Maps as Artwork

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What could be smarter than using a map as artwork?

[photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

The older the better! Use it as a great conversation piece. Use it to tell your story, where you've been, where your people are from, where you've traveled. It will make your room look smart, give it some history, and a sense of your well-traveled past and hopes for the future.

[photo from Elle Decor]

The other nice thing about maps are, they are usually big, which stretches your eye in a space and makes it feel even bigger.

[photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

We've hung this old map of Paris behind one of the beds at the store and it is a room changer! It brought that bed into another hemisphere. It has never looked more gorgeous!!! Try this trick at home in your own space.

[photo from Elle Decor]

Great in a home office, kids bedroom, family room... I have a set of 8 framed sections of one big map in my master bedroom. It's dreamy! I can't think of a room that a map wouldn't add interest and a level of thoughtfulness to.

Giveaway!!!

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It’s that time again but this time we are doing something a little bit different... We are loving all of the great pillows that we have right now and one lucky winner will be able to indulge in this lovely pillow! The coloring and style are so versatile, it will look great in any space!

Enter to win by following these rules:

  • - Follow this blog and leave us a comment.
  • - For an extra entry, post this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Just copy the link into your comment on this post so that we can see it and your name will be entered twice.

The giveaway ends Friday, April 16th, the winner will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday, April 17th. Please leave your email address so that we can contact you! Good luck!

Throw Pillows

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[photos by Ashlee Raubach]

The right throw pillows have solved a lot of design dilemmas for us. They can relate the sofa to the rug and/or other elements in the design scheme. Pillows connect the dots, so to speak. Pillows can animate a boring sofa and bring to life. They can update a room and introduce a new trend. They visually soften a space. Pillows add personality. Pillows can transform with the seasons. Add warmth and texture, or cool it down and add shimmer. They are the jewelry in the room. That finishing touch. That great pair of earrings and big bangle bracelet you always get complimented on - that is what the right pillows can do for your space.

Here are a few very important things when buying pillows: Use down inserts. If your pillow didn't come with a down insert, replace it with a down insert. Otherwise your pillows are being used as a decoration, instead of adding comfort to your seat. And what's the point of that?

[photos by Ashlee Raubach]

Almost always buy big pillows! 22" to 24" are my favorite for 98% of all sofas. People often use too many small pillows, and it adds visual clutter. If you'll start with 2 large 24" pillows in each corner and step down from there, you'll find you may only need one or two more. Its not important to be symmetrical in laying out your pillows. You want it to look interesting and collected. Buying the right quality pillows, with genuine textures; hair on hide, woven leathers, furs, shell details, wovens, velvets, will give your decor a feeling of luxury and authenticity. It's one area you don't want to skimp. It's the finishing layer - make it shine.

[photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

[photos by Ashlee Raubach]

Accessorizing a Shelf or Side Table

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It's like the great Charlotte Moss once said, "Decorating is like math, a game of adding and subtracting."

[photos from Lonny Magazine]

In putting together the right accessories for a side table, one thing you must always consider is, is it useful for its place in the  home? End tables can contain a lamp, a set of coasters to use when you sit down with a drink, a beautiful or interesting bowl or tray to put remotes on, a small vase for fresh flowers on the occasion you need to quickly fill it with water and drop a few stems in for entertaining, a lovely jar filled with candy, a candle, or a picture frame filled with a lasting memory...

[photo from Lonny Magazine]

Shelf decorating should also have a degree of usefulness, but can carry more precious things for admiration. William Morris said it best when he said, "Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful."

[photos from Domino Magazine]

Shelving works best when you use books and objects together. The books show your smarts and personality. They are a little glimpse into who lives here and what they believe. They give a home conviction. We have been to plenty of houses where the shelving only contains accessories. it feels like a retail store instead of a home. Stack books by size, biggest to smallest, or if you are stacking them horizontally, the largest book is on the bottom.

Make triangles with the heights of the objects... high, low, medium. The same heights of objects aren't going to be interesting unless you are contemporary and using the same object repeatedly, like three vases in a row. You'll want to use odd numbers when decorating.

Study some of the photos below of interesting objects and arrangements in display.

[photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Alice Lane in store display: Antique reading books, jeweled fish is hinged to open up - perfect for putting your wedding ring in at night, picture frames and sculptural pottery/vases.

[photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Alice Lane in store display: Crystal lamp, water carafe, set of bamboo trays and a collection of gold candlesticks.

[photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Alice Lane in store display: End table is a small surface and only contains a collection of antique novels and books with one dimensional picture frame.

[photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Alice Lane in store display: We used a collection of three interesting frames, a collection of candlesticks at various heights and different sizes of candles, and a sculptural lightbulb lamp.

[photo from Lonny Magazine]

Candle in a hurricane, collection of nice pens, beautiful try for coins, etc. and a lovely candle.

[photo by Josh Caldwell]

Alice Lane 2009 Parade Home - Stone Gate, Provo, Utah Home Office - Journals and a pen, brass candlestick lamp, obelisk marble statue, bust of a man

[photo by Josh Caldwell]

Alice Lane 2009 Parade Home - Stone Gate, Provo, Utah Living Room End Table - Books on travel, magnifier on wheels, sculpture, favorite quote in a frame, grandchild's photo in frame, interesting lamp and candlestick

Girls Night Out Sale TODAY!

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[Photos by Ashlee Raubach]

Don't forget that today is our Girls Night Out sale!

20% off all regular priced accessories, pillows & lamps and delicious cookies all day long!

We will also be doing a giveaway for the lovely planter pictured above, filled with scents for spring by Thymes, a picture frame, branches to liven up your room, and a few other items that will help you get ready from the warmer weather.

We are open from 10 - 8 today and will draw our winner at 7:30.

Hope to see you later!

Show n' Tell

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I love this part of the blog where we get to see the places our goods and wares get to call home. Below you will drool over a Provo, Utah residence under the design direction of Holli Forrest. Photographed are a few finishing touches from Alice Lane!

Among my favorites are the porcelain nesting bowls with gold beaded edges and the Sidney Snow marble and brass table lamp.

The texture on the set of white pebbled ceramic vases is enough to make you run your hand over the. You can't be satisfied just looking at them! Turquoise sculptural glass vases capture the light so beautifully, they don't ever need to be filled with flowers - filling them with light is satisfying enough.

The Christine round table by Oly Studio in chalk finish with silver details has an antique mirrored top and is perfection nestled between the Isabella tufted slipper chairs. Coral lamp, butterfly sculpture, bedroom chairs upholstered in a robin egg blue honeycomb graphic - feels like a dream!

The home is so ethereal it feels like it has wings - This must be what heaven is like! Yes, the morpho butterflies are also from our little shop!

Thanks for sharing!

If you have photos you want to share, we'd love to see where your precious finds end up in your own little heaven on earth!

Photos by Ashlee Raubach

Branch Out

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[Photo by Gemma Comas]

Having fresh flowers is a luxury!

[Room Scene from Oly Studio]

[Photo from CR Style Magazine]

[Photo from CR Style Magazine]

[Photo from Lonny Magazine]

[Photos from Carrier & Company]

[Photo from Tobi Fairley]

[Photo from House Beautiful]

Take it one step beyond and try live branches. Get a tall vase fill it with water, arrange the branches and wait... you'll see green tips emerge, and then buds and finally... blossoms. The transformation is gradual which for me was more fun than just getting flowers and watching them die. The volume the branches add to your space reaches beyond any flower arrangement too! It's airy, simple, and organic in shape. A client of ours was able to pick up a bunch of branches at her local Costco in Las Vegas. You might also try calling your local greenhouses and request them.

[Photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Or if you want to cheat a little we have some good fakes in store right now. Lots of variety! It is one of our favorite finishing touches. Great on mantles, entry consoles, end tables, kitchen tables... It adds life to any room.

It's official! Spring is in the air!

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Our fresh cut pussy willows just arrived - and things are feeling greener, fresher, brighter, lighter already!

We feel it from all who enter our doors! They're ready for a fresh change! Some have gone for new linens on their beds, others have started with a fresh coat of white paint to their kitchen cabinets.

Photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat

We have sent them home with a bouquet of our new knobs to try for a more inspired look in the hardest working room in the house. Who says it can't be an enchanted place?

Wherever you are felling the blues - stop by for a little pick me up! Or we can haul over the whole home if you can't stand it another day. Walking into a well designed space is like getting flowers everyday of your life. It will make you smile just entering the room. Spring is out there, open the shutters, lift the blinds... and let it in!

Giveaway

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It's that time again!

We have another $100 gift certificate to our store to give away! Thanks to everyone for participating in our giveaways and supporting our blog! We love to read all of your beautiful and inspirational comments.

Enter to win by following these rules:

  • - Follow this blog and leave us a comment.
  • - For an extra entry, post this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Just copy the link into your comment on this post so that we can see it and your name will be entered twice.

The giveaway ends Tuesday, March 30th, the winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, March 31st. Please leave your email address so that we can contact you! Good luck!

Dressing the Mantle

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Big and tall, or tall and lean... These are the rules of accessorizing a mantle.

Too many little things will get knick knacky. To avoid a cluttered mantel, you're going to want to make a few bold gestures. Large vases allow you to dress the mantle seasonally with live branches, holiday boughs, pussy willows, etc.

Tall candlesticks add a romantic and traditional tone to the room. Be careful not to go too small or you'll miss it all together!

Ornamental/sculptural objects that speak of the travels you've experienced are the most prized for any mantle. Picture frames are also appropriate.

Large art or a large framed mirror is most commonly centered above a mantle. In Feng Shui it is believed that the mirror will bring the energy back to the room, since the fireplace is a hole in the house where energy can escape. It is true that mirrors bring energy and light to a room. One of the great designers, I believe Suzanne Kasler says, "A mirror is like adding water in any room."

The Gallery Wall

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One of our must-haves for any household. It is the story of who lives here. It's something to study while you are passing down the halls, standing in an entry, or waiting in a home office. The artifacts, photographs, certificates, fine art or prints of the inhabitants speak volumes! It's proof of a life well lived. It gives a home conviction. It tells your story. It layers the room with history. I'll be so bold to say, it makes a house a home!

When considering how and where to put your gallery, here are a few things to consider: If the contents are personal, you may want to avoid the entry, so you are not sharing those deeply personal pieces with just everyone. Save those for the more intimate gathering spots. You will be asked about the framed documents and photos by almost everyone who sees them so make sure you are comfortable with sharing those thoughts and memories.

You may opt to do a gallery of art in the entry. Less personal, but no less impressing.

The bigger the documents the better (especially if its a large wall). I'd try not to use anything smaller than an 8x10, even then, I'd use matting to enlarge the area.

I like it if there is something in common in the gallery. It may just be that you've used similar matting, all wood tones frames, or all black and white photography... The eye likes some form of commonality. Other than that... Go for it!

Tell your story!

How It's Done

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We've had many inquiries about our design services available at Alice Lane. We wanted to share with you what a presentation would include. We were hired by a couple out of the Long Beach, California area. Among many spaces, we put together a bedroom for their adult, 20-something daughter. She's a stylish girl with loads of light and energy. The home has a level of detail that made us want to flex a little design muscle. So we did just that.

The queen poster bed and mother of pearl mirrors are by Oly Studio. Lamps and nightstands are by Shine. The lamps become multiplied when placed in front of the wall-mounted mirrors above the nightstands. Mirrors are a great addition to any room when you are trying to create glamour and expand a space. The crown jewel in this room is that little branch and crystal ball chandelier by Currey and Company that centers over the bed and peeks through the ring atop the bed. For a feminine bedroom chair we used the rope chair by Annie Selke and the hand knotted rug layered under the bed gives the room an organic feel and a sense of movement while anchoring it at the same time.

The plan view is drawn to scale to show how the pieces will fit in the room and how they will relate to each other. The items are numbered and tear-sheets are presented with priced items in the fabrics we have selected. Fabrics are laid out during the presentation for the client to touch, consider the content, and see the color story.

We create renderings to show a front elevation as well as a perspective drawing of what the final room will look like. Lastly, spreadsheets are provided where the furniture costs are laid out and calculated for the client so review.

We wish we had final photos for you to see... but the room is still in progress.

Making an Entrance

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What does your entry say about your home? Is it welcoming? Is it charming? Does it make you want to peek in the sidelights just to get a glimpse of what's to come? Hopefully it leaves you wanting more. At Alice Lane we love to create inviting porches and entryways. Here are a few necessary ingredients in warming up the thresholds:

- A great outdoor rug that compliments the style of your home. The rug should have an abrasive surface to keep the outdoor elements from entering the interior spaces.

- An entry rug as large as the space will allow. bigger is always better. It makes the space feel larger and allows the guest plenty of room to enter onto and slip off their shoes while standing on the rug. A large entry rug makes the entry feel like a room instead of a corridor. The entry rug sets the signature for the rest of the home.

For help on your entrance, measure your space and pop by the store to talk to any of our designers about the right rug for your indoor and outdoor spaces. You are always welcome to try a few on approval!