Alicia B. Designs Photography Announcement!

Hi Everyone! I wanted to let you know that I'll be in TWO new photography shows in West Hartford, CT! One of them, I installed yesterday at La Petite France, an adorable french bakery with the most delicious croissants I've EVER had (when I'm not in Paris). They were just written up in the Hartford Courant last week HERE.

A snapshot of the show at La Petite France that I installed yesterday.

The second place is Cosi's in West Hartford Center!!! The show there will last just six weeks so you MUST go check it out ASAP. Curious about what's there? It's going to be a show of all Black and white photography and I'll be installing it this Friday, February 12th. If you need an excuse (I'm not enough!?!?) they still have smores there!

One of the many black and white photographs that will be up at Cosi's THIS FRIDAY!! Thistle can be seen on my website www.aliciabdesigns.com

I'm so excited about these shows so if you're in the area, please go have a look. If you're not, tell someone who is! Have a great Monday!


Alicia B.

Friday Faves

A gorgeous dining room by Michael Smith. I'm obsessed with that lantern.

Another week is over but WHAT a weekend we have before us! Predictions of the biggest snowfall of the year and the Superbowl on Sunday! I'm not really invested in either team but I'm definitely in it for the commercials and the guacamole. I'm also making my first trip EVER to an Ikea! I've never been to one before and I'm going to go with my Dad! It will be an adventure, that's for sure.

This is a hint for an announcement that I'm going to make early next week. Can you guess what it is? www.aliciabdesigns.com Hit it.
Last night I went to a sample sale last night for Hello Robertson, a company run by a new friend of mine! They make these amazing headbands, hair clips, and now necklaces which are super cute and preppy. I bought a headband made with a vintage fabric!

I'm on a huge wallpaper kick at the moment. I'm helping another client with their wallpaper for their master bathroom and loving every moment of the search. This beautiful little bathroom is by Lynn Byrne, fellow blogger (Decor Arts Now) and designer. Is this wallpaper not fabulous and charmant (say it with a French accent)?

I'll let you all know how much FIRST EVER experience goes at Ikea. I've heard it's overwhelming but I'm pretty excited!! I am secretly excited for the snow but if it interferes with my Ikea trip, heads will roll. And by that I mean I'll have to deal with it and make a snowman instead. What are your plans?


Alicia B.

Design Books are EVERYTHING

Okay perhaps that's a little dramatic for a title, but they are tres important and influential. I was taking a little inventory of all my design books (which are many and still growing), and couldn't help but flip through/get lost in Ellie Cullman's Decorating Master Class. Her interiors are traditional, full of extraordinary antiques and architectural details. They are elegant but look livable.

The soft blues and whites in this room make me think of summer. Is this bed not incredibly beautiful? I love contrast of the deep mahoganies with the soft bedspread, pale blue walls, and wispy white drapery.

How many times have I said how much I despise fabric over tables? How cool are these with knots tied at the corners?? So nautical! Also, how much would you love to walk through this hall with soaring ceilings framed by thick mouldings like these?

WOAH I love all the salmon and creme fabrics here! First of all those throw pillows are so pretty. Just simply lovely. But second of all, how fun is that checkered armchair off to the left? I KNOW, right?? I'm not even mentioning the bookcase behind and whatever over sized iron work is hanging on the wall off to the right.

Speaking of amazing fabrics, these draperies are so sweet! They really fit with the Early American vibe in this house. And who hangs an over sized pocket watch from a beam? How original.

When I'm left to my own devices after work, most of the time all I want to do is look through back issues of HB and Domino and all my great books. This time I really indulged myself (ie, I skipped doing homework in favor of Ellie Cullman). What really started this was I entered the Style Beat Contest in which Marisa is offering 5 (yeah, FIVE), different AWESOME design books if she picks you as the winner of her contest. Anyway, I entered and you should too. Enter HERE and have fun coming up with how your books inspire you!!

Happy Wednesday!


Alicia B.

The Gift Show on the Piers!

On Saturday, I headed on over to the New york International Gift Fair for the first time ever! I had an amazing time and saw so many beautiful new things. This is a loooong post but there was so much to see and, believe me, I left out a lot (booths that didn't catch my eye). Have fun!

BeeLine Home, Bunny Williams' inventive new line was full of bright colors and new but classic forms. I also picked up a copy of her new book, Point of View and got it signed. YAY.

Gorgeous indigo lamp.

Bunny was excited about her new piece, this folding screen with photos in it. She pointed out that people have too many picture frames floating around and taking up space so why not put them into a screen?

Isn't this chair simple and beautiful? From Blue Ocean Traders. They had many impressive peices.

As you can imagine if you know me AT ALL, I was in love with these pillows with the fleur de lis on them. From Callisto Home.

I love these bundles of letters and sweet little daschund sculpture.

Yay for books! All these books had fun designs on the bindings, many of them in a set.

Total Home really had me with all the nautical accessories. I'd LOVE to have these oars to hang on my walls.

Swoon over this Japanese float vase.

These throws were all so warm and cuddly looking. I especially liked the ones with the chevron pattern on them. They were all made in the U.S. too! Sanford Design.

I found these prints very charming. One of many great companies from down south: Wendover Art Group.

LOVE.

This was another one of my fave places, Design Legacy. It had a certain whimsical quality to everything with sweet objects like this Ferris wheel or flowery fabrics.

CUTE little rabbits!

See what I mean about the flowery fabrics? Gorgeous.

Who doesn't love a garden gnome? These step stools were also really cute and I think they were unique as well as practical.

I was so drawn to the fun garden/horticultural quality to this store.

One of the first places I stopped at was J M Piers from North Carolina. They had even heard of Alicia B. Designs and were huge fans of the blog!

They had an amazing collection of tole lamps. I love this one with a big "E" on it.

I'm a huge sucker for maps. These are inset into these little trays.

Here are more trays and they are hand painted...in the USA!

OOO Veuve Clicquot tray!

This store, Vagabond Vintage, was near perfection in my eyes. I loved the look that everything seemed to be collected.

And more plants!

The faded Union Jack wall hanging and more of those tole boxes were truly captivating.

And last but not least, the first booth I visited was Oomph! Their fun bright colors and use of Quadrille fabrics are just some of the many many reasons why I love this store.

Here are more of their fun pillows and a little 'tini table on the right.

I had a great time checking out all the new products for these vendors and meeting a lot of new people. It was obvious that everyone was here for this reason and the design enthusiasm was everywhere! I'm so glad that I went for the first time and I can't wait to go again. I'm also looking forward to what these companies have in store for us in the next year. They looked original and beautiful.

Alicia B.

Friday Faves

Friday again? YAY! It's been another week and we here in New York went from about 5o degrees to about 20 in two days. It's been quite a strain for us New Yorkers; we're oh so sensitive. Anyway, I've been discovering so many incredible new (to me) designers this week and you must take a look, too.

I love McGill Design's work; it's polished and elegant. This little nook in a sitting room is especially peaceful looking with a little bit of ikat flair in the pillows. How special is that window?

Gianetti Home is a designer I learned about from La Dolce Vita blog. I find this room extremely calming with all the different whites and ivories. That's quite a unique headboard though and the obvious but subtle focal point.

There are so many reasons why this one caught my eye. The stacked books, the Greek key throw pillow, the mercury glass lamps, etc but I love the blue and white color scheme. By Sally Steponkus Interior Design.

I have a lot on my plate for this weekend. I'm doing my usual math homework, going to the NYIGF (SO EXCITED!) for the first time, and also entering this awesome give-away contest on Style Beat. It's a chance to win five, yes five, different interior design books, all of which I want. I might own at least one of them already but I still want it again, is that wrong? Is anyone else going to the NYIGF? Well, bundle up, it's going to be a cold one this weekend.


Alicia B.

The Bachelor at The Madonna Inn

Confession time: I love The Bachelor.

Please don't stop reading my blog! I love The Bachelor because of the drama, the absurdity, and the pure entertainment. It's a guilty pleasure and I have no excuse for it. I'm sure you have a show like that, right? Anyway, I know a lot of you are feeling disillusioned about this fact so let's get going on the pure entertainment for you! In the last episode, the crazy girls and the bachelor, Jake, stayed in this hotel, The Madonna Inn. I was blown away at the unique and surprising rooms. They are not your typical boutique hotel rooms, like the bachelor, they are so much more.

There is lots of talk about how crazy the bathrooms are in this hotel but very few pictures because of the fact that, well, they are bathrooms! Everything seems to be made of rock here. Showers look like rock waterfalls, too.

The lounge restaurant is full of these cushy horseshoe shaped booths in red which seems to be a color used a lot around the hotel.

This is one of my favorite rooms. I love the sleek circular staircase and the intricate strange ceiling. This room is called "Just Heaven."

Do you like fur? Well this room is for you (I'm looking at you D.). This room is called "the Caveman Room." Everything seems to be furnished in leopard fur and rocks. I wonder what it's like to actually be in this room!

Remember when I said there were lots of rocks everywhere? Yeah. Large wing chairs in the lobby seem to be dwarfed by the massive boulders. The Madonna Inn, which was founded over 45 years ago, is actually named for the owners, Alex and Phyllis Madonna.

These rooms do seem a little (a lot) kitch, but at least they stand out. Seems like the perfect spot for some drama on the Bachelor, right?

This looks like one of the quirkiest hotels I've ever seen. It's right up there with the hotel made out of ice that I blogged on last year. Each room is some sort of fantastical world sort of like a movie set, which is perfect for California. Next time I'm in California I really must take a look at this motel. Has anybody been to it? Just so we're clear, I promise I won't talk about The Bachelor again unless it concerns interior design--unless someone wants to gossip about the latest episode!! No? Yes? ANY TAKERS??

Alicia B.