Dear Alice | Interior Design

We all have a space that we want to feel roomier. These are some tricks of the trade to create the illusion of a larger space. Everybody’s had a small space before. That starter home or rented space, a dorm room, first apartment, so we have a lot of space expanding tips we want to get into today. Sue tells about what she has done with color in her own home to make the room feel larger by treating the whole room in a uniform colored manner. You’re going to use bigger things than you think you will to make your room look really generous, such as a large rug, lamp, or large art, but make sure to avoid sticking everything up on stilts as too many legs can make your room feel nervous.

Color 2:51

Changing the color on the ceiling 9:01

Scale 12:00

Lamps 19:36

Mirrors 21:34

Chandelier 25:21

“So depending on the size of your room, like in the old days the bedrooms were 10x10, right? Nobody’s gonna have a living room this size, but I was gonna say just for the sake of this podcast we’ll say your room is 10x10, I would still get an 8x10 rug. So go big. Do not get a 5x7.” 14:16

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is something that seems so normal in our lives as we are constantly interviewing our clientele to learn about the way the rhythm of their life goes and then design after that rhythm. We’ve had a client who had their kitchen done and everything was designed and organized according to how she operates in her kitchen, not only making everything look really nice, but it was all very neat and convenient as well. A great way to go about organizing and breaking down your space is by dividing it up into zones according to what you do, such as a place for tea, or a bar, or a place for soft drinks, whatever your ritual may be. We also did a kitchen where we put a little fridge drawer on the other side of the island in order to prevent kids from accessing the main refrigerator and getting in the way of mom while she’s preparing a meal.

Recycling and waste 3:48

Kitchen example 6:27

Tiger Oak example 10:11

Kitchens and functionality 15:07

Kids kitchen functionality 17:32

The party pantry 21:08

“As we’ve been doing home offices like this past year, I found it really lovely to kind of place a nearby ottoman nested underneath the desks, so that whoever the client is, they can put their feet up on there, but then the ottoman can also be used for the nearby pair of chairs, you know, that are in the corner of the room.” 19:43

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we have the pleasure of speaking with home organization guru, Sabrina Gardner, who just started a company called Salt, a customer organization company that specializes in customer acrylic drawer organizers. Sabrina has a five step process to really help people narrow down how to get started. Step 1: Go into your space and assess the space. Step 2: Assign a purpose to every drawer or cabinet. Step 3: Take everything out and start fresh. Step 4: Emotionally disconnect from everything in there and see the space with a fresh set of eyes. Get rid of clutter. Step 5: Put things back in the ideal way to utilize them in the long term and get organized.

Her process and how somebody can get started 4:34

Sue’s list to organize 11:03

Under the kitchen sink 15:11

Organizing your counter/island 20:42

Dealing with surplus of inventory 24:09

Maintaining organization 27:03

Sabrina’s story getting started with Salt 31:39

The top selling product on Salt and charity 38:27

“It’s like when you guys decorate a space and how it changes it and it becomes beautiful and inviting. It’s the same thing with organization. When we organize a drawer, it becomes a joy to open. We’ve taken something frustrating and turned it into something magical.” 9:40

https://saltbysabrina.com/

@saltbysabrina

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have Rami Mekdachi, who is the founder of Lola James Harper, our favorite scent line here at Alice Lane. We’ve been air-freighting these scents out here to sell them for the last 3 years so we can get the best fragrances to our clients. We talk about what inspires the scents Rami makes and how he is able to create custom aromas for people based on where they reside or where they have planted their own identity. Rami explains that though your body is present in whatever location you are, your mind may not be especially these days with so many distractions that surround us, but when you get smell involved, your senses and present mind will bring your mind to be present.

Creating a brand that people love to be a part of 5:18

Inspiring the scent 10:07

How making a scent for Alice Lane would work 17:01

Gifting a scent to loved ones 21:17

Lola James Harper and being present 24:03

Where to buy his scents and why he doesn’t have a shop 31:25

Music and directing a film 34:50

Favorite scent 38:45

Defining luxury 40:45

“I think that’s such a good lesson for all of us in this journey because I think we’re always manifesting something, or hoping for something, or goal oriented, or whatever, but it really is about where we are right this very minute on this journey, right? Because that’s being present and I think smell makes us really present.” 25:42

@ramimekdachi

https://www.lolajamesharper.com/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve already done an episode on drapery, but we felt like since we’ve had so many more questions on drapery recently we would go into more detail on this subject. There are different places to use different patterns and tones of saturation. We do a lot of the light linen when you’re trying to create a softness and draw less attention to those windows, kind of like nice background music. Every time we’ve done a pattern, it matches the personality of the people that live there and they love it because it just feels so them. People typically think if they have shutters, then they don’t need drapes, but shutters typically just block out light and the view, whereas drapes typically hang out on the sides to provide aesthetics.

The best way to add drapery around an old school sliding glass patio door 3:24

When do I use pattern on drapes? 7:54

How often do I change my drapes? 13:54

Budget 16:02

How to do drapery on an arched window 20:13

Are there rooms to cut costs in? 25:13

“Mine are kind of a neutral field of off white, and then they have black brushstroke faces, outlines of faces on them. They feel kind of Roman, like Roman faces and the hair is just wiggly lines and it’s really a loose interpretation, and it makes the space feel very, sort of modern, which I love and gives it this personality and I feel like I have artwork for drapes.” 9:42

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are talking about one of Sue’s favorite topics today: How to add charm to your home. Lighting often is something that everyone can improve even if you’ve been in your home for a while. Boob lights are a great way to fill your room with light, but aren’t the most charming piece of lighting. We love sconces and Sue suggests just taking the cover off the ugly lights as this can look better than what your house comes with. When placing furniture, don’t just push them up against the wall, but try to mix it up. Go grab yourself an architectural digest and study the space planning because this will really add charm to your space. A lot of your walls are made of drywall, and then you add a texture to it, but you don’t want to add a lot of texture. We’re big fans of wall paper, which can add a lot of charm to your spaces. If you’re in an older home and you don’t want to re-lay all the flooring, you can buy rad rugs, which can make a big difference and really pull the room together.

Lighting 3:41

Kelvin levels 12:47

Space planning 14:09

Architectural accents 19:28

Walls 21:54

Hang art 30:22

Flooring 32:48

Layering 37:37

“When we’re in these little spaces I think there’s a real safety to them, and that is going to be the definition of a charming space. Like really dial those in, you know? The window seats can be full of down feathers and can be a small pattern, and you can have jumbo wells, or it can be like a French mattress type of a construction. Even a French ticking is darling with mismatched pillows, and all of those things are going to give you that feeling of charm.” 16:16

@hallahall

zocdoc.com/dearalice

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we wanted to introduce our Home Furnishing Design Team, which we developed specifically for those people that live in a home and just need furniture. Often we will present the client with about 2 options and they’ll ask why we’re only presenting two, but we go through a whole process of looking at multiple options, and then narrowing them down until we have 2 that are curated for their unique style. We only work one room at a time as this will ensure everything will be planned and completed correctly and of the highest quality, whereas if we’re focusing on more than one space at a time, things can get mixed up or mistakes can be made. Some people worry that their choices will go out of style, but if you love it and it is totally and completely you, even if it doesn’t quite go with current trends, it’ll never go out of style.

Team introductions 1:35

What sparked creating the home furnishings design team 3:32

What brings clients to call this team 5:57

Narrowing down the right options 14:00

Timeline 15:35

One space at a time 18:55

Example of custom pieces 24:33

How to go about this process 29:23

Helping clients all over virtually 36:01

What is your why? 39:55

Staying inspired 43:00

How to access our services 46:40

“This is a team of designers that just work specifically on furnishing your home. They do wall coverings, they’ll do custom draperies, they will talk you through hanging your chandelier. I mean, it’s really full service.” 1:20

https://alicelanehome.com/pages/home-furnishing-design

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year in May we had a fun episode where we answered a lot of questions from our listeners, which seemed to gain a lot of interest, so we wanted to do the same thing today. We talk about our dress styles, Jess’s preference being something without a repeating pattern, whereas Sue prefers the pattern, like walking art. We talk about finding our divine callings in interior design and how we got to where we are, and then funny trends we used to adopt that we can’t stand now.

Start of questions: Where do you shop for professional dresses? 1:20

Skin care routine 4:37

Hats 13:51

Favorite space in your home? 15:27

How did you know interior design was your divine calling? 18:38

Any trends you regret? 23:32

Favorite design trend right now 26:45

Design trend or pet peeve you can’t stand 29:04

Celebrity dream client 31:15

Designing our own products and pieces 33:46

Favorite piece we’ve ever designed 35:24

Most anticipated upcoming piece 36:52

“I love that right now that anything goes. Do you know what I mean? If it’s your style, we can make it beautiful and I love that design trend because that’s one of the most, in my head, when people are like, ‘So what’s trending?’ When people ask me that, I’m just like, ‘It’s whatever you love.’” 26:50

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we wanted to talk about a home we dedicated to tiger oak that was in the Parade of Homes in Utah and won many awards for its beauty. We discuss the various designs and choices we went with for our client, which you can see in our portfolio on our website linked below. We chose the paint color and style before choosing the furniture or finishing, which helped guide us in deciding on how to approach these other aspects. One unique thing about this home is when you enter it, you can see all the way to the back end, which gives you a greater understanding of depth and how big the place is. In the kitchen there are two tiger oak islands, one of which was a butcher block top and the other was marble, and then we put a big service window which is such a great party trick.

About Tiger Oak and the client 2:28

The entryway 6:26

The neon sign 12:31

The parlor 14:37

The family room 18:00

The dining room 21:08

The kitchen 23:01

The pantry 29:23

The pink heron powder bath 30:44

“That’s the cool thing about color blocking. Do you know what I mean? When you’re just working with colors in general, once you figure out your color, then you have that out, and then all the other decisions can kind of help decide themselves, especially when you had the wallpaper. That was happy up there and it had so many tones to pull from.” 16:46

https://www.alicelaneinteriordesign.com/tiger-oak

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another request was given to us to talk about wallpaper, which is one of our favorite topics right now and we haven’t focused on in the podcast yet, so today we want to discuss this fun topic. There are various different types of wallpaper, such as murals, which can evoke a unique scene in each room and give your space a greater sense of adventure or specific emotion you want brought out, and then we talk about what you can do to wallpaper your ceiling, why you’d want to do that, and how to go about it. Another fun or unique place you can wallpaper is in the smaller rooms, such as your kids’ clothes closet where they can hang up all their cute clothes in a cute room.

Different types of wallpaper 3:05

Cori’s Gucci wallpaper 7:07

Finding good murals 9:12

Wallpaper your ceilings 15:21

The party pantry/small print 22:05

Vinyl 25:54

Almost every company sells, ships, and prices their wallpaper differently 28:15

“One other thing I wanted to say about murals that's just so magical is that it’s an escape. It is larger than life, like it is life size if not larger and it’s just such a fun party trick. It’s fun for you to get to use every day. This isn’t a mural, but your tiger wallpaper, you said that if you have to go to the bathroom, you will trek it down the stairs to use the tiger bathroom because it’s so much fun.” 13:38

grove.co/dearalice

https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/

https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/

https://alicelanehome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHome

https://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/

https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecity

News Letter:

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices