being able to start the project with the client and making sure we can start their project which is most of the time asap. Because it’s so collaborative we are texting you the first week we meet and start sending you our ideas and options to gage what you do and don’t like. And that is when the ideas and opinions come out and the discovery process comes out and we become educated on what you want. It starts piece by piece and understand the function of the space and then we get to the beauty of the space. It depends on how fast the client responds.

Jenna: And then there are clients that want to go slow and that’s okay! We’ll break it down into phases. It’s tailored to you.

Jess: You do any size home. If you’re in an apartment in Chicago or a house on the hill. You guys can help no matter the scale.

Jenna: It’s all tailored to you and your space. The size doesn’t matter. It’s quality over quantity. It’s creating that space for you and getting it to the finish line.

 Emily: It’s what the client wants. That same client could have a condo in Chicago and a beach house in California and want the same quality of furniture in both. It doesn’t matter the size of the space. It’s the quality that is desired that we can provide and tailor.

Q: Why do you do one space at a time? Why do you think that is important?

Jenna: Because we move so quickly it can get overwhelming. Like we said, we are furniture encyclopedia. And when you walk into a store and you have this idea of I have to finish my whole house and you’re bouncing around, nothing is going to get finished.  You will maybe finish one room with just the furniture and everything else is going to feel spotty. And that is why we only work room by room and get it to the finish line or as finished as you want it.

I’ll have clients sometimes where we do the rug and the main furniture pieces. And then at the very end when all of the rooms have that completed, we will go in and do the accessories and drapery. It comes down to what you value.

Suz: It’s overwhelming. I think that everybody can look at their house and think this is a really big burger to eat. And just one bite at a time is how you tackle it.

Jenna: When you do your own home, do you bounce around and overwhelm yourself? I do!

Emily: Yes, but I shouldn’t.  And I think it’s the rhyme and rhythm of getting it done and it’s an emotionally grueling process. You’re making really personal decisions about how you’re going to live and your lifestyle. And especially post COVID people value being at home. We have clients that are more vested now than pre COVID. It takes a lot of looking inward and asking yourself what matters.

Jess: Speaking of working for yourself I think that when working on your own space it can be paralyzing. I know when I was building my own home, I would be wondering who am I Sue? And she would say, du, is the one on the left. But I feel like that is who you guys are for your clients. I think it’s great to work with an expert to know what’s available in the marketplace. Or designing something that’s not going to go out of style.

Emily: I wish I could see the future.

Jess: I know! And I agree.

Jenna: And if you love it, it won’t go out of style. It’s so you and you’ll love it forever.

Jess: And you all see what’s trending but also study extraordinary rooms over the days. And you know that there is so many scenes that you melt in to, and it might be 15 years old. It’s the quality of the furnishings that we’re selling that will last with you forever. And we’re helping guide you to make extraordinary decisions you’re not going to tire of. It’s going to be awesome quality and you’ll get props for having such great taste. But you’ve got this person, a phone-a-friend, at no cost to you other than to just purchase beautiful things. And they are here with you to help make those decisions.

Emily: There is no guessing game on either end. You will know our commitment to you and you to us because we will be texting you and you respond to us by asking us questions.

Suz: It’s appealing and why I ask that question is because you can pull something together quickly and get a result. I think that is so appealing for our audiences. We all want this instant gratification, but it is nice to have this avenue that you provide to get people answers to something that has probably been weighing on them.

Jenna: And sometimes when you are waiting for it to ship, as long as you know that it’s finished and it’s on its way, the hard part is over and now you just wait for it to come. And that will sneak up on you. It always does.  

Q: Speaking of custom things, can you give us some examples of custom pieces that you have worked on with clients?  

Jenna: I have a client and a favorite project that I’ve been working on since I started on this team. We’ve gone room by room. They live in this beautiful Mediterranean style home in Newport Beach.

Jess: What makes this a favorite?

Jenna: They are so sweet and very trusting.  We started with their primary bedroom, and we pushed them out of their comfort zone with color but the stye was there and once that was installed, they let me take off and become a creative director for their space. Right now, we are waiting for their dining table to be finished for their breakfast nook and it’s this beautiful hand carved marble 72” round dining table with a base and a top. And it has an inlaid lazy Susan in the center. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s honed marble. It’s going to be unreal. But we had to wait a year for it to be made to delivered. Everything else is ready to be installed and siting there waiting to be delivered. I cannot wait for this piece to be delivered. It’s such a wow statement. I’m hoping they will love and cherish this forever and that it becomes an heirloom piece.

Jess: I love hearing. It shows everything we do is specifically made for you. And it is very detailed and curated.

Emily: My favorite custom piece to date is anything mohair. I love textures and fabrics. I’ve done mohair sectionals, chairs, and we even have mohair throws now. Right now I have a client in Gig Harbor, Washington and she is just so fun to work with because she is so trusting. But she loves Gracie’s wallpaper. It’s expensive because they are hand painted panels and must be installed by an expert. We were starting her master from scratch. She had her own phases and priorities and her priority was Gracie’s wallpaper. She valued the mural so in Phase 1 we ordered the wallpaper and it’s so cool to be a part of that artistic vision. Let’s do what you value.

Q: Let’s go through the process. What can they expect and what does it look like if they are the client?

Jenna: Go to our website: Alicelanehome.com and fill out the form. Click on the Design Services tab and fill out the form. That connects you to somebody on our team and they will contact you within the next two business days and we will schedule a time for your initial consultation. That is where we will discuss you and your family, your project, where we are starting, what you value and what your vision is. That that is where we set the expectations for you such as sending us your inspirations images, the photos of your home and dimensions.

Q: What program do you use?

Jenna: We use CAD and ArcSite.

Jess: So these are down to the inch.

Jenna: Yes, we’re not making any mistakes. If you have house plans send those and I’ll still have my clients check a few measurements just to make sure it was built to scale. From there we start. We start with the floor plan and give you options with the way the room can flow and what will suit your needs best. Once that is approved we get into the really fun stuff and we get to go into the furniture selection and the rugs and all the pretty things.

Emily: We go piece by piece. We will send you a sectional and ask what do you love/hate about this? Is this the fabric you were imagining? Is this something you like?  And we start a conversation, and everything is built on those foundation pieces. When we get to the end you should be 100% satisfied and if you don’t like it then we missed something and we need to go back and see what we missed.

Jenna: Be honest with us. You’re not hurting our feelings. This is for you. Once the design is finished, whether that is a phase or a complete space, we hit the order button and we get everything ordered and on its way. Typically leads times vary based on the vendor, fabric we selected, whether that’s in stock etc. And once everything has arrived, we start the install process. We have white glove delivery here in Utah. And we also have it nationwide. White glove delivery services will come and help place your furniture, take the packaging away and when it comes to styling your accessories, we’ve given you a Photoshop image of where to place these items. You can also call us, and we will face time with you if you like.

Emily: We don’t give you the package and wish you good luck. That doesn’t help you and that doesn’t help us. We may also want to take pretty photos at the end for our portfolio.

Jess: For a free service it sounds like a design service. People are so lucky to get to work with you for the cost of nothing. What a gorgeous service you provide.

Emily: From our stylist to our designers working on the big build, the service doesn’t change.  You’re getting the same service but because we can do this for free it’s because you’re supporting purchasing Alice Lane items. You get the same quality and we’re sourcing amazing products for you, and you don’t have to pay for billable hours.

Q: How do you make it work for clients virtually? And how much is done virtual right now?

Jenna: I would say about 90%. During COVID and lockdowns we realized anything can be done virtually. We did it this way prior to COVID even. We did it based off photos clients have sent us. We are very communicative. We will text you all day long. We have some that Marco their clients. It’s how you prefer to communicate. We’ll do what’s best for you and so it feels like you’re here with us. And if you would rather feel the fabric in person we’ll mail you a sample. Or you could fly in!

 It’s fun and exciting to get to this point and to finish your space and help create it. We’re here to help you create that. We will send you screen shots and Photoshop images to really make it clear and give you a mockup so you can visualize it.

Suz: Don’t you think that once this layer is in, the furnishings, accessories, your art is on the walls, you can actually live your lives. It becomes your backdrop for your family. Which I think is our overall goal. We can have so many things I our head. Every person we go to they tell us to not look in this or that spot. There is this nagging feeling that’s been on your mind for so long and we’re here to help with that. We’re here to create this beautiful backdrop and you get to live this way and move on the next thing that’s important to you.

Jess: It really is life changing. You see yourself differently.

Emily: There is a reason we’re designers is because we care about humanity. We want people to live better.

Jenna: It’s interesting when you say that. When you think about people, people who are not using our service, when they have a baby and they put together a nursery they are nesting, and they are a creating safe, comfortable space for this new baby.  You are our new babies!

Q: What is your why? Why do you love doing home furnishings?

Emily: We discovered it’s because we are passionate about making peoples spaces better. We’re passionate about making our spaces better. And it’s not a said and done. Jess, you took 13 years to curate all of these handpicked vendors and we are very passionate about the furniture we use. We idolize some of these designers and have met them in person. We truly love them, and we want to share their creativity and help our clients to be creative. That is our why.

Jenna: And who doesn’t love pretty things? I love beautiful things. I love to walk into a space and feel envy for this home and to do this for other people feels so great. I love creating that beauty and little bit of heaven for them to have a perfectly curated space.

Emily: When it is surreal to them at the end when they call you and say I can’t believe this is my space! They we created this together and excited they get to live in it. That is my favorite client.

Jenna: I have a client in Texas, and she got so excited about the accessories and said they are more beautiful in person than she could ever imaging. That’s fun to hear. And it’s the biggest compliment.

Jess: It’s like real life just landed in a box.

Q: How do you stay inspired?

Emily: Travel for me – which has been hard this year. But most of my most inspirational travels have been with other cultures. And to see how other people live. And we in the US live so differently than in Europe. I like to see how they live differently. Most designs are not original, and they are sourced or taken from history. To have that history and travel component and to be in nature inspires me. I need to go swim in the ocean to cleans myself and see nature different and to see things differently.

Jenna: I like to immerse myself in media. I look at hashtags on Instagram or Pinterest. The things that are being hashtaged will come up on your feed as you’re scrolling. It’s stuff I’ve never heard of.

Q: What are your favorite hashtags Jenna?

Jenna:  Jean Royere, my favorite designers, and also places around the world. That sends you so many new images you wouldn’t otherwise see. The other thing I do is flip through every coffee table book I come across. Some people just place them. I read mine. I read the stories about the rooms and a hotel and how it was created and I study those pieces and I get these ideas in my head that I’m going to do this.

Q: What is your favorite coffee table book you’re diving into right now?

Jenna:  I just purchased The Authentics book. It has been fun to read everybody’s story, and tastemakers and their homes and how they’ve curated their own space. It’s fun to see each opinion and style because they are all eclectic and unique.

Q: One more question. How can someone access our services. How to they work with you?

Jenna: Fill out form online or call showroom and let them know you’re interested in the Home Furnishing Design service. They will set you up with the right person. It’s very easy and accessible to do.

Jess:  I love that you can do this and help so many people in a personal and special way. It’s an extraordinary team to get to work with at no cost. Just the cost of the room.

Q: Jenna, on our way out, why don’t you tell us what your favorite mascara is.

Jenna: Right now it’s this little $8 mascara from Ulta. The brand is ColourPop. It’s their only mascara. It’s volumizing and a little does a long way. But I think I found my Holy Grail mascara.

Q: Emily, do you have any pro tips for the people you can offer?

Emily: My biggest inspiration right now is finding local art and buy original art. You also create these connections with the artists as well which is fun. There is a story behind everything so finding a piece that speaks to you is great.

Jess: I love that. Thank you for sharing with us Jenna and Emily!

Thanks for being here!