Fall Market Review

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We just returned from Market, excited to share what we found with all of you. We saw so many beautiful things, and met the style makers behind the designs. I like to ask questions about where they get their inspiration for their new introductions. What's the store? The answers almost always come from something in their past.

History is a great inspiration for the future. I heard everything from an airplane, like this club chair from Thom Filicia to a Mississippi train station, where Barry Dixon got his inspiration for this screen.

We are seeing a lot of looks that were hot in the 50's and 60's, thanks to today's television hits, Mad Men and The Good Wife. There are whole furniture collections based on what you are seeing their set decorators use. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams has created a collection that is based on pieces actually used on the sets of The Good Wife. These silhouettes are available now.

Vanguard was giving a nod to the past, also. Check out this sofa and entertainment unit! They're better built, cleaned-up versions of your parents or grandparents furniture. So those of you that can't remember this time and place, can discover it for yourselves - the new classics.

Jewel tones were all the rage this Market - just like what you're seeing in your favorite catalogs and clothing stores.

You have to admit, all this saturated color makes you feel something! Everyone is using it in the accents. Occasional chairs, pillows, art - the sofas are almost always still a neutral.

Another not to the past came in the art. The Conde Nast images have been made available to one of our vendors. They narrowed their search for this Market to Vogue magazines from 1920-1940. I can hardly wait to share them with you!

This business is all about living and expressing yourself in a way we believe should seem effortless as opposed to uptight and formal. That is what my search is always for when I shop the marketplace. Comfortable, inspiring looks that will shape your lifestyle. That's right! Lifestyle - you have one! You determine how you live and what it looks like. Live well!

- Jessica

Take Advantage!

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This is the final week for our MGBW Special Order Plus Event! 20% off all MGBW upholstery and casegoods! For upholstery, pick the fabric and finish! These are just a few pieces we've used in our clients' homes or around the showroom to get you inspired.

Blakely Lounge Chairs

Tobi Leather Arm Chair & Rocco Tufted Ottoman

Marlena Lounge Chair

London Chaise in a luxurious steel blue velvet

Graham Dining Chairs in a charming green ticking

Dr. Pitt

Celina Bed in a gray linen

[photos by Meikel Reece]

Movie Night!

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An adorable young couple came to us with the request to design their theater room.  They love to entertain, play games, watch movies, and spend time together as a family.  They loved the idea of creating a warm, cozy environment with a modern turn, and so did we; we knew the push-pull dynamic between the cozy and modern aesthetic was destined to create an interesting design.

 

Thom Filicia’s Niagara rug was the perfect beginning to our story.  The lines are clean and modern, but its wool content keeps it cozy for the kids to snuggle when playing games or watching their favorite movie.  We needed to seat loads of family and friends comfortably - we immediately thought of the simply tailored Keaton sectional.  Once their guests sink into this little piece of down-filled heaven - they just may never want to leave! We hugged the sectional with a modern low console that doubles as a bookshelf - functional and so chic! We then generously sprinkled the room with lamps – the soft, moody lighting gives the room a warm and welcoming feeling.

 

What’s more fun and modern than a barrel swivel chair?!  We knew it would surely become a favorite spot for the kids and just had to sneak one in the room! In order to keep the room from feeling too stiff, we loosened it up with art.  We loved the simple, natural, grounded feeling of the black and white horses. It’s this dynamic, the pairing of modern and ease, that adds depth and dimension to the design - making it both interesting and fresh.

This style setting theater is bound inspire countless evenings at home, filled with family and friends, playing games, watching movies, and just enjoying one another.  We hope it inspires you, too, so start popping the popcorn!

- Christy

Show n' Tell - Private Residence Bedroom and Bath

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Those who know me and those who love me know that I looooove rugs!  Every kind really but I must say my heart stopped at one and has had difficulty moving on!   Her name is Tiffany and she is hand knotted, with a stylized motif that feels like she has lived forever!  The way the navy tones melted into the golden sun and splashed you with persimmon is like the perfect sunset!

It was no question in my mind that one particular client HAD to live with this rug!  And their second home in Entrada was the perfect landing spot!  When we started designing one of their guest bedrooms, we began with the rug and Tiffany was it!  Being so enchanting and whimsical, we paired her with a iron bed with a quatrefoil detail and slubby yummy white and greige bedding.  We wanted the nightstands to feel found, like they were born with the home and the lighting to feel authentic and true!  The accessories and art had to be just right….simple yet thoughtful!

The tile in the bathroom was critical!  We had to find something that felt hand sketched, painted and loved for centuries.  We found it from Tabarka tile!  A company out of Arizona who hand crafts and paints each terracotta tile.

We designed and hand picked everything in these spaces from the tile work to the plumbing to the cloisonné knobs on the vanity.  There are so many moments in this space that one only needs to stand still, absorb the sunlight and you can’t help but feel like you’re being hugged by mother earth!

-Suzanne

Book Review - "Living with What You Love"

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When I spotted Living With What You Love at Alice Lane, I started thumbing through the pages and immediately fell in love with the Monica Kosann’s fresh angle on incorporating family heirlooms. Though it can be tricky, displaying precious family heirlooms and collectibles in the home allows them to serve as reminders of your past, your cherished memories, and the life you hope to create.

"Some people seem to avoid bringing out heirlooms for fear that they turn a home into an historical museum or a gallery. It doesn't have to be that way. Create a space that you want to live in. You can bring memories alive and create a sense of family history..."

One of my favorite ideas Kosann suggests is to avoid hiding family heirlooms away in a cupboard or closet. She encourages us to create more special occasions to use those cherished table settings, to take advantage of the opportunity to tell the stories of the heirlooms in your home. Since I was a little girl, I have admired many beautiful and colorful china sets through the closed glass-doored cabinets in my grandmother's home. Each set a lovely little piece of art—and history. As I grew up, I learned the stories of those pieces and the remarkable women who owned them. Now, each time my grandmother uses a certain china set at dinner, I feel a connection with my heritage and ancestry.

“A bowl, even a beautiful bowl, is just a serving piece. But the bowl that a grandmother brought over from Ireland? Or the bowl that your aunt Teresa—who was already such a wonderful cook—wanted you to have someday? That’s quite a different story.”

The strategies to incorporate heirlooms, antiques, and memorabilia are countless, and this quick-read is bursting with ideas on mixing the old with the new, choosing framing, and how to help a wall or a vignette “tell a story”. Ultimately, the key is to follow your instincts and do it in way that is all your own.

“Just as no family is quite like mine or yours, there’s really no such thing as a recipe for the way you express yourself in the domain of your own home. The space you occupy deserves to be filled with its own images, echoes, and signing. Your home is like no other; why not fill every turn of it with reminders that this is so.”

- Eliesa

[photos from Living with What You Love]

Private Residence Dining Room - Before and After

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As fall tempts us with its metamorphic mountains and brisk morning air I can’t help but crave the holidays!  I am a girl of seasons and anticipate the upcoming events far before they happen which is why I’d like to talk with you about Dining Rooms, home of fabulous food and family!  Specifically giving your current dining room a facelift before the holidays land in your lap!  

 

We just finished up a dining room remodel and I was amazed at what a little paint, reupholstery and lighting did for this once very dark and closed in space!  I present to you a very dramatic “Before” and “After”!

When we walked into this dining room initially, there was a large disconnect with the homeowner and the space!  She is all things charming and gracious and the space she entertained in so often didn’t reflect any of these traits!   The existing dining chairs were beautifully crafted and just needed some new skin.  The dining table was the perfect size but the design was ho-hum, nothing that couldn’t be dressed up and the lighting just wasn’t special enough for this jewel box!  So we rolled up our sleeves and got to work!  The cranberry paint color on the walls was a big factor in how the room felt and was replaced with a watery color that brought the temperature down.  Immediately the space was more relaxed and approachable…..just like our client!  As many of you know, we start from the ground up when designing a space which leads me to our rug!  The rug that was in the space before wasn’t broken but was not an ideal size nor color for this square room.  We opted with custom sisal with a diamond design and metallic binding.  Again, the natural fibers and the non-descript color was exactly what the space needed especially when we combined it with the aqua and red table covering our client picked up in Turkey.

The sconces were designed by Suzanne Kasler (a personal hero) and are such a necessary detail the room didn’t have before!  When lit they look like diamonds in the sky!  And the chandelier is a gold leafed flower of a thing that gives back a lot of whimsy to the dining room!

The dining chair upholstery needed to be something that was interesting, textural and gorgeous of course!  This faux bois number was just the ticket ad gave such an update to these very traditional chairs!

Everybody, go right now and look in your cupboards and unveil your favorite china, pewter, candlesticks, whatever it is!  Display it!  Nobody hides Baby in the corner and you shouldn’t hide your favorite things behind closed doors!  Our beautiful client had so much fabulousness tucked away in her cupboards and we found it blasphemous NOT to display it for the world to see!  (We added the crystal ooey gooey candlesticks to add some glam to the arrangement but other than that,these were all things in her house!)

- Suzanne

Trends for Fall

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I get emails daily filling my inbox from all my favorite clothing manufacturers and department stores, telling me what is on-trend and what the MUST HAVES for the season are. Each one different than the next. Everyone has their  own spin on how the interpreted New York Fashion Week. Fall fashion has to be the biggest launch of fashion of all the seasons.We are all just perched on the edge of our seats to launch into it - boots, layers, scarves, hates, jackets, wool, deeper tones, and more texture!

How does all of this equate to the home? We can't update our home with new looks every season. Or can we? My thought is, just warm it up. I change things up a bit, only twice a year.

It might be a difference of putting away the lightweight spring/summer pillows and bringing out the fall/winter ones. I do it for my sofas and my bed. I swap out the blooms for branches in my large jars and vases.

I'll change up what's on the dining table for a more seasonal effect, add votives or large pillar candles in hurricanes. This is not just a "look". This is a lifestyle. You must light your candles. You can't just pretend to live this way. You've really got enjoy the magic dance that comes from fire when you're eating or entertaining. I add a neatly folded throw to the back of a chair or arm of a sofa in each room.

Simple ideas, but they will allow you to interpret the fall loks you're loving in fashion, in your home. If you're loving purples and raisin tones, tweeds and wools, leather, and furs - all of those can be added with tailored pillows, throws, and table runners!

Don't be afraid to add more metals and mercury glass to your scheme too. They add sophistication and glimmer. Who doesn't need more of that? Stop by and see what's in store for fall at Alice Lane.

- Jessica

[photo 1, 2, 3, & 4 by Meikel Reece]

And don't forget about our Fall Special Order Plus Event - Save 20% on all Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams special order items now through October 8th.