Tickled Pink!

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Pink is the universal color of love. Pink is happy, playful, and charming - just like my sister, Amy! And I was tickled pink when she asked me to help design her home for her and her beautiful family. Amy's main request? A little touch of pink in each room! I smiled and said, "This, I can do!"

We began with the sneak preview to any home – the entry.  Amy is a busy mother of three children and leads a hectic life to say the least.  So she wanted every room, including the entry, to not only be stunning and elegant, but practical and kid proof as well.  Believe it or not – that is a doable combination!  We wrapped the entry in a luxurious cream wallpaper with a luminous silver-leaf pattern.  This set the tone for everything else to come.  My sister craves light in any room, so we of course lit her console table with two lamps.  On top of the console we placed some of her favorite family photos, and centered on the wall above a stylish multi-layered sunburst mirror.

The entry opens to her music room.  This room is well used since Amy is a talented pianist and her children share the joy of music as well.  We wanted to create a space where friends and family could comfortable lounge and listen while music filled the room.  The windows are draped in a metallic sheer, an elegant and peaceful look that lets in as much light as possible.  For that touch of pink, we added a fresh flower arrangement and a cozy pillow.  This room is no longer a pass through, but instead is a welcoming resting spot for friends and family.

Where mom is, the kids are sure to follow!  Just off of Amy’s kitchen is her family room, so this is where she and her family naturally spend the majority of their time.  She wanted this space to be stylish, comfortable and livable - with a dash of pink (of course!).  The watercolor-like hand knotted rug anchors this room – giving it an elegant look with the practicality she so needs with a young family.  The organic mirrored armoire not only looks beautiful, but the mirrored doors create a liquid quality that’s incredible calming and serene.  We spread that touch of pink throughout the room with the use of custom fabric on her modern wing back chair, a fun Moroccan pouf, whimsical art and comfortable pillows.  When I asked Amy what she thought, she excitedly told me, “I love how happy this room makes me feel.  Every time I walk in, it just makes me smile!”

Don’t forget about your laundry room or mud room.  As with most moms, these rooms get plenty of use!  We wanted to dress these spaces up a bit so that the typically daunting task of laundry would not seem so daunting.  So we spread a little pink around, hung cheerful art and tossed in some textured pillows.

One of the easiest ways to let your guests feel at home is to dress the powder room.  Fill this room with luxurious soaps, soft towels, fragrant candles and anything else you think your guests might enjoy to freshen up.  This is exactly what we did in my sister’s powder room – and I have to say I love lingering in this room!  We enveloped the walls with a soft pink paint.  When the lights are dimmed, it casts a beautiful rosy glow - everyone looks fresh and young in a rosy glow!

As Jessica Bennett says, “Your home should be your favorite place on earth.”  I was tickled pink to create that place for my sister.

[photos by Meikel Reece]

- Christy

Inspiration in Unusual Places - The Fourth of July

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Celebrate the Fourth of July in glamour. This red, white and blue color scheme can be very patriotic but used, in the right way, it can also be very sophisticated. These are a few of our favorite rooms. Use the scheme literally, and add a flag as wall art.

Adding in a piece of artwork adds some pizazz to this room and makes a bold statement. Add some color to your bedding with red, white and blue.

Navy blue walls add sophistication and depth to this dining room but the contrast of the white slipcovered chairs and linen drapes make it feel a bit more relaxed and breezy.

A pretty tufted persimmon headboard, with the contrast of crisp white sheets make this bedroom glamorous. I'm in love with this velvet navy sectional and that gold elephant! Love!

Happy Fourth of July! What will you be doing to celebrate?

[photos from Elle Decor, Lonny, and Rue]

What's in Store - The Maxime Bed

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Let your summer slumber be more luxurious with our newest addition to the store - the Maxime Bed.

In a linen/rayon/polyester blend, the rayon and polyester make it a bit more cleanable. This king bed is perfect for a Master Bedroom, but if a queen is what you are looking for, we can order that in. It is even offered in that hard-to-find twin bed. With it's clean lines and button tufting it would work in any transitional room.

94"W x 94"D x 57.5"H $2,445

Stop by and see it in person!

Show n' Tell - Influence Real Estate

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It is time for some show and tell! At Alice Lane we are widely known for our design and aesthetics in homes, but we love working on commercial spaces as well. There is nothing better than creating a functional and beautiful environment for people to work in.  

We recently were asked to work on the offices of our good friends at Influence Real Estate. Influence Real Estate is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah and is a boutique firm founded by Rob Corcoran, who has raised the bar of the real estate industry. It is always a pleasure working with Rob. he has created an  amazing experience with his company. When he contacted us, he wanted to create a working environment that reflected the homes they were helping their clients locate.

Their office space is located in a beautiful and architecturally stimulating Modern Prairie style building in the area of Cottonwood heights. We wanted to stay true to the architecture as we selected the interior finishes and furnishings of the space.

The building has a great juxtaposition of contemporary open ceilings and warm modern wood tones. We started by re-painting the space a light neutral, making the offices feel open and larger.

We found an amazing new slab of granite for the front desk and gave it a large two inch edge, giving the front desk a more substantial presence in the space.

We added in pattern and texture with furniture and a rug.

We took inspiration from their logo and branding to etch their boardroom glass, incorporate leather-stiched wallpaper behind the front desk, and wrap their copy center in bright orange grasscloth.

We created the perfect balance of both Modern and Contemporary design.

- Natalie

[Photos by Meikel Reece]

This Just In - New Pillows

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Colorful and graphic - bright new pillows in for summer! Don't worry, there are also crisp, clean neutrals to freshen up your space. Add a pop of color to your mud room bench or add a graphic neutral to your living room sofa for a new, updated look. All shapes and sizes - $143 - $286

Loving these chevron pillows! $242/ $187

Green and navy, or a gray and yellow faux bois - graphic prints to add some fun! $209/ $143/ $198

Stop by today and see them all!

Summer Twirl 2012!

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I am such a seasonal girl; whether winter, spring, summer, or fall, I welcome all with open arms! As soon as the weather starts to change, I always get an itch to throw a party, so naturally, as the summer solstice approached, I sent all my home girls at Alice Lane a lil' invitation to the FIRST ANNUAL ATTIC TWIST & TWIRL! Everyone chatted about what they'd wear, what we'd eat, and where on earth would I fit everyone in the itty bitty attic!

I had big ideas and a small deck where I wanted everything to take place. After the lights were strung and the tables set, my guests began to arrive. We ate the seasons best; Megan brought potato salad, Christy brought caprese bites, Natalie brought kouign amanns (go to Le Madeline in Salt lake and experience these for yourselves) and Jesi topped it all off with her grandma's famous Strawberry Rhubarb pie! After dining on the deck, we retired to the garden where we played croquet till dark. It was silly and spontaneous - we even hula hooped!

Once the sun had set, it was time for us to make fairies in a jar! All you do is take an old mason jar, dump glow sticks and diamond glitter inside and shake. It was a riot and with just the right Pandora mix, our party got a little crazy! We danced on the rooftop with the lights and no matter what they say, the accidental lantern fire made everything more exciting!

The hour was late but I didn't want it to end! We still had one more activity... a gift exchange. I believe that you shouldn't leave a party empty handed and, as women, we love to give gifts almost as much as we love to receive them. Jess was a big fan of the butterfly net Andrea gave her... Megan was not as amused. Such fun!

It was pure  joy, gathering all of my favorite girls together for a midnight summer's dream - and that's exactly what it was, a dream. A twirl. A time to celebrate the season and each other. La chiam!

Cheers to summer! Suzanne

 

Inspiration in Unusual Places: Fashion

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Summer is almost here! Farmer's markets, picnics in the park, family barbecues and vacations are what we have in store. Let those outfits inspire our summer room decor! Brighter and bolder pastels are a favorite of mine right now. Very feminine and lovely.

Keep it neutral with tans and greys - a simple and classic look in fashion and interiors.

Bold colors and patterns makes this combination a hit!

Bright pops of coral and a lovely neon to go with. This look is energetic yet sophisticated.

Bon Appetite!

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Bon Appetite! The heartbeat of any home is the kitchen.  This is where family and friends gather for delicious food, loads of laughter and great memories.  It’s not too often we get the opportunity to design a kitchen for a real chef, but that’s exactly where we’ve found ourselves on this most recent project!  Not only did we want to make this kitchen beautiful, it needed to be high functioning, efficient and well-organized.

 

We began our kitchen recipe with the backsplash – the most stunning cobalt blue herringbone!  Once we laid our eyes on this tile, we knew it was for our chef!  Because our backsplash is the main course, we wanted to keep the other finishes clean and simple.  We decided to make all lower cabinetry white oak and paint all upper cabinetry white, creating an easy and contemporary backdrop to our backsplash.

We fell in love with the idea of restaurant-style floating shelves for our chef.  We strategically placed the floating shelves near the Teppanyaki Grill (yes, that’s right – Teppanyaki Grill!) so our chef could easily plate hot food for his guests.

In order to create some mood lighting, we positioned sconces on the columns flanking the floating shelves. Imagine how stacks of white dishes will softly glow in this space! Lighting is key in a kitchen - it’s the garnish on top; without it, it just wouldn’t be as pretty!

We left no stone unturned in this kitchen, including designing the pantry!  In small spaces you are only in for moments at a time - go bold!  We covered our pantry floor in a cobalt blue, 3” hexagon tile.  We then plastered the walls with a graphic white and taupe wallpaper that resembles a contemporary woods scene – why not?!  Because our pantry is so flavorful, we couldn’t keep this jewel hidden, so we placed a sliding barn door outside the pantry.  You can’t help but smile when passing this pantry.

This is bound to be a kitchen where family and friends gather for delicious food, loads of laughter and great memories.  Bon Appetite!

-Christy

What's in Store - Mary McDonald Lamps

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We've been missing one of our favorite TV show's, Million Dollar Decorators. We posted about it here. We have a bit of a designer crush on Ms. Mary McDonald. She has the attitude of "more is more" and we love her for that!

Since we haven't had Million Dollar Decorators to grace us with it's presence on Tuesday nights, we are oh so happy to have a few of Mary's lamps in the store. We ordered these two markets ago and are so excited that they are finally here!

From left to right: $497.50, $680, $425

[photo from Veranda]

This Just In - New Sugarboo Artwork

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The Sugarboo artwork from Market just arrived and we are so excited! These pieces will add a touch of love to your room, be it a living room, kitchen, bedroom or nursery. Colorful and a perfect reminder! $500

Prayer Beads - Great on a coffee table , draped over books or hung on a wall. $150

365 quotes for each day of the year - a little box full of love $88

$62.50

Use as a collection or one by itself is charming as well! $237.50 each

Welcome - $62.50

This butterfly adds so much color and punch to a room. $500

Happily Ever After metal heart $100

$62.50

Outdoor Rug Love

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Adam and I went shopping for a new BBQ grill this past weekend. I couldn't help but notice the lack of good looking outdoor rugs available in the market place. Most were only available in smaller sizes, like 5 x 7's. I can't imagine defining a space with an outdoor rug smaller than an 8x10. Here are a few of my favorite options available this season at Alice Lane... some reaching up to a 9x12. We can order any of the designs and sizes below. Just call in with your credit card and we'll get it shipped right out to you!

- Jessica