Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dear Alice | Interior Design
Episode: Remodel Masterclass: Transforming the Sugar House Kitchen & Beyond
Air Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Jessica Bennett (“Suze”), Suzanne Hall (Alice Lane), Producer Ryan

Main Theme

This episode is part of the "Remodel Masterclass" series, dissecting Alice Lane Interior Design’s renovation of a historic 2,800 sq. ft. Sugar House home in Salt Lake City, UT. The hosts walk listeners through the challenges and bold solutions of updating small, older spaces—especially the kitchen—while staying true to the client’s vibrant personality and needs. The discussion is rich with actionable design strategies, style philosophies, and memorable, witty exchanges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remodel Philosophy & “Going All In” with Vision

• The project started right before the pandemic, bringing unique material and logistical hurdles.
• Alice praises the client for embracing a bold, colorful vision in a market still obsessed with neutrals.
• The team emphasizes that even small, historic homes can be “grown up and sophisticated” through daring moves, cohesion, and maximizing storage and vantage points.

“This kitchen feels huge, which before it felt so, so small and petite.”
— Alice Lane, [01:34]

2. Kitchen: Reimagining Heart of the Home

Original Problems:

• Poor orientation; lack of symmetry and focus (e.g., the island faced the fridge/pantry).
• Small windows, corner sink (“doing dishes, you’re in time out” — Ryan, [05:17]).
• Wasted storage—an unnecessary closet that chopped up the floor plan.
• Short ceilings, mismatched window and cabinetry heights.

Solutions:

• Removed the closet: Reclaimed square footage, moved fridge/pantry to one dramatic, seamless wall with floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
• Reorientation of Island: Rotated the island 90°, providing improved sightlines—out windows or toward the hero range hood.
• Window Replacement: Removed and resized windows for symmetry and drama, even though it meant more exterior work.
• Cabinetry & Ceilings: Tall cabinetry and window treatments “stretch” the space visually.
• Focal Point: Emphasized the 60” Ilve range and custom range hood as the visual “hero.”
• Flooring: Installed a diagonal black-and-white marble pattern for drama, modernity, and perceived expansiveness.

“If you are remodeling a kitchen...this is an A++ trick: take your cabinetry all the way to the ceiling.”
— Alice Lane, [07:02]

“When you’re doing dishes you’re in time out!”
— Producer Ryan, [05:17]

“When you are remodeling...you want to see the range, not a trash compactor.”
— Suze, [10:53]

3. Dining Room: Defining Space & Growing Scale

• Open floor plan meant each space struggled for identity.
• Added full wall paneling, eliminating dated chair rails that visually shortened the room.
• Squared off cased openings for stronger transitions between rooms; eliminated “limp flower” arched doorways.
• Used large-scale art, statuesque leather chairs in dark peacock, and organic rug patterns for character and connection to the kitchen’s palette.

“When you’re working with older homes or small spaces...don’t keep things petite—that’s a lie! Blow it up, grow things, elongate.”
— Suze, [18:58]

“These picture molds connect really well to the full-scale cabinetry—it just rhymes.”
— Alice Lane, [20:49]

4. Fireplace & Family Room: Cohesion, Drama, & Placement

• Original fireplace featured architectural “niches” and clashing, awkward lines.
• Solution: Smoothed forms, installed dark marble to echo kitchen cabinetry, and grounded the living area.
• Art Placements: Moved the gallery of collected art to the stairwell for closer appreciation; kept large-scale pieces for main walls. Layered smaller rugs with large jute for perceived space.
• Used scale and bold choices (e.g., wide art, huge cocktail table) to make rooms feel larger and curated.

“Go big on your art...it’ll grow up your space a lot.”
— Suze, [26:45]

5. Office (“Soft Sadness” to Powerhouse Functional)

• Added floor-to-ceiling built-ins for desperately needed storage.
• Desk is arranged for interaction and flexibility; Thomas O’Brien trick of placing the guest chair at an angle.
• Dark "Dutch blue" color drenched the room—cabinets, walls, ceiling—proving that deep colors can expand perceived space in small rooms.
• Gallery wall wraps around a corner, with a view from the doorway framed by the upright piano. Editorial styling encourages more art collecting over time.

“Color drenching—taking color all the way up—can actually make [a room] feel taller and more dramatic.”
— Suze, [28:31]

6. Primary Bedroom: Serenity & Soft Color

• Goal was serenity for the busy, working mom client.
• Kept and refreshed the best of the furniture (bed reupholstered, nightstands retained); upgraded to drapery instead of roman shades for softness and height.
• Used textural grasscloth inside wall panels; ambiguous, restful wall color.
• Swapped dated, leggy lamps for simple, solid silhouettes for sophistication.

“To wrap an environment with a color...does it get along with every selection? Especially when you want a space to feel restful.”
— Suze, [32:21]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Window Treatments:
  “Taking window treatments all the way up to the ceiling…makes spaces feel taller.”
  — Suze, [04:57]

• On Design Trends vs. Bold Moves:
  “People were very much still going light and bright and neutral...and I just think this is such a baller move.”
  — Alice Lane, [16:24]

• On Storage:
  “I've lived in old homes...you just need more storage from side to side, top to bottom—you have to be accountable to that.”
  — Alice Lane, [28:23]

• On Art Placement:
  “Stairwells are the best place to do a gallery wall—teeny tiny pieces could go in a powder bath or stairwell, but it’s hard to float that many little pieces on a wide open wall—it just gets knick knacky.”
  — Alice Lane, [24:56]

• On Scale in Small Spaces:
  “In a small space, you have less opportunities to make an impact. So when you have that opportunity...you have to go for it.”
  — Producer Ryan, [34:47]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:18: Project introduction; historic house challenges; importance of vision and problem-solving
• 04:10–09:30: Kitchen before/after, orientation changes, cabinetry to ceiling, and window strategies
• 10:00–14:45: Floor plan deep-dive, maximizing storage, and work triangle logic
• 17:57–20:58: Dining room before/after, paneling tips, and finishing transitions
• 21:46–25:27: Fireplace design, eliminating niches, and art placement strategies
• 25:32–29:47: Family room, rug layering, art scale, and storage in the office
• 29:54–33:53: Office and gallery wall execution; primary bedroom refresh and restful color palette
• 34:06–35:10: Final takeaways—“go all in,” bold color/depth, vantage points, big energy in modest homes

Final Takeaways

• Bold Vision Pays Off: Don’t shy from decisive, dramatic moves—even in small, historic spaces. Cohesion and vision beat timid incrementalism.
• Function & Vantage: Orient rooms for beautiful sightlines, maximize storage, and create visual “heroes” (ranges, art, fireplaces).
• Elongate & Connect: Tall paneling, cabinetry, and art stretch the eye, making spaces feel grand. Define rooms with scale, but relate them through color and finish.
• Personal Touch: Decorate for the client’s character and story, not just for trend.

“Big design energy!”
— Alice Lane, [35:10]

For project inquiries or to see photos of the Sugar House renovation, visit Alice Lane Interiors’ website or follow them on Instagram at @alicelaneinteriors.