I hate purple

Isn't this from Blueprint?? Mustards and golds against the light purple are romantic and pop at the same time.

Hi, my name is Alicia and I hate purple. Yes, I admitted it. I think the color purple is awful, but I've been working a bit with it at my new job and I might be coming around to lavender. Let's be clear, I said lavender, not purple. I'm constantly inspired by my new job and I'm loving the super sophisticated color combo of Lavender and Champagne.

John Saladino. I think it works quite well in a bedroom. It's romantic and soothing and the moldings and shadows are beautiful with the color.

Hal Williamson. I've posted this image about 8 million times for different reasons but I'm continually drawn to it! HUH. Be that as it may, I love the giltwood furniture with the lavender color.

Drake Design designed this fun lavender bedroom with lavender grass cloth walls and amazing glass lanterns.

Pinterest hotness. I love round/octagonal rooms and the metallic ceiling with dramatic purple silk drapery.

I know most people love purple and I might be a total black sheep here but I don't mind. I don't have any purple in our apartment or in my wardrobe but I really enjoy this color combo. I think that the lavender has a little brown in it which makes it more soothing without being boring or ugly or a hideous neutral. Thoughts on purple? What about Lavender?
What about THIS. Enter my giveaway by Friday to win!



Alicia B.

OH and BTW I got married...

A few of you all have been begging me for pictures from my wedding last weekend. I have to say it was, without a doubt, the best day of our lives and even though it rained (buckets), we had the most incredible and unforgettable time. These pictures are from the rehearsal dinner, which I designed, and my mother executed.

It was held in a boathouse, at a nearby boys prep school, so everything was very nautical. Plus I love nautical decor so I had so much fun designing it. The boathouse looked out onto one of the lakes in our town and was a beautiful view.

The fabric that we bought was from Fabric.com. My mom (sewing genius) sewed all the table cloths and napkins.

The napkin rings were nautical knot bracelets made by this super cute couple in Mystic CT available at Mystic Knotworks.

I scoured the internet for tons of milk glass vases, bowls, cake stands, and a pitcher for the tables. The flowers were from my mother's garden and were the perfect pop of orange, pink and red against all the blue and white.

Since we have so many of them, I'm probably going to sell off a few of them--stay tuned for that!

This was the bunting banner that I made! I had extra fabric from the tablecloths and some ikat fabric from some pillows that I made for a client and crafted them into this fab nautical preppy banner! More on that later...

The night was a total success and the toasts that everyone made for us were super special and meant so much to us. It was the perfect night before the perfect day!!

I'll work on some wedding photos for you in the next few days. What did you think of the rehearsal dinner? We had an amazing time and it was a great time for both of our families to get acquainted before the actual wedding. I can't believe we've been married for one week!


Mrs. Alicia B.

UPrinting Give-away!

Did I not promise you good things here at Alicia B Designs? Today is the start of the UPrinting Give-away where one lucky blog reader will win a 16 x 20 rolled canvas with the design of your choice printed on it! If you're like me, you're always looking for affordable art work and let's face it, it's hard to come by.

With this though you have so many affordable options. You can upload a cute picture, a photograph that you took or, if I won, I would upload one of my favorite fabric designs for this canvas. I'm guessing my readers are really into the girl with the dog idea...

UPrinting offers TONS of services for super cheap. Business cards, signs, invitations, labels (I love labels!), canvas printing (obvi) and so much more!

These are just some ideas but the possibilities are endless--ENDLESS!! I'd blow this guy up frame it for a very dramatic statement.

Also, if you're interested, you can blow up an Alicia B. Original from one of my photographs onto a canvas. Let me know if you win and you want that and we'll discuss.

You know the basic rules, comment on my blog, talk about it on Twitter and you'll get an entry. UPrinting can only ship within the US, and you have to be 18 or older to enter. Does anybody under 18 read this? The contest ends next Friday so you have a week to enter--good luck!

Oh, and BTW, this photo canvas printing giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com for more details about photo canvas.


Alicia B.

Marbleized Paper Obsession

I've been obsessed for a while now with marbleized paper--it reminds me of Italy. I'm so happy to see that it's been making its way into the design market in home accessories and fabrics.

When I think of awesome products or rocks/marble, I think of Kelly Wearstler. Her blog is so much fun and I love to see her creative process. Her line at Sferra is just as awesome as anything else she does.

I love a dramatic headboard and this one blows me away. I guess it's more of a mural but I literally can't look away from this marbleized lilypad fabric. From HERE.

For your next tablescape masterpiece, use these AHHH-mazing napkins from Dransfield and Ross. I saw them when I was registering for my wedding but I chose the geometric greek Key ones. Also amazing.

Jenny over at Little Green Notebook took a gorgeous piece of marbleized paper and framed it. It's now an amazing and unique focal point in her living room! It adds a softness against all the other fabrics which are geometrics and ikat.

My fave fashion blogger Dilly Dallas got these amazing boxes from West Elm to accessorize her desk. I wish I could find them!

Love this pink marble fabric on the chairs here in what looks like a dressing room. Gorgeous dressing room from HERE.

I'm going to the source, ie Italy at the end of this month for my honeymoon and plan on stocking up on the real thing. I wish I could find some marble fabric--I know I've seen it somewhere. When I do, I see a pair of throw pillows in my future! Yes, I got married this past weekend and it was AMAZING--will show you pictures of the best day of my life later.


Alicia B

Walking down the aisle...

My mom is the one lying on the back of the sofa. Seriously, she's an amazing wedding planner and even calls herself "Frahhnk"

Well, I'm off to Connecticut to get married this weekend. I wish I could be more focused on interior design for you all, but all I can think about is walking down the aisle. I'm BEYOND excited, I just want Saturday to come! People keep telling me I seem so calm, which is true because I have an amazing wedding planner (my mom), but also I'm just so happy to be getting married. Take a little peek into my mind right now...DUN DUN DUNNN.

We are getting married in a tiny and adorable New Englandy church and the aisle looks a lot like this. I think I'm going to tear up it's so cute! Thank you Pinterest.

The twinkling lights on hanging from the ceiling and lining the aisle make this moment so romantic! PIN.

YIKES this is woodsy. Very over the top but a cool look if you're up in the mountains. The guests have to sit on the birch stumps!

This might be the slowest most painful "walk" down the aisle that ever happened. From this hilarious post.

I'm a not so secret fan of yellow. I'm loving the yellow flower petals at this Maui Wedding from HERE.

A few hours from now, my mother and older sister are picking me up in NYC, picking up my dress, and whisking me off to CT to join the wedding factory that has become my house and I couldn't be more excited. OMG! See you all when I'm a wife!


Alicia B.

Cooler Than the Debt Ceiling

YUP, I got a little political. I don't care for political talk on blogs, but I'm going to make it about design, so roll with it. I don't even know anything about what "Debt Ceiling" means but I've heard it thrown around a lot...I saw some gorgeous cool ceilings a few days ago and wanted to see more.

I've become borderline obsessed with fabric ceilings. This showroom has one with a looping fabric ceiling interacting with the lighting etc and almost ruining it with boring furniture. From HERE.

Mollie Johnson blows me away with this undulating black and white ceiling. I love large exposed beams and the way they are painted here with a contrasting black and white is amazing.

This simple weather wood ceiling is subtle but incredibly beautiful. With all the action going on with textiles and the chandelier its nice to have a calming light ceiling. Andrew Racquet.

Intricately painted ceilings are rarely seen except for if you go to the Frick, but Tobi Fairley takes the painted ceiling and makes it appealing and more modern. It looks like an abstract painting.

Need a place to put some wallpaper? How about the ceiling? Am loving this paisley pattern on the ceiling. From this Pinterest place.

Allison Caccoma gives us more black and white detailing with these arches leading into this sitting room.

I saved the best for last. Need I say more? Benjamin Noriega Ortiz

So did you forget about the debt ceiling? Did I distract you with the cool ceilings? Good. Since I live in a blah rental apartment it's fun to see all that you can do to the ceiling with a high gloss paint, or a fabric treatment. Putting wallpaper on the ceiling is a fun idea too. If you ahve some left over (as I do) putting it in a small room certainly adds another dimension. Happy Saturday!


Alicia B.