Setting the Mood in the Bedroom

The master bedroom is by far my favorite room to design in the home.  This is a space where you can create a scene filled with luxury, comfort and a little bit of romance.  For me, the master bedroom becomes a space solely to provide comfort. It should be a haven from the bustle of the busy day.  An easy and simple way to create this luxurious retreat is through the use of textures, layers, patterns and color.

Begin with the headboard.  I prefer an upholstered headboard. Not only does it look stylish and luxe, but it has the added bonus of being comfortable!  Next you can begin to layer in beautiful linens, soft pillows, and inviting textures to the top of your bed.  Choose soft, tactile fabrics that will become softer with wear – there’s no point in selecting something you wouldn’t live comfortably with.

From top to bottom, right to left: Mady Platform Bed -  Queen - Starting at $2,220  King - Starting at $2,347.50 || Chamber Bed - Queen - Starting at $5,090  King - Starting at $5,475 || Cleo Bed - Queen - Starting at $3,022.50  King - Starting at $3,287.50. Take advantage of The Very Best Sale going on now and save 20% off on these beds.

Nothing defines atmosphere more than lighting – and since atmosphere is key in a master bedroom – so is lighting!  Thoughtfully place lighting throughout the room – on top the bedside tables, next to a chaise or a lounge chair. This will create a soothing and peaceful place to relax.  When you can turn off your bright overhead lighting and turn on soft lamp light – it gives any room a calm and intimate setting.

Lastly, style should get personal in the master bedroom.  Layer in family photos, display treasures from your most recent travels, set aside your favorite books, light candles and place fresh flowers on the bedside table - enjoy your master retreat!

[photo 1, 2, 3, 4]

Let's Party!

What's in Store - Brass Cocktail Tables

We love our brass cocktail tables! In this month's issue of Lonny, they featured one the newest to our collection, the Vega. With its brass plated base and smoked glass top, it's sure to glam up any room.

This showstopper is in store now and part of The Very Best Sale! Hurry in to receive 20% off until October 7, 2013. Take this girl home with you today! (For those of you who are not local, we can always place orders over the phone!)

42"Dia. x 15"H Regular Price: $1,674 Sale Price: $1,339.20

[photo 1, 2]

Places For Chatting

“A comfortable chair is the most hospitable piece of furniture one can own” – Charlotte Moss Whether creating a relaxing seating area in a master bedroom, a lively keeping room off the kitchen, or an office setting, a comfortable place to sit is so important! When arranging a furniture grouping, the way you place your sofas, chairs, and tables has a direct effect on the way the room is used and enjoyed.

When choosing a layout for a bedroom, keep it inviting and comfortable. You want a space that you can relax in and cozy up with your favorite people. In the above bedroom floor plan there is a settee, which is the perfect place to sit with a laptop, have morning tea, or even a landing spot for your duvet to rest when it’s too warm at night. Flanking this with a cozy chair and reading lamp creates a perfect end to the day.

When putting together a keeping room or sun room, it’s always great to introduce several different chairs with a main sofa. This eclectic mix allows guests to feel welcome and comfortable; able to pull up a chair and chat without the formality of perfectly matched pieces.

Whichever grouping you choose to incorporate into your space, always pick something comfortable that you love!

This is one of my favorite chairs. I love the details of the tufting, and once paired with the ottoman it's a chair you will never want to leave. We have it in store now, and it's part of our sale!

Regular Price: Chair - $2,127.50 | Ottoman - $840 Sale Price: Chair - $1,702 | Ottoman - $672

[Room shot found here]

How-to: Accessorize your sofa and chairs

When it comes to adding personality to your sofa, we find it's best to start with a simple and neutral fabric or leather for the base. This allows your pillows do the talking. Mix up the textures and sizes - The length and depth of your sofa will determine the number of pillows. With a long and deep sofa, 3 pillows is prime. You don't want to overcrowd the sofa. If the sofa is smaller, stick with 2. Use different textures. Here, we've used a velvet, a linen, and a sequined pillow to add a little pizzaz. We started with the largest pillow and worked from there. We recommend using down fillers rather than polyester inserts. They stay looking great for a long time and even more importantly, they are are more comfortable!

Use a lumbar pillow in lounge chairs - Doing so will add a bit of back support and fit just right in the chair. If the chair has a taller back and is deeper, go ahead and use a 20" square.

A chair doesn't always need a pillow - Some chairs, like this beauty, doesn't need any accessorizing. That tufting goes all the way down the seat of the chair and is interesting enough to stand on it's own. There's no need to cover up all of that beautiful detail. 

Add a throw to the back of a chair or sofa - With the transition into fall, adding a throw will make a setting feel cozier and is also very functional. Fold it up neatly and drape it over the back or throw it over the arm of the sofa for a more casual, laid back approach.

What's in Store - The London

Though the English rolled arm sofa has been a classic since the 1820's, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams created the perfect blend of classic style and comfort when they designed "The London." The lines are elegant and timeless and the 26'' seat depth invites you to pull your legs up and stay a while.  Who wouldn't love to curl up on this sofa, perfectly nestled in towering bookshelves, and read for hours? The amazing thing about this sofa is that it can take on so many different personalities as it is mixed with different styles of furniture. You can see it here in the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams showroom. Their take on the classic piece is a little more modern with some clean lines and metallic in the mix. And yet, the London looks perfectly placed.

In the Alice Lane showroom, it is paired with the Dana chairs (also by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams) and a punchy ottoman. We love the versatility of this sofa. The London comes in 3 lengths - 77", 87", and 97". Lucky for you, the London is part of The Very Best Sale and we have three in stock, waiting to go home with you. Hurry in to receive 20% off until October 7, 2013. For all of you locals, stop in and see her for yourself, and for those of you out of town, don't hesitate to call in and place your order.

Regular price: $2,777.50 Sale price: $2,222.00

[photo 1]

It's on! The Very Best Sale!

These are a few of our favorite vendors offering the most comfortable and beautiful pieces - sofas, chairs, beds, cocktail tables, dining tables, etc. Stop in and have one of our design experts help you find your perfect piece.

And the countdown begins...

Labor Day Weekend

 

Hope you all have a lovely Labor Day weekend. Our store will be closed on Monday but will reopen on Tuesday, September 3rd.

[photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

Hurry In!

Tomorrow is the last day of our Art Sale!

Oh, the places you will go...

Whenever I travel, be it across the ocean or right here in our backyard, I’m constantly taking pictures because I want to remember every single moment!  The landscape, the colors, the culture, and the people are my very favorite souvenir, so why wouldn’t I plaster it on my walls at home?   Your art should tell your story--where you’ve been and where you dream of going!

One of our dearest clients has traveled the globe extensively and just happens to be handy with a camera.  I was looking through her online travel journal and it hit me, why on earth have we not used any of these images in her home?  I am correcting my wrongs and am designing a stairwell gallery with some of her favorites from around the world to remind her of where she’s been!

Someday I want to explore Machu Picchu in Peru and collect amazing fabrics and rugs in India.  I dream of going to Paris and living in London.  I’d like to sketch the pyramids in Egypt and see the water in Australia.  I could go on and on but the truth of the matter is we CAN go to all the places we dream about. Art can take us there!  Below are some of the people and places I dream about and I’m grateful to the artists that made this trip possible.

1. Peruvian Sketches - 22"x18" each - $275 each // 2. Greek Isles - 59.5"x30.5" - $1,075  // 3. London Train Stops - 50"x88" - $3,218 // 4. Paris Cafe - 23.5"x73.5" each - $3,500 // 5. Piazza San Marco - 40.5"x48.5" - $425 // 6. Egypt Sketches - 17.5x18.75 each - $262.50 each // 7. Indian Batik - 41.5"x54" - $1,575 // 8. Paris Map - 31"x31" each - $3,000

All of these pieces can be purchased at our store. Take advantage of our Art Sale going on now and receive 20% off!

How-To: Gallery Walls

A gallery wall can be a window into the homeowner's soul - featuring art that they have carefully and lovingly chosen, mixed in with photographs or sentimental pieces from their lives. Choosing these pieces may seem like an overwhelming task, but it doesn't have to be. Typically, if you are choosing pieces you love and that mean something to you, they all seem to come together. Here are a few tips for choosing and hanging pieces: 1. Start with the largest piece and work from there.

2. Clear the floor in front of the wall that the art will hang on and try different arrangements to see which you like best before hanging. If it helps you visualize, use painters tape to outline the size of the wall.

3. Keep in mind that the wall will be more collected looking using pieces that are different sizes and with different frames. For a series that goes together, keep the frames the same.

4. Mix it up with paintings, illustrations, sketches, and photographs. A sculptural piece or mirror could be a great, eclectic addition as well.

5. Keep in mind, there is no specific formula for creating a beautiful wall. So enjoy the creative process, and let your personality be reflected in your display.

This is how we did ours. Stop by to see it, and ask one of our designers to help you create your own!

[photos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6]

Art We Love

Art pulls at our heartstrings and is very special to us here at Alice Lane. You can see a few of the reasons why here. These are a few of our favorite pieces: Russian Landscape - The inviting colors and soft lines of this painting bring such a wonderful and calm feeling. Every time I see it, I feel like I have left reality and traveled to a peaceful place with no worry in the world. - Eleena 49.5" x 49.5" Regular Price - $937.50 SALE PRICE - $750

Horse II - There is something about this print that is so warm and absolutely magic. The large scale print is perfect for the subject. - Eliesa 46.5" x 46.5" Regular Price - $912.50 SALE PRICE - $730

Shut the Door, Have a Seat - This gallery is one of my favorites! I love the loose, organic brush strokes. Any time you add a collection or a series to your wall it will become the highlight of your room. Besides - you can never go wrong with black and white! - Christy 19"x23" each Regular Price - $356.25 each SALE PRICE - $285 each

Woman with Bouquet  - It’s a beautiful thing when a picture taken 50 years ago can resonate with who I am right now in 2013!  The woman with the red bouquet reminds me to simplify.  It reminds me of my mom and her garden.  And it reminds me to stop and smell the roses. - Suzanne 37.5"x45.5" Regular Price - $737.50 SALE PRICE - $590

Grand Canal Venice - I love this piece because it looks just like all the watercolor paintings that people were selling all over Italy, and I feel like it could be one of the pieces I purchase when I was there. - Jen 27.5"x37.5" Regular Price - $462.50 SALE PRICE - $370

The Chalet at Parivolia - Most pieces from Isabelle de Borchgrave give me a sense of freedom. Maybe it's the loose nature of her painting style. Or possibly because it's because if I lived in one of these paintings I'd surely be on my own agenda. - Shelby 32"x27" Regular Price - $1,050 SALE PRICE - $840

Hold - I'm always drawn to smart, geometric art pieces, and this one is a favorite. The composition of the navy linear strokes is interesting but orderly. I especially love it when framed with a hit of gold. - Kristina 45"x52" Regular Price - $595 SALE PRICE - $476

Take advantage of our sale and pick up something meaningful to you during our Art Sale going on now.

When it comes to art... this is the rule:

Don't buy it because "it matches." Buy it because it stirs something in you. And make sure it will give you the feeling that you want your room to have.

We worked on a home for nearly a year with a client, and could never land on the right piece of art to hang above the fireplace. It needed to be huge, and I really wanted an original piece for her space. An ad in one of the shelter magazines led me to a gallery in Atlanta where I fell in love with a piece they had. We showed the art to the client, and it was a perfect match. We say,  "It looks like the Heaven's ruffled it's feathers!" Totally worth the wait.

On of my favorite designer tricks is to use something bold and loose in a more formal space. It gives the room a pulse and makes it feel young again. It also looks like you hired a designer to help you pull it off!

The Art Sale is on right now at Alice Lane! I have selected over 100 of my favorite pieces and brought them in for this event. Custom orders are also available at the sale price throughout the event. Stop by and let us help you give your home that feeling you've been craving.

 [photos 1-3 by Nicole Hill Gerulat, 4, 5, and 6]

Art Tips, Tricks, and Rules

1. Think low. The biggest mistake people make when hanging art is hanging it too high. A good rule of thumb is to hang art at eye level. Keep your height in mind. For someone who is short, eye level is going to be lower than most, so raise that art up just a bit, and vice versa for all of you tall folks.

2. Don't let your art get lonely. Take into consideration how your art will relate to the pieces of furniture around it and the pieces below it. Art should never be hung alone on a large wall unless it is a large statement piece and should be anchored by a chair, bench, credenza, or mantle.

3. Use moments from your own life - candid snapshots. These are little treasures for guests to stumble upon in your house and warm reminders of happy memories for you. However, don't go overboard. The more personal the area of the home - the more personal photographs and memories it can hold, like hallways, bedrooms, and dressing rooms.

4. Give your art collection your personal touch. Don't be afraid to add a little whimsy or quirk to your home through your artwork. Whether an irreverent postcard or silly picture snuck into a gallery wall, an element of quirk and humor in your decor shows you don't take yourself too seriously. Your home is truly a reflection of your personal taste.

5. The big bucks aren't needed. You don't need to spend a fortune on an original piece of art to have a beautiful, cohesive gallery wall or even just that one statement piece.

6. Layers look collected and effortless. Hang a larger statement piece then layer one or two smaller pieces leaning, over it. Add a sculptural piece of art for another layer. This look makes a traditional space feel looser and creates a great place to keep a collection.

[photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7]

Timberrrr

We are having some work done on our power lines due to the wind storm this weekend, so we will be closed today.  We will reopen tomorrow, August 20th. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Clarke Residence Office

Mr. and Mrs. Clarke are two of the kindest and most genuine people you could ever hope to meet.  They are full of life and love, and their home certainly reflects that.  They recently asked us to design Mr. Clarke’s home office to be a stylish, yet functional, space where he could hold client meetings, transact important business and have a comfortable place to kick back and relax.  How could we say no?!   While sitting down and getting to know the Clarke’s (which was a treat!), it was hard not to notice their personal style and love for fashion.  We wanted to bring those stylish details into our design.

Typically, we want a home to look and feel consistent throughout.  However, we loved the idea of creating a temperature change for Mr. Clarke.  We wanted to create something a little deeper, a little richer, a little stronger and, yes, a little more masculine than the rest of the home.  We achieved this handsome statement with the use of textured wallpaper, rich leathers, and a mix of classic elements with contemporary furnishings.  The result was a rich sanctuary that provides a comfortable, stylish and functional setting for Mr. Clarke to conduct his work, as well as relax at the end of a long day.

Art gives a room a pulse, a heartbeat.  It is the exclamation point at the end of a sentence.  Leonardo da Vinci said “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt.”  Fortunately for us, Mr. and Mrs. Clarke just happened to own a wide variety of beautiful original art.  All we had to do was shop from their collection (talk about a hard day of work!).  We couldn’t believe what we found in their basement – we hit the jackpot!  In order to keep Mr. Clarke’s office feeling young, we peppered in a few new, vibrant pieces of art with their original pieces.  This immediately gave the room that confident, masculine style we were after.  This thoughtful art gallery is positively the highlight of Mr. Clarke’s office.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Clarke for graciously letting us into your home and trusting us to create that temperature change in Mr. Clarke’s office.

[photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat]

5 Reasons Why We Love Art

1. Art fills our life with inspiration. This is Ralph Lauren's Madison Avenue office that he has filled with pieces that inspire his work. 2. Art gives the room a pulse, a heartbeat. Art can bring such a strong emotional impact. It can determine the color palette, set the mood, and become the focal point.

3. The quickest way to introduce personality to the room is by adding art. The art in the conference room adds all of the personality in this room. It's known immediately that this is a place where fashion is celebrated.

4. Art has the unique ability to raise the level of other pieces around it.  Take a beautiful space, with beautiful furniture, add that magical piece of art and it makes the room and the pieces in it.

5. Art is an expression of your life and memories. Pieces should be collected, whether from travels, found pieces, heirlooms passed down, or just a piece that you had to have, but something that represents you.

Take advantage of our Art Sale, and get that one (or two) piece that you have to have!

[photo 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5]

Studio 5

In case you missed our fabulous store manager, Michelle, on Studio 5 yesterday - here she is showing us simple ways to add details around your home.

Studio 5 TODAY!

Our talented store manager, Michelle, will be on Studio 5 today talking about simple ways to enhance the spaces of your home. You won't want to miss it!

Channel 5 at 11:00 today.

We will post the segment tomorrow, so make sure to check back if you miss it or aren't in Utah!