Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: The Modern Heirloom Collection: Design Trends, Style & Legacy
Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Jessica Bennett (A), Suzanne Hall (B), Corey (C)

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Dear Alice team unveils their long-awaited "Modern Heirloom" collection, a range of high-design furniture and décor inspired by timeless vintage silhouettes but updated for today’s lifestyle. The trio—Jessica, Suzanne, and Corey—offer listeners an exclusive deep dive into the creative stories, design challenges, and special touches behind their favorite pieces in the new collection. "Modern Heirloom" is all about crafting future family treasures—pieces made with care, integrity, and a generous dose of style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Makes a Modern Heirloom?

[03:03]

• The team is inspired by artisanal, vintage craftsmanship – the integrity and quality of authentic pieces.
• Jessica (A) explains, "I love to see what silhouettes they did and what take we can have on it…it might just even be like a toggle on a lamp or a finial...we're often looking to things of the past...and so, we're doing a fresh take on these heirloom pieces."
• The aim: Create original items that can be passed down through generations, avoiding fleeting trends for lasting personal style.

2. Top Picks from the Modern Heirloom Collection

• The hosts select their six favorite new pieces and break down their inspirations, functions, and key details:

a. Handblown Color Ribbed Vases

[05:12–08:06]

• A set of three vases in butter yellow, toffee, and periwinkle.
• Designed for entertaining: low enough for dining tables, thick-walled and sturdy enough for branches.
• Highly artful: "You can have them naked without flowers super easily...Part of a still life painting. Like, ridiculous." (B, [07:47])

b. Lulu Sconce

[08:06–11:45]

• Inspired by a vintage sconce found at a Southern vintage shop: white-glass with a ballet-slipper pink hue.
• Crafted with a sandblasted "daydream" texture and vintage color undertones.
• "They're going to sell out and sell out quick." (C, [08:41])
• Not just for kids’ rooms: "I really want these to be taken seriously...These would be fantastic above a mantle—so vintage, so 50s or 60s." (A, [09:06])
• Unexpected uses: powder rooms, men’s offices, entries, staircases.

c. Delphine Resin Lamp

[11:50–14:48]

• Gourd-shaped, thick-walled resin lamp in a salmon-amber shade, “like it was found under the ocean.”
• "It feels like a sea glass, but then you have the matte-ness so again, that's what makes it feel vintage. You're like, my grandmother, who was a model slash actress, gave it to me." (B, [12:47])
• Perfect as pairs on nightstands or as a living room feature for an art-collector vibe.

d. Brass Angel Wing (Curiosities Collection)

[19:29–25:23]

• New entry to the beloved small objets collection: solid brass angel wing, usable as a decorative tray, book embellishment, or heartfelt gift.
• Deep personal meaning for Corey, who approved the design just after losing his uncle: "This will always...have a special place in my heart because of that." (C, [21:36])
• "Our objects should be meaningful. When we're moving in a new family...you want to be able to find these connections that remind them of their life." (A, [23:54])

e. The George Collection (Burl Dressers & Nightstands)

[25:23–29:19]

• Burlwood grain with polished nickel edge pulls, scaled for older or smaller homes.
• Inspired by classic woodshop techniques (bookmatching) and early 20th-century design.
• "It gives Suzanne's bathroom cabinet. It gives old train car. It feels very Ralph. It's super handy, kind of Mad Men vintage, huh?" (A, [25:25])
• Both rectangular (George) and round (Georgia) nightstands available.

f. The Freddy Chair

[30:13–33:27]

• Dramatic lounge chair named after Freddie Mercury, upholstered in a deconstructed tiger fabric.
• Took over two years to develop the pitch, arm shape, and fabric pairing.
• "You want to approach it from behind. You want that three quarter shot, that backside on there...It really 360 degrees." (A, [31:07])
• "This chair...I think the fabric that it's upholstered in, and right now we're only doing it in the tiger...it's perfect as it is." (A, [32:04])
• "You're gonna look like you hired a designer." (A, [32:49])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On creating heirlooms, not trends:
  "We're often looking to things of the past...but I think the silhouettes and the look back are things that keep us feeling fresh but also make us feel like we're not playing in too hard to a trend." — Jess (A), [03:03]
• On the Lulu Sconce:
  "When there's a light bulb in there, the glow is kind of hazy and it almost just feels like a daydream." — Jess (A), [10:58]
• On the Delphine Lamp:
  "There's something that feels like it was found under the ocean...It feels like a sea glass, but then you have the matte-ness." — Suzanne (B), [12:47]
• On the Angel Wing's Emotional Value:
  "This will always like have a special place...because of that. And that's every time I...See it, I think of him." — Corey (C), [21:36]
• On the George Collection's Craftsmanship:
  "We really focused on the book matching...just the artful way of...the harder way...but it really does add to...give it more of an heirloom feel." — Corey (C), [28:56]
• On the Freddy Chair as a statement:
  "This is the pair of leopard shoes in your outfit...This chair, not only is it comfortable and good looking, but I think the fabric that it's upholstered in...you're gonna look like you hired a designer." — Jess (A), [32:04 & 32:49]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:03] — What is a Modern Heirloom? Inspiration and philosophy.
• [05:12] — Ribbed handblown vases: design, uses, colorways.
• [08:06] — Lulu sconce: origin story and versatility.
• [11:50] — Delphine resin lamp: design process, material, intended vibe.
• [19:29] — Brass Angel Wing: meaning, usage, gifting.
• [25:23] — George dresser & nightstand: burlwood story, technical details.
• [30:13] — Freddy chair: comfort, style statement, fabric details.
• [32:04] — The importance of statement patterns as “house pops.”

Summary Flow & Tone

True to the Dear Alice style, the tone is bright, sophisticated, and full of good-humored candor. The design process is revealed to be lengthy, hands-on, and detail obsessed—"not for the weak at heart" ([01:58]). The stories shared highlight the passion, late-night brainstorms (sometimes involving Triscuit-box engineering!), and emotional connection behind each piece.

Listeners are encouraged to seek objects that “give you that personal style,” make your spaces unique, and blend artful touches with comfort: “You’re gonna look like you hired a designer.” The episode leaves its audience inspired to invest in high-quality pieces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful—and maybe even start an heirloom collection of their own.