Rope me in

Want these?  Get at me and I'll get them for you.  

As you know I love nautical design--I love a good anchor motif and I've been seeing lots of rope everywhere.  Rope is the ultimate nautical motif; knots, rope wrapped lamps and tables.  I'm seeing it everywhere and loving it.  The texture is forgiving and rustic.

South of Market side table.  SO chunky!

This bench is from Shades of Light and super affordable!  Under $1000!  Am I jaded?

1st Dibs whimsical rope sconces.  Vintage rope lights are usually from the 60's.

Vintage Rope lamps from 1st Dibs.  Fabulous.

Don't want vintage?  This Arteriors lamp is super affordable too and great for a kid's room or costal living room.

Ro Sham Beaux Rope wrapped lantern.  Obsessed. 

The sink is a little weird here but I love the rope wrapped mirrors.    Want a rope wrapped mirror?  Email me at aliciabdesigns@gmail.com  Image: Brown Contracting on Houzz.

Sailing motif!!  I'm not only obsessed with rope wrapped furniture but I love the idea of using rope as the stair balusters attached with a cleat. From Houzz as well.

Nicole Hollis used rope to wrap the balusters of the stairs.  Rope and a glue gun is really all you need.  

Instead of having regular hardware you can make huge knots as the drawer pulls and knobs on the doors.  It sure adds a more relaxed look to this hard edged but beautiful bathroom.  SB Architects. 

This may be the coolest chair I've ever seen.   Its in the Holly Hunt Showroom.   

Well it's clear that I love this rope wrapped trend.  You could even take something with an awful finish and DIY wrap that sucker and have a completely new looking piece.  So now. Like it and want it?  Contact me and I can lead you to it.  What do you guys think?  Weird or lovely?


Alicia B. 

Alicia B's Style: The Lilly Fall Collection!

Clearly, I don't talk about fashion very much and to tell you the truth I'm not much of a "fashionista".  I have my own personal style and I know what looks good on me.  I dress preppy for the most part and shop at J. Crew, Kate Spade, and Lilly Pulitzer.  When you think Lilly, you usually think bright pink and green summer frocks, right?  Yes.  I just got the Lilly fall catalog and saw so many cute things!  Check out my future preppy wardrobe:

This striped Elsa top looks super comfy.

This black lacey skirt is super fancy and so elegant.  The Hyacinth skirt.

OH look!  Polka dots!  Laney Dress.  Want.

A good old fashioned pants suit.  This is preptasticly fabulous.

This is pure perfection for fall.  Jonah Dress

I LOVE sweater dresses.  So cozy and would looks great with some brown boots.  Cas(ual).

And don't forget about jewelry.  This button necklace is cute as a bug's ear.  Bet you thought I'd say button, huh?

I always love Lilly's fun and happy designs but what do you think?  I think i'm mostly drawn to the navy blue combinations with pink and green.  I'm hoping to maybe get one of these dresses at the Greenwich Lilly store some evening after work.  Probably the sweater dress.  It's the most ME out of all of them...actually they're all me.  Who wants to go on a shopping spree for me?  Check out the rest of the line HERE.

Alicia B.

Polka Dot Trend: Don't ever change.

I know that polka dots have been HOT all season and looks like they still will be this fall (according to J. Crew).  I love to see how fashion and design influence each other and so I went on a quest to find some polka dotted interiors!

Great idea for an accent wall in a kid's room.  A preppy design like a polka dot could last them through their teens!

This is from Lonny.  You could take a panel of polka dot fabric or a print and have it framed for a fun piece over a bed like this one.  this room is full of pattern so it fits right in. 

This person must love pink.  The polka dotted runner up the stairs is fun and playful.  

Feeling on the fence about it?  Just go for a polka dotted shower curtain like this one.  Again, more pink...

This is another way of adding polka dots if you're too scared to commit to something bigger.  Throw pillows!  If you get bored you can switch them out but I wouldn't recommend it because these are awesome.

Polka dots on the wall and on the floor might just be a good idea for a party.  They look like giant confetti falling, right?  I think it looks festive though. Love.

I LOVE these upholstered barstools with a tan and white polka dotted fabric. Great if you're a neutral person.

This would be a really cute and fun idea for a guest room to have polka dot lumbar pillows and a matching chair.  HATE the chandelier though.

Brown and white polka dots on this breakfast table settee looks great with a white capiz chandelier. 

How are you feeling about polka dots?  I love the preppiness of them.  They are playful and fun and add a lot of interest to an otherwise plain room.  Also I NEED those pants from J. Crew they are pure perfection for the Fall season. They can be fun or subtle and sophisticated depending on the scale and the color.  All these pics are pinned on my Pinterest profile.  Hit it.

Alicia B.

On My Radar

A few months ago I was designing a beach house playroom on the Hamptons and I came across a new designer I hadn't heard of before while looking for mural wallpaper: Jarlath Mellett.  Starting out in fashion heading up the design of Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer and Theory, he certainly has a lot to offer the world of interior design.  

Sometimes I feel like I style bookcases for a living, and I love the way he did this one with firewood.  The ceiling is stunning as well. 

Speaking of stunning, in this seemingly minimal space there is so much going on.  This piece of marble is breathtaking and notice the small side table in the foreground.  What is that? 

Here we get to the large scale murals that led me to him in the first pace.  Not necessarily my style but this certainly makes a statement in a bedroom.

This, I love. Surprised?  Sometimes photography can be too graphic feeling in a space but this adds an abstract element to an otherwise ordinary room.

Who doesn't love a good horse photograph these days?  I also adore the little Hermes "H" peeking out from behind the other throw pillows in this Amagansett living room.

Jarlath has also designed many stores in NYC including a Theory, Helmut Lang, and this Rebecca Taylor store.  Beautiful and feminine and a little bit playful.

He also has a fabulous looking store with furniture, tabletop, wallpapers, and more.  I'd love to visit it, but it's in Amagansett.

Check out his website, HERE for more info slash amazing spaces.  I'm thoroughly impressed, how about you? 

Alicia B.

Seafoam Green + Coral Combo

Sounds like a crazy prom outfit but it's not...it's a super fun color scheme!  My sister is moving to NYC soon and is renting a studio (or as she likes to say, "buying a building") and has asked me to help her!  In a realistic design situation, you have to work with a client's existing pieces and in this case, my sister has a seafoam green sofa, our starting point.  I've advised her that we're going to play it up with some navy and coral accents--it's going to be wild.  Here are some great examples of these two colors working together.

This is one of my favorite rooms--by Ashley Whittaker.  It's bright and soft at the same time.  Also, the lighting is so gorgeous!

The soft seafoam green with the pop of the drapery is really fun and actually quite calming.  From HERE.

Tobi Fairley uses a neutral as the base and a pretty seafoam green tailored drapery treatment and accents it with a coral throw pillow and geometric upholstered ottoman.

Who can resist a macaron?  We had macarons at our wedding as the favor.  YUM

As you can see, these are a happy combination.  They make the room bright and fun and sunny and I don't think you really need anything else in a small studio.  We are thinking about a patterned navy rug, the seafoam green sofa, seagrass woven bar stools, and some coral accents in the throw pillows.  I can't wait to show you how it looks when she moves! 

Alicia B.

The Colgate Mansion!

Many of you may have never heard of this house but everytime I travel from NYC to my parent's house in Litchfield County CT we can see it on the ride home.  It's always been an intriguing mystery to me because the house itself is hidden from view by trees, but NO MORE!  My (genius) husband found this post on New York Social Diary about the house! It's listed for a cool 10.9 Million (kajillion) dollars. 

It was built in 1906 for "Rome" Colgate in Sharon, CT. 

Not long after (for a mans) in 1936, the house with all its furniture, and the 300 acres that it sits on for...$25,000. 

After that, the house was flipped a bunch of times and finally ended up with this Steel Magnate playboy character who was bff with Cary Grant.

I literally couldn't breathe when I saw this image.  The detailing on the ceiling and the wood inlay floors are gorgeous.

This is obviously not my style, but here is another incredible ceiling and green silk damask wallpaper.  

Wouldn't it be fabulous to have a dining room this size?  Seating for 14?  Check out the wood inlay floors and all the incredible moldings and details!!

I love the simplicity of this wood working going up the stair.  The white in the middle  creates a beautiful silhouette.  

These doors repeat all around the second floor.  FAB. U. LOUS.  Imagine walking out onto that balcony with the columns overlooking your stunning front yard and your little sports car.  

More inlay flooring, this staircase is so graceful and the detailing around the door and ceiling is so unique.   I love how the curves reflect each other on the floor and ceiling. 

Here we are in the servants quarters (for poor people).  I'd love to have enough room to display plates like that.  

Ring the bell and les servants will bring your food.  Looks like William Morris wallpaper on the walls down there. 

On the whole, it looks like a pretty extravagant place.  The current pictures look like someone really let it go, but it's the perfect job for a designer--project!!  What do you think of the house?  Other features of this house are a pool, 8000 SF Carriage house, wine cellar.  Not everyones style per se but its Beaux Arts at its best.  The only thing I need is a few mill to buy it...anyone want to pitch in?  Colgate Mansion here we come!  (all pics from the realtor and NYSD)


Alicia B.