Spring Refresh 2025 | Scents, Color, and Foraging

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dear Alice | Spring Refresh 2025 | Scents, Color, and Foraging

Release Date: March 20, 2025

Hosts:

• Alice Lane
• Suzanne Hall (Sue)
• Corey

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1. Introduction to Spring Refresh

The episode kicks off with the hosts celebrating the arrival of spring, marking it as the perfect time for a home refresh. Sue mentions the significance of the first day of spring, equating it to the renewal akin to the holidays.

• Sue (00:21): "Today we are going to be talking about space Spring refreshes. And today just happens to be the first day of spring."

Alice and Corey express their excitement about the season's arrival, highlighting the longing for warmer weather and blooming nature.

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2. Embracing the Year of the Snake

The hosts delve into the symbolic meaning of the Year of the Snake, emphasizing themes of shedding the old and embracing new energies.

• Corey (01:11): "Do you guys know that this is the year of the Snake? So it's kind of like the same thing... letting go of bad energy, bringing in new energy, new creative energy. So, yeah, shedding."

Sue shares her personal readiness for transformation, resonating with the snake’s symbolism.

• Sue (01:46): "I am in a mood. I don't remember feeling like this in the past several years, but I am ready to change everything."

She discusses her plans for significant changes, including contemplating a drastic haircut.

• Sue (02:01): "And get a perm. I don't know. I'm just in a mood. I really am just in a mood to change."

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3. Refreshing with Color

Color plays a pivotal role in the spring refresh. Sue reveals her choice of wall and ceiling colors, aiming to invigorate her living spaces.

• Sue (02:07): "I'm painting the grass cloth... it's called Tropical Oasis."

Alice humorously connects the paint choice to vacation vibes.

• Alice (02:36): "You're going on vacation."

Sue elaborates on her ceiling color dilemma, leaning towards a deep mustardy gold or a more subtle sea star hue.

• Sue (02:57): "I just want to feel something in here too... making a big mess and so excited."

---

4. Introducing New Scents

The hosts emphasize the importance of scent in refreshing a home, highlighting candle and diffuser selections that evoke springtime feelings.

• Alice (08:30): "The first thing, which is really easy and costs hardly anything, is to just get a new scent for your home."

They introduce top scent picks for spring, featuring brands like Trudon and Antika Farmachista.

• Sue (09:22): "This is from Antika Farmachista. And this is called Lush Palm. And this just smells like you're at an all-inclusive resort."

Corey shares his approach to scent rotation to avoid "nose blindness."

• Corey (10:23): "When you carry a scent in your home too long, you get... it just becomes as if it's not even there."

Sue recommends using different scents for different moods and rooms.

• Sue (11:40): "This is my go-to. I love this. And actually, if I'm ever wondering, like, what gift to give, like a nice gift to a girlfriend. Nobody hates this."

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5. Restyling and Editing Spaces

Alice discusses her strategy for restyling by purging unwanted items and reintroducing fresh elements to invigorate her living spaces.

• Alice (05:38): "I've been purging things I don't like, and I've just been, like, collecting new things."

Sue provides a professional insight into restyling, advocating for complete overhauls rather than minor tweaks.

• Sue (17:02): "By her saying she clears off everything... she completely empty slates it."

They emphasize the importance of editing and selecting pieces that truly resonate with the homeowner’s current phase.

• Sue (17:25): "It's about reimagining it as brand new."

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6. Enhancing Entertainment Areas

The conversation shifts to entertaining, where the hosts discuss elevating dining and living spaces with strategic additions like trays and lamps.

• Sue (26:00): "This is our Dolce tray. When I saw that... I got really excited about the styling for entertaining."

Alice highlights the transformative power of beauty and functionality in entertaining spaces.

• Alice (26:45): "There's something so kind... that brightens up your space."

Corey shares his personal touch with lighting to create ambiance.

• Corey (26:20): "Having a little center light is really fun. I have had that on for six months..."

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7. Foraging and Bringing Nature Indoors

Foraging is presented as a simple yet effective method to introduce freshness and natural elements into the home.

• Sue (28:43): "In addition to foraging, like cut off all your branches... bring in some."

Alice shares her love for fresh flowers, emphasizing their immediate impact on a room’s atmosphere.

• Alice (30:02): "It's not a big investment. You go to Trader Joe's, you get some stems, and you put it in."

Sue discusses propagating plants, highlighting the joy and ease of growing greenery at home.

• Sue (34:08): "I'm propagating one of my favorite... just gonna watch her plant something."

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8. Houseplants and Porch Planters

The importance of houseplants and porch planters in adding life and color to the home is explored, with tips on selecting and arranging plants.

• Corey (31:21): "I put a plant on top of my piano... It breathes life into my room."

Sue introduces their new line of stylish planters, suitable for various porch aesthetics.

• Sue (32:30): "These big, gorgeous, huge, white glazed pots with ribs... they're so chic."

They discuss the versatility of different planter styles and the perennial benefits of evergreen plants.

• Sue (33:46): "What better way to spring refresh than that?"

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9. Conclusion and Design Services

Wrapping up, the hosts encourage listeners to undertake their spring refresh projects, offering inspiration and practical advice. They also promote their free home furnishing design service, inviting listeners to engage with their resources.

• Sue (37:05): "If you are interested in that, how do they find that design service? Corey, go to alicelanehome.com..."

Alice emphasizes the transformative power of their design services in rejuvenating spaces.

• Alice (38:02): "What better way to spring refresh than that? That room that looks dead and dreary. Time to reboot."

The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to leave reviews and share their own design ideas.

• Sue (37:08): "If you like our show, please leave a five-star rating."

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Notable Quotes

• Sue (01:46): "I am in a mood... ready to change everything."
• Alice (08:30): "Just get a new scent for your home. It will make things feel fresh and new."
• Sue (17:02): "She completely empty slates it."
• Corey (10:23): "When you carry a scent in your home too long, you get... it just becomes as if it's not even there."
• Sue (34:08): "I'm propagating one of my favorite... just gonna watch her plant something."
• Alice (38:02): "Time to reboot."

---

Key Takeaways

• Seasonal Refresh: Spring is the ideal time to revitalize home spaces, embracing themes of renewal and transformation.
• Color and Scent: Introducing vibrant colors and fresh scents can dramatically alter the ambiance, making spaces more inviting and uplifting.
• Minimalism in Decor: Simplifying and editing decor elements helps in creating a more cohesive and intentional living environment.
• Nature Indoors: Incorporating fresh flowers and houseplants brings life and a sense of calm to any room.
• Professional Services: Leveraging design services can provide personalized and professional insights to enhance home aesthetics.

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This episode of Dear Alice offers a comprehensive guide to spring home refreshes, blending practical tips with personal anecdotes to inspire listeners to embrace the new season with vibrant colors, enticing scents, and natural elements.

Transcript

[Alice]

Welcome to Dear Alice, a lifestyle approach to interior design.

[Sue]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Dear Alice. Today we are going to be talking about space Spring refreshes. And today just happens to be the first day of spring.

[Corey]

It's here. We did it.

[Sue]

Hey, did that go by fast for you?

[Alice]

25'S flying.

[Corey]

Yeah. Insanely fast.

[Sue]

She's got her racing shoes on.

[Corey]

For real.

[Alice]

Yeah, I know. And the sky's blue and the weather's warming up. Thank heavens.

[Sue]

I'm in a mood. We were like, let's record a podcast about it, because amongst ourselves, we often will talk about. Because it's seasonal, right? It's kind of like the holidays. You're. I don't know. It's just new life. I'm just so excited about my budding cherry blossoms, and it feels. Feels kind of like you're turning things over.

[Alice]

You are.

[Sue]

And so I wanted to know from sue, and it's just been a conversation that we're having on the showroom a lot. Just what are we doing to refresh our spaces for spring?

[Alice]

I love it. I'm so happy.

[Corey]

Yeah. Do you guys know that this is the year of the Snake? So it's kind of like the same thing. It's like, yeah, obviously, like, you know, with all the relationships we have in China. I have in China, like, you know, Chinese New Year. Huge thing. So you're the snake. So, like, letting go of bad energy, bringing in new energy, new creative energy. So, yeah, shedding. Yeah.

[Alice]

Right.

[Corey]

Yeah. So this is. This is. This is the year of the snake. Letting go of the past, bringing in the new. Are there anything that you guys, you know, are. Are. Are excited to bring in or maybe good riddance to, like, get rid of.

[Sue]

I. I'll tell you this. I am in a mood. I don't remember feeling like this in the past several years, but I am ready to change everything. A snake getting your year.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

I went to get my hair done early this week, and I was like.

[Alice]

I might just cut it all off.

[Sue]

And get a perm. I don't know. I'm just in a mood. I really am just in a mood to change.

[Corey]

Everything goes. Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah. So you guys have heard about me talking about painting my living room for a while now, so paint color's been chosen. I'm painting the grass cloth, as I've told you all. It's really happening. I'm going to do my wall color. This really deep. Actually, I brought it for you today. So those of you guys that are tuning in right now, as you know, this Is called. Oh. Those of you tuning in and watching this on video, I'm gonna hold up my paint chip. This is from Ben Moore. It's called Tropical Oasis.

[Alice]

You're going on vacation.

[Corey]

It's amazing.

[Sue]

What was that? Wait, what was that? Wham Song. Club Tropicana. Do you guys remember it?

[Corey]

I don't think I do.

[Sue]

I wish we could play music right now.

[Corey]

Yeah. Pull over. Turn it on. Yeah.

[Alice]

And we'll resume.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Guys, straight up. Am I. Am I. Is it 1987 in here? AM I doing my waltz? Teal.

[Corey]

That's gonna be amazing.

[Sue]

I'm so excited. And then my ceiling color. I'm kind of debating between sort of a dark mustardy gold or just doing, like, 20% of the color of the ceiling. So I'm looking at sea star from Ben More right now for the ceiling. It's kind of. If this makes you feel any more confident in my choice, y'all, it's kind of the same as this sort of feeling that's on this book. I just had this on my console in here.

[Corey]

I kind of want to see the mustard ceiling, actually, though, it could be fun.

[Sue]

So pretty. So this could be the ceiling, and then this could be the walls. So I'm just waiting for my painter to finally get over here, and then we're gonna make a big mouse mess out of my entire house because, you know, I gotta cover it in plastic. You gotta move all the stuff out. It's gonna get dirty and dusty, and I'm so excited.

[Corey]

It's gonna be.

[Alice]

Smell amazing. Yeah, I like it. I love the smell of paint.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Gosh.

[Sue]

Fumes the best.

[Corey]

Like, I think your grass cloth is awesome, too, but it's, like, pretty neutral. So I think just.

[Sue]

You know what? In the words of Suzanne Hall, I feel nothing when I go in that room.

[Alice]

I just feel nothing in a neutral space.

[Sue]

Also, do you know what? It feels dry, and I want to go glossy on this, and I just want it to almost feel wet, you know? Like, I keep bringing in crystal into that room to try and gloss it up a little bit, because I feel like, you know, when we made this decision 10 years ago, the drier finishes were in style, and it just kind of feels drab. It makes me want to take a nap. So I'm excited to walk in the front door and be so energized when I look in that space.

[Alice]

Warmed cognac door.

[Sue]

I know.

[Alice]

Into Tropical Oasis, y'all. Yeah, that's so much fun.

[Sue]

That's what started the party, was Was the orange door.

[Alice]

You reinvented yourself.

[Corey]

Once you paint. Once you paint one thing, you just got to paint the.

[Sue]

Well, yeah, and I'm working on the. The front office, which is just adjacent to that room where I'm like, I gotta feel something in here too. So it is going to be addicting. And, you know, maybe I'll get a perm. You never know.

[Corey]

So, yeah, you're the snake. You can do anything.

[Sue]

What's he. What's new for you?

[Alice]

So what's new for me? I'm actually. Okay. So we all know that, like, color is big. And you all know I love color. And layering's big. Like this castle core. And, like, the more collections and things you have, I'm. I'm excited. All this, like, last couple months, I've been, like, getting rid of stuff. I've been purging things I don't like, and I've just been, like, collecting new things. So I'm not. I think I'm going to be restyling stuff because I've had it here for a second. So I'm just ready to spin it different and ready to maybe add more color back in. How? I don't know exactly. We're going to be working on all. As far as, like, all the planters and, like, it's getting warmer outside, so I'm so, so happy to reinvent, like, my front. That porch area, I think will be really good. Trying to convince Tom to paint the house. Wouldn't that be so much fun?

[Sue]

The exteriors, what color are you thinking?

[Alice]

Gosh, I've gone the rounds.

[Sue]

I didn't even know this was even in the.

[Alice]

I know it's always been, like, stirring in my head. Suzanne has rather just, like, tear the house down. Tell them.

[Sue]

Tell them what you have right now.

[Alice]

Right now. It's the original, like, 1971, really. This long textural brick. And it's kind of this ivory natural color, but kind of to your dry sensations. Right, But. And the house isn't big, but I'm like, man, if it was something else, you know, whether it be brighter or more saturated, I don't know. Like, you know, I would do, like, a pink house, you know, why would you be rad? So who knows? Who knows? Who knows what 20, 25 will bring? But Tom, if you're listening, could be fun.

[Sue]

Get your power spray ready.

[Alice]

But you. But you. But you do. What about you, Corey? What are you doing?

[Corey]

Um, man, more of like, I'm just ready for a change. Just. Just. Personally, I. I'm still working on that damn cabin. And it's just been such a roadblock. And I'm just. I'm actually really excited just to get to the normal build part of about it. So what I'm trying to do is just like that frustration that you just heard in me. I'm trying to just let go of that and then just take things as they come. And it is what it is, Good, bad, neutral to it.

[Alice]

You know, I bet it'll be really fun to drive up there in this, even in the spring, and just fill the seasons of what will eventually be, you know, for that whole scene.

[Corey]

Yeah, we went up there and stayed overnight last, like this last season. And just to kind of like, I don't know, just reignite the passion for it again. Be like, yeah, we're. We're doing the right thing. So, yeah, I'm super excited about it.

[Sue]

It's gonna be really good. Get your why all dialed in again.

[Corey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sue]

Those long projects are hard, you know, they really are.

[Corey]

It's a marathon and you just have to just keep going, just step by step. That's what I tell myself. Hey, I'm just gonna do the best I can today, and then I'm gonna do that again tomorrow, you know, until it's done.

[Alice]

When it's done, though, you forget the flood.

[Corey]

That's true.

[Alice]

I don't know.

[Corey]

That is true.

[Alice]

My bathrooms are great.

[Corey]

It's like, about the flood.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

I mean, I.

[Alice]

If I think too about too long.

[Corey]

Like my wife has said this, but it's just when it's like having another baby, it's like you forget all about that pain, you know what I mean? And you just love the baby part.

[Alice]

Of it, so it's so true.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Well, we're so excited to talk about this. Every year. I think this is an annual thing. This is our spring refresh episode that we're going to call it, and we want to talk about ways that we think that you could benefit from refreshing your home for spring. And some of the ideas that we've come up with, be it scent, be it simple as pillows, just all the different ways that, like, we are turning our homes around to make us like it again.

[Corey]

Yeah. So to feel something.

[Alice]

To feel something. Ooh, yeah. Feel something. In 2025, if you look around your house and you just don't feel something. Give yourself a break and take some of these notes. I think this is going to be really, really exciting. And to reinvent yourself.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Get a perm. Awesome.

[Sue]

I love it. So good. The first thing, which is really easy and costs hardly anything, is to just get a new scent for your home. It will make things feel fresh and new, and it's kind of subliminal because you don't have to do a whole lot. You can do this with a diffuser or with a candle. Soon I grabbed the three top three scents that we are loving right now for spring, and all of us can do this.

[Alice]

Yes. I'm not even gonna. Okay. If you come. If you've ever come into the store, you've probably smelt this or if you've ever seen the beautiful medallion, usually it's gold. It's a company called Trudon, and I love.

[Sue]

This is the oldest candle maker, I.

[Alice]

Think, in the world, like, 1653. Like, this is what, like, the royal family uses. It's from, like, I think it's out of Paris or isn't out of France. And I think that, like, the beehives, like, in that wax is just the waxes.

[Sue]

Beeswax. The glass. They. They're originally in these green, beautiful green vessels, and it's like the glass that they use for wine, and then they have big, beautiful, prestigious gold shield label that's embossed on it. And the scents are incredible. We're not gonna do it justice. But they do make this special version that Suze is holding up, and it's this white on white. So the vessel's white and the big label is white?

[Alice]

Yes. And this is like, if I'm having a bad day, I'll go out to the showroom and I'll just sniff. I can be like, it's gonna be okay. It's called. Yeah. I'm gonna name this Gianbattista Valley. Anyway, the white on white is what you're looking for. We sell this online, and if you want to give you yourself a reboot for spring, get this. I will say that Trudon, more than any other candle that I've ever, ever had, has the most beautiful carry through the house. I pass it, and I smell it.

[Sue]

Amazing. Yes.

[Alice]

Like, there could be toys I'm tripping, Legos I'm stepping on. But everything's gonna be okay because it smells good.

[Corey]

When you guys are. I don't do this often enough, and I really need to, because I. When I carry a scent in my home too long, I get, like, so bored of it, and I smell it, and, yeah, it just becomes as if it's not even there.

[Sue]

They say you become nose blind.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

So are you guys switching scents, like, every Year. And if. Or every season. And if you do that, like, are you one scent everywhere?

[Sue]

That's a great question. Yeah, well, for me it's kind of. And you'll relate to this because you love music. It's like having a new playlist. I make a new playlist for every season and it helps me remember that the difference between seasons. Because sometimes our years just go so fast. I mean, as you know, we're sitting in spring right now, and you're like, what's the difference from January till now? But if you had a playlist for winter of 25, spring 25 gives you this whole new feeling. You get this whole new scent. And to answer your question, I do not do the same scent throughout the house. I kind of do it depending on the mood or the vibe I want of that room. So the living room can be a little bit more sophisticated scent. But we'll cheat and jump into my scent. This one I love. I have this in my powder bath right now. But I could also carry this into my primary suite. This is from Antika Farmachista. And this is called Lush Palm. And this just smells like you're at an all inclusive resort. Yeah, isn't that just.

[Corey]

And it like smells like spring. It smells fresh.

[Sue]

Uhhuh. Lush Palm. I mean, it is. This is so lovely. We do sell this one online and I do the diffuser because sometimes I don't remember to light the candle. And it's just so nice to walk in the back door because it's in my powder bath right there by the back door. And I'm just like, oh, resort life. Okay, I'm at home now. I can put my shoulders down. I'm gonna hurry and get on my slippers. I actually heard somebody say that you need to take off your shoes and put something else on. Otherwise you kind of stay in that mode, that work mode. So true. I have to get my shoes off and get my slippers on and I smell this and I'm like transported to a new place.

[Corey]

I need to. Yeah, I never do that.

[Sue]

I'm in a. I actually also take my. I take off my clothes and put on my silk jammies and my robe. So it's just like an instant reset.

[Corey]

She's got a tile lineup.

[Sue]

Yeah. So Lush Palm is my. This is my go to. I love this. And actually, if I'm ever wondering, like, what gift to give, like a nice gift to a girlfriend. Nobody hates this. No, it really is just like, happy birthday. Take your brain to a high end resort right now. Go open it up, put the sticks in and start living like this.

[Corey]

They have. I mean, obviously there's like, candle in the same scent.

[Sue]

Yes. Yeah.

[Corey]

Our kitten is insane. He knocks everything over. So I'm just thinking, like, oh, can't do.

[Alice]

Give yourself a break.

[Sue]

Well, if you are doing the diffuser, I highly recommend our diffuser crystal dish because it does keep it standing and stable and so it's harder to knock it over. Red proof, kitty cat proof.

[Corey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sue]

So it's just stunning, too, and also protects the surface of your furniture because if that oil does get on your furniture.

[Corey]

Takes a finish off.

[Sue]

It takes a finish off. Yeah.

[Alice]

Sometimes, like, if it's on the bottom at all. That's such a hot tip. Yeah, I love that. Okay. Our number three. I love lush palm. Also number three is from Lola, James Harper, which we air freight from France. And this is called the first morning of Spring. So very applicable. They have a lot of, like, other scents that are a little bit more gypsy and all these things, but this is like, what we light for spring, and it's called the first morning of Spring. And it just smells. It just smells like, I don't know, like, you opened up the windows, you're feeling the fresh air, and you're like the notes and you're smelling some of the blossoms. Do you guys ever do that one? Like, we go on a lot of walks with our kids and, like, in spring, like, I'm always, like, getting out my dumb app and, like, trying to identify. I'm like, what is it I'm smelling from this tree every time I pass it? That's kind of what this reminds me of. It's just a walk outside and the, like, trees are starting to blossom. I love it.

[Corey]

You can, like, almost like, smell like a polleny, like you like a something about it.

[Alice]

Yeah, just love.

[Sue]

I kind of want to look up what. What notes are in that anyway, first morning of spring. That's so good. You can't lose.

[Alice]

It's so good. And I like, just for your daily routine, like, refreshing your house. I actually light a candle every time I walk through the door. Like, you put on your slippers. I like. There's something about lighting a candle that's so therapeutic for me at the end of the day. So I love it.

[Sue]

Kind of like lighting a fireplace too. It's a real mood.

[Alice]

Yeah, it is a real mood. And I know that I'm just like, hey, I'm lighting the candle. That means I'm gon be here for a second.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Or to like get really nice and melted and burn lovely. That means I'm home.

[Corey]

Do you guys like the sound of it too? Like the little, like crackle? Yeah, it's my favorite thing.

[Alice]

Absolutely love it.

[Sue]

And also to go with that, I crack a window now that it's spring if it's, you know, if it's not freezing outside. But there's just something about fresh air. Also, like crack the window in your bedroom a little bit and just make it smell really fresh in there. I love that. Right before bed. Yeah, it's kind of dreamy. I did it last night.

[Alice]

You're welcome. Okay. First day of spring. I'm so excited for the scent.

[Sue]

Yes. Yes.

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[Sue]

Along with color. Actually, this kind of goes along with besides scent, I guess. Restyling.

[Alice]

Yes.

[Sue]

Right?

[Corey]

Yes.

[Sue]

Yeah, go ahead, Sue. You're in this mood right now.

[Alice]

I'm in a mood, guys. I don't know if it's just because like my kids are growing up so they're at different phases. So I feel like mom's in a different phase too. And so again, when I restyle, I'm clearing off everything. I kind of want to like rethink my whole mantle a little bit, guys.

[Sue]

By her saying she clears off everything How Sue Styles, she takes everything off the coffee table, everything off the mantel. She doesn't just shift a few things around, she completely empty slates it. If we go to style, a client's built in. She's taking everything off and then starting fresh. So that is a really pro tip just to completely reimagine it and see it as brand new. Yeah.

[Corey]

Don't you think that makes you feel like it helps you edit things easier, like what to subtract? Because you're like, you restyle it. It's like, oh, there's actually isn't room for this thing that I'm not gravitating towards anymore.

[Alice]

If I'm just like replacing one thing or a couple things and leaving things. A couple things there I can't see as, as it could be. Do you know what I mean? So I'll usually like put like things with each other. I'll get on my coffee table, books over here and then I'll restyle my coffee table. I'll rest on my end tables, I'll redo the mantle. But at least I can like put up stuff that I really want to feel again. If I want to feel it and I still love it, I'm gonna put it back up there. Or I can reimagine it a different way, which is really, really exciting. So cocktail table. I still am absolutely in love with our pink book cradle. So that I know that that's going to be there. I'm probably going to mix up the books and just like mix up everything on my surface is there on pillows. Again, I have kids and so there's a couple that I know like throughout the year just like my ride or die pillows that my kids like, they can't hurt. But to add, I said this before, I added two of these mustard velvet pillow to my sofa and you guys. And it's, it's not anything complicated. I have 108 inch like sofa and I just see two of these in one corner and it's such an edited look and they're just stacked together.

[Sue]

We need to throw the picture up.

[Alice]

We'll throw the picture up. But it's amazing what it did for that room and it looks so designer. It's that mega like color blocking that I love so much. But this color just makes you happy too. So this. And like in those of you that.

[Sue]

Aren'T watching right now, this is kind of a dark mustardy gold colored velvet pillow and has a really beautiful tiny little satin welt and it's velvet front and back. And it just brightens up any space and makes it come to life. Your sofa is a little tiny diagonal black and white stripe. So it reads just kind of neutral, like a brighter gray from a distance. And adding that the double yellow pillows to it is so chic and just absolutely warmed up the whole room.

[Alice]

Yeah, I was about to say the warmth that it added. And with it's in front of a window. And so the green coming out from, like, my big tree outside my window. And so anything happening that's blooming outside your windows, like, with this. It's like sunshine. Yeah, it's absolutely stunning. So I think yellow in general, yellow, bright greens, blues, whatever your favorite color is, is a great way to refresh your space. And like, tell about the project we.

[Sue]

Shot down in St. George recently.

[Alice]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, so we did. It's actually the Windsor.

[Sue]

I put an image up on the screen.

[Alice]

Yeah, it's Windsor Manor on our portfolio. But she's very neutral. We actually, like, compared her much to, like, Windsor Smith. It's a very neutral pat palette. Really classic. And we did this parlor for her, relatively neutral. She has, like, this really pretty, kind of burnt sienna colored velvet sofa. And. But everything else was really, really just neutral. Black, white, gray. Yep. Clear. And so when we went to go do the photo shoot, we're like, what can we do to add something to this space to give it a pulse back that the camera will, like, grab onto and make us feel something. Make us feel something.

[Sue]

And those of you that are interior designers, you know, on photo shoots, sometimes you just bring stuff that maybe the homeowner doesn' want, but you're just going to do it because you want to make this more editorial. You want to take a few risks. And we have a store, so it's easy for us to just bring things down for the shoot and bring them back. So we were like, let's send down the yellow tulips. Let's send down a pair of these yellow pillows. And let's really make this very neutral scene pop and make it more editorial. So these. We did a pair of these. Uhhuh.

[Alice]

We did a pair of these.

[Sue]

These are on the website. Um, those of you that are, um, not. What is this called? It's something grid. Will you look it up on the website?

[Alice]

Yes.

[Sue]

Under pillows. I want to tell them this so that they can look it up later.

[Alice]

It's so beautiful. It's a graphic. Almost like a needle point.

[Sue]

Yeah, it is a needle.

[Alice]

There's something very, I don't know. It's very. It feels very authentic. It doesn't feel like a cheap print or anything, but it has like this really lovely, like cadmium yellow with this taupe and this like ivory graphic check. Reminds me a little of Paul Smith.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

You know, English design plus the needlepoint. Like there's just a real antiquity to it. I love these. And we just did two of them, which I think modernizes is it. Instead of having one in each corner, we had them stacked next to each other. Which again, I think is like a really cool edit and like a clean way to freshen up for spring is like get rid of all the pillows and just do two great ones stacked.

[Sue]

Up to each other. I think you guys all know this, but in case you don't, I feel like it's our job to share with you because we gotta all. We gotta all keep each other in the know and not gatekeep. But we're not karate chopping pillows. We haven't been for a couple years. So when Susa's saying like, we're just leaning these two by themselves, you kind of want them to look relaxed. And sometimes you might push in on all four sides just to make it look soft and give it shape. But you're not doing that really aggressive pointy ear karate chop anymore. Don't do that. Yeah. Also, it'll make your images look dated. If you are going to shoot your projects. So you're going to want to use color. We know this because we have a publishing agent and they'll often send us what magazine outlets are wanting to know right now. And they're like, we need colored kitchens. We need. It's basically anything color drenched with color. So if you're shooting a project right now that's super neutral, you're not gonna get picked up for any of these. When they're asking for color, which we all know color's kind of been the new thing for the last year, year and a half or so. So it's hard. Cause if you already have a project shot, you probably worked on it a few years ago. So anything moving forward, you've gotta bring in the colored pillows. You've gotta bring in the accessories. They want color, everything. Yeah. So this really kind of changed the game. A pair of pillows, some yellow tulips.

[Alice]

Yep. And like, it changed the room. The room was beautiful, classic. But this just like injected it with something that you could feel.

[Sue]

Corey, what's the pillow called?

[Corey]

Giatano Pillow. We sell them in a set of two. Yeah. What other information did you want? To know on it.

[Sue]

Yeah, no, that was it.

[Corey]

Okay.

[Sue]

On the website, just so that we could identify it. So we're going to show you a picture of how that room turned out. And I just wanted to say this for spring refresh because you guys can really change the way your room feels with some faux stems or real stems. You can bring home fresh flowers and a pair of pillows. It's pretty dynamic. So this is going to give you a little bit more of that formal look, but still super fashionable. You can do the double yellow pillows, like sue says. You might not be a yellow person. You might be a green person or a pink person, or if you're a more relaxed aesthetic, these really beautiful, kind of aged, sort of rusty pink tones. This is a Libico linen pillow. And this one is also on the website. This is great. It's called the re pillow color in apricot R E. It's 25 by 25. This is the size that you love for your sofa.

[Alice]

Yeah, because I have a deep sofa. A lot of us have deep sofas, right?

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

These days. So, yeah, I just have, like two 25s on each corner, like, usually. And then I have the yellow ones.

[Corey]

So you have two on each corner?

[Alice]

No, no, no. I only have ever, like, just two pillows. Two big pillows on my sofa. Okay.

[Sue]

She goes 25. This is almost like a euro. Euros are 26 by 26. So anyway, if you. And we like adding two of the same. That's my formula in my house too. Yeah. It's not about the tricky pillows anymore. You want to look chic and effortless. You want to go bigger on your pillow and use less of them.

[Alice]

You might have a great throw on one end or something like that. But, like, these pillows are amazing. I will say to. Oh, gosh, this is another one that Jess is holding.

[Sue]

This is the same pillow, different colorway. It also comes in a blue linen.

[Alice]

So this, like, yummy, almost like chartreusey color.

[Sue]

Yeah. What do they call this?

[Alice]

Really, really great with, like, little kids. I'm gonna, like, give a big plug for these kind of pillows. They're so good with kids.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Sometimes velvet things like that with, like, dogs. Kids, like, they can be ruthless with your things, but these perform awesome. So mother's worried about, oh, maybe when my kids get older. Don't wait. Get the pillows. Yeah, get good ones.

[Sue]

This color is called olivine. I don't know why it's like olive with ine on the end, but it's just really beautiful. Kind of acidic yellow. Worn Out. These are Belgium linens. And so you just zip off the covers, put them in the wash line, dry, pull them on and. And all is forgiven.

[Alice]

I know, but it's going to give, it's going to give you a lot, a lot of energy.

[Sue]

Yes.

[Alice]

That you've needed after that long, dreary winter.

[Sue]

Yes, you do.

[Alice]

I love it.

[Sue]

Entertaining.

[Alice]

Entertaining. Entertaining. Yeah. This is one that I want to put out because specifically we got, we put out our marble collection at the beginning of this year. And when I saw. Which one is it called with like the blades on it?

[Sue]

The Calcutta viola and Dolce tray.

[Alice]

Our Dolce tray. When I saw that and it came out in January, in the dead of January, I'm like, oh, man, the cakes would look so cute for like your spring parties with like all your girlfriends or your birthday parties. Like, it just completely elevates it. And so I got really excited about the styling for entertaining. Like the trays again. We had like marble trays that we introduced and the candles and I don't know. Again, you were just coming out of hibernation.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

It's been a long winter and it's.

[Sue]

Like the baby showers, the bridal showers, the birthday parties. It just feels like there's so much to celebrate. And there's always a spring wing or graduation is. My daughter's graduating next month. Right. So it's like together and people are coming together and we're celebrating this new life together. And there's just. Yeah, it just really elevates the whole thing.

[Alice]

Yeah, just like there's a reason to celebrate a lot in the spring.

[Sue]

And so another thing with entertaining, I have to say is I've had our Athena lamp in Calcutta Viola on my dining table since last August, since my birthday. I brought home the prototype. As soon as it came in, I was like, this is cool, I want to try something. So I brought it home, I got a little extension cord. I put it right in the middle of my white round, 60 inch round dining table. And I have had that thing on, I swear, for six months. I just leave it on at night. It's like a nightlight in the kitchen. It glows marble and it's so fun to gather around it and see everybody's faces just lit by this lamp light. So I think in entertaining, loading up your table, but having a little center light is really fun. I love that.

[Alice]

And there's something. And maybe this is also why I was feeling it like in January, because that Calcutta viola, that purple, like that amethyst to the eggplant to the. You know, just has such interesting tones that feel very applicable, like for right now.

[Sue]

Totally.

[Alice]

In the spring to again, inject color, which we're talking about. Right. For spring refresh. But also just. It just feels. I don't know, there's something so kind.

[Sue]

Of not to that castle core thing. Yes.

[Alice]

Thank you.

[Sue]

That's where it's like the antiques, but it's like, new because it's this modern. This sort of modern, simple shape. It's like a triangle and a cylinder. Right.

[Alice]

It just feels iconic.

[Sue]

Yeah, it really does. And so it feels old, but it feels fresh and new. And it makes everything around it seem like you're in some Italian bakery somewhere. Right. You can go buy grocery store croissants and throw them on one of our marble slabs, and it's gonna look expensive.

[Corey]

So true.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And you don't have rewire anything for a chandelier or anything. You just put a lamp on the table. Yeah, on the table. I want to, like, that's another thing I want to do, like, on my kitchen countertop until we're ready to remodel the kitchen. Having that Calcutta viola, like, lighting up.

[Sue]

There, people will be like, do your backsplash.

[Alice]

You guys remodel.

[Sue]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alice]

With the lamp. But again, it's just something to, like, make you feel something. And like that Calcutta be. I feel something.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

That Dolce tray. I feel something. Yeah, it is good.

[Sue]

Do you know what else I'm excited about for spring foraging? Oh, how much have we missed? Hello. How much have we missed? Branches. That is just like the biggest party trick, don't you think? Really, really is snipping off those cherry blossoms or those budding trees and getting them in water in your house, cracking that window, having your fresh scent, bringing in a little bit of color, plugging in that old lamp. Right?

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah. So good.

[Alice]

Let's throw a party.

[Sue]

Yeah, let's do throw a party.

[Alice]

Same foraging. In addition to foraging, like, cut off all your branches, bring them inside. Not all of them, some of them. But I will say that the. I've said this before in other spring refreshes, but just going, like, getting yourself flowers. I try and do this, like, every week. Every other week if I need to, but I have, like, on my entry table. I just love. I love having fresh flowers. You know, who you are, if that, like, really speaks to you. But it just, like, you go there and you get what's in season or, you know, and you get the color that you want, and it's gonna Just, like, bring out different things in the art that's behind it, or. I don't know, it just, like, breathes new life. And it's. Honestly, I love the memory that my kids will always have. Like, I only have boys and so long time. Like, when I was. I think I was either having my third or second, and Tom was just like, you know what? You're the only girl in our family. He's like, we should always have flowers. And I'm just like, shoot, yeah, we should always have.

[Corey]

You married the right person.

[Alice]

I did. I did, for sure. But, like, it's just. It's not a big investment. You go to Trader Joe's, you get some stems, and you put it in, and it's really. It's like one of those, like, me moments where even if someone gets flowers for me, yes, I have to do the work, but I love doing the work. And there's something about spring and getting your hands, like, in the dirt and. And doing something beautiful and creating something. This is that moment of creation. Like, be inspired by different, like, florists and things. Like, I have a whole Pinterest board just called Blooms.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And I look at that every time. I'm like, what do I want to feel? And I'll look at that before I head to Trader Joe's to get our weekly stuff.

[Sue]

Oh, love.

[Alice]

And it's really fun because then at least, like, I can be quick into. Like, maybe they have something different that I'm like, I think I could use that tall stem if I have those images in my mind. So anyway, I just. I love fresh flowers, and I think that's an immediate way. Like, even. Even if your branches aren't flowering yet, go ahead and go get yourself some fresh flowers and put them on your entry or put them by your sink or next to your bed. That's the fun thing. When you get a bunch of flowers, you always have little stems. So I have, like, other little bud vases and nosegays and things I can always, like, pepper into. And it makes me feel so happy. Especially on the weekend. You clean your house, you put new flowers in, you light the candles. Hello. You buy yourself a cake and put it on the Dolce tree.

[Corey]

Seriously?

[Alice]

Seriously. New lease on life.

[Sue]

I love that.

[Alice]

So do that for yourself.

[Corey]

I would say just houseplants in general. Mario and I were, at the beginning of our marriage, we were never good at keeping these things alive. And so naturally, they just lived by, like, our kitchen sink where we could just, like, remember to water them, you know, and One was getting just, like, too big, so I was like, you know what? I'm putting this in the front room. I'm gonna remember to water it. I've been pretty good about it.

[Sue]

Good job.

[Alice]

Good.

[Corey]

It's been about a month and a half, and it's still alive, but I put it on top of my piano in my front room, and I'll see it in the mirror of my entry as I walk by, or I'm sitting there playing a guitar. It literally breathes life into my room. And my front room is just. It's really dark. It's a black ceiling and walls just to be moody for when I'm playing music. But that, like, green in there just, like, reinvigorated the room to me.

[Alice]

Completely crisps it up. Yeah, right?

[Corey]

It does.

[Alice]

I like my rocks, and it adds.

[Sue]

Those organic lines to it. Speaking of plants. So we'll get to do our porch plants because Mother's Day is right around the corner. They always say you have to wait until Mother's Day, and then you're safe to do your porch. So we actually have some really fun new planters.

[Corey]

I'm super excited about it.

[Sue]

Oh, my gosh. I know they're gonna land. Do you think May? Ish.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

I think they'll probably launch. Probably launch Mother's Day, end of May, probably. That's the goal. That's our goal.

[Sue]

Yeah. Yeah, totally. Gosh, they're so pretty. These big, gorgeous, huge, white glazed pots with ribs. And then we also have some big, glossy black ones. Think Daryl Carter. Those of you designers know who I'm talking about. Those who don't Google the reference. Daryl Carter just put in black pots. Pots. Amazing for a front porch. I think it's so, so chic. And then you can just get. You can do flowers. I'm kind of, like, not in a flowery era where I just wanted to do, like, really big green shapes and.

[Corey]

Just cabbages or something or.

[Sue]

No. But, you know, I do love a cabbage.

[Corey]

Yeah, I think they're rad.

[Sue]

I do too. Yeah. I have some little pots that I need to figure out what that outfit is for that. And so we have a month, you guys. We just all need to start interesting and figuring out what we want to do for our porch pots. But I do have three evergreen things that can just live all year round that are different sort of shapes. One's a cone, one's kind of a circle and on a stick. And then I have kind of a low one. Kind of reminds me of our marble shapes. Like our marble shape studies. Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

Geometry is interesting.

[Sue]

Geometry, yeah. So those are my big ones. And then I have some layered little ones in there.

[Alice]

Amazing.

[Sue]

And I just am, like, right now. Now, guys, I'm such a geek. I'm actually propagating one of my favorite. You know, the Chinese money plant. Do you remember when I got you a Chinese money plant, like, two years ago, three years ago. I still have that alive, guys. It's so easy to propagate. You just pull the little arm off and stick it in water and it starts spreading. Then you stick that in dirt.

[Alice]

Give me a piece, guys.

[Sue]

I could have piece of the gift of the siblings. So I've propagated it, and I have all these little terracotta pots. Spots going in my window. I don't even know who I am.

[Corey]

You're painting your rooms, your doors.

[Sue]

I've shed my skin, guys. I'm a new person. And then I have these little seedlings that I gave my girlfriends for my birthday. And I was like, all of us needs to plant these. I forget, what's their name?

[Alice]

No, she's like the loveliest. Y'all know her. She's from Great Britain, and she's just like the loveliest. Kind of a Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller kind of dish. Disheveled in the most gorgeous and perfect way. And you're like, I just want to. Like, I want to eat cake with you and plant seedlings.

[Sue]

There's this cow that comes on. Hello, darlings. Hello, darlings.

[Alice]

Hello.

[Sue]

I've just come out to the garden shed, and I'm just going to. I've just cut these wild stems and I'm putting them in my. And she's here. Like, I'm totally addicted to you.

[Corey]

Sold.

[Sue]

Whatever you do, suddenly your shoulders come down and you're relaxed. And I'm just gonna watch her plant something.

[Alice]

Just like, I'm bundled up. Cause the heater's out. But we're gonna do some things. So that sounds like fun. So you're just like, oh, my heater. My heater's having issues. Fantastic.

[Corey]

In the most pleasant way. Like, it's not even an issue. It's just. We're just gonna keep going with life anyway. Exactly. I was talking about just letting go.

[Alice]

Of that bad energy.

[Sue]

So she's talking about how there's these lacy little white, like, little dancers. Just the wind blows and they just sort of. And anyway, I was like, I gotta find these things. So I found on Amazon the seedlings. I gave it to my friends. We're all gonna have these little dancing fairies. She called them dancing fairies and I don't know what they're really called. We're gonna have to put them in the show notes anyway.

[Alice]

We'll have to put her because she's worth the share and.

[Sue]

Yeah, you'll love it.

[Alice]

Girls gotta share.

[Sue]

Yeah, yeah. So anyway, I'm planting the little seeds this spring, watering them. I'm just going to propagate them so they turn into little plants and then I'm going to put them in my yard and it's like full sun or part sun, so I don't know if we can screw it up, but I'm going to try that this year from seeds.

[Corey]

Wow.

[Sue]

I'm going to sprout like little baby ones. Well, I know another designer in Arkansas, shout out to Ashley Childers. She does all of her own little seedlings. She's got racks, she's got the lights, she grows them and then she puts them out in her yard and then she can just have cutting garden, like bring stuff in all the times.

[Corey]

That's amazing.

[Alice]

We should have her on the podcast.

[Sue]

Yeah, let's do that. You guys will love her. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, those are the things. Those are the things that we have on our list for spring. Yeah. I hope that was worth a listen.

[Alice]

Yeah, I'm excited.

[Sue]

We're in the mood. Yeah, yeah. We're going to smell good. We're going to look good. We're bringing color in.

[Corey]

Feel fresh.

[Sue]

Yeah. Fresh flowers. We're planting pots. Yeah, yeah, all of it.

[Alice]

I hope this has been inspiring. It's been inspiring for me.

[Sue]

I love too. Yes. If you guys have any podcast topic ideas, we'd love to hear them. So please send them to us at dear Alice alicelanehome.com and we'd also love for you to leave us a five star review. We actually love your reviews. We sit and read them before, before we start.

[Corey]

We print them out. They're in a binder. We love it. Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah. It's so fun. And I wanted to quickly give a plug to our home furnishing design service. It's our free service here. So if you are working on a project, we have a fantastic service where our team will put your room in cad. They'll populate it. This is if you're in the, in the market to get new furnishings. We'll have a designer work on your project for free and put it together with all of our resources. We have 200 vendors, we have thousands of fabrics, we have all of, like, we just have so many resources. We would love to be able to help you guys. And also, we have all this amazing furniture that we're designing and making and.

[Corey]

New launches all the time.

[Sue]

It's unique to the marketplace, and we can put your room together in a. A really beautiful way. So if you're interested in that, how do they find that design service?

[Corey]

Corey, go to alicelanehome.com, the design services tab. Scroll down to Home Furnishing Design. Fill out that form. One of our designers will get back to you, and we'll get you rolling.

[Alice]

It's really fun. What better way to spring refresh than that?

[Corey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Alice]

That room that looks dead and dreary.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

Time to reboot.

[Sue]

Yep. Okay, guys, we'll catch you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.