A Alicia + Styling Ideas

I was out in twitterland chirping from my nest when I heard a distant tweet from blogger Erin at Kind and learned about A Alicia Handmade. This eco fashion and home brand is small and sweet, and though I'm not turning into a fashion blogger anytime soon, I do love to share what inspires me outside of home decor from time to time because so much of this fuels my passion for interiors even more.

The things I see in the fashion world tend to creep into my home in other ways, for instance a skirt may inspire an idea that I have for a patterned shower curtain in my bathroom or the trim on a sweater makes me think of how I should add some trim to my guest towels. I would love to execute more of my creative ideas at home for this year, it is part of my resolve as the clock struck twelve on January 1st. So far, so good -- I made a curtain for my office out of Liberty fabric and I am soon to wallpaper my hallway. I also bought a ton of beautiful beads from my last two trips to Morocco and Turkey and now they are displayed on gorgeous hooks on the wall because jewelry so beautiful shouldn't be hidden away in a drawer and most of these necklaces I won't wear on a daily basis (especially the large felted beads from the medina in Marrakesh).

Displaying fashion and accessories in the home is also a huge trend in styling and has been for a long time now. You must notice the occasional flowy dress hanging from a closet door or the beads on hooks in some of your favorite books and magazines? Of course, a handbag over a chair and high heels on the floor are common styling tricks of the trade as well.

Why?

Because they warm up interior photographs and bring a certain feeling of home to a shot. You frequently see these tricks more in magazines than in books though but they're still there and if styled casually they can add warmth and life to a room. If styled perfectly however, they can make a shot seem lifeless because then the room looks like a catalog or the focus can be on the items and not the room, giving the appearance of a product shot.

You see, styling is an art just like anything else and though I do not consider myself an expert in this area I did learn quite a bit last year while I was traveling around styling rooms for my book. One thing I learned is that to make a room come to life -- well, it requires a special awareness in my opinion at least -- for instance, when you style a room for a book you have to not only think of the editorial angle but also what feeling you want to bring to the reader while still making sure that home reflects the personal style of its inhabitants. You have to consider the senses and how you can help the reader to tap in to some of them. Food stylists know the art of making the viewer's mouth water because they introduce certain elements to a shot -- steam, the bubbles in foam, drips, smears, all done expertly to make you crave what you see. You have to capture that same craving with the photos that you style for interiors -- the viewer should want to live there.

But back to fashion and accessories to use in the home as decor. Yes, it's a great idea and an affordable way to change up a room - your coat rack in the hallway, if better organized, could serve as a beautiful display of coats, bags and scarves in addition to providing a practical storage space. Why not pretty up functional storage areas in your home so that these otherwise mundane areas can look nice and inspire you?

Now back to the talented A Alicia. About A Alicia her bio says, "Anna Alicia took a round-about route to accessory design, via a degree in Art History at the University of Kent and an MA in Fine Art at Central St Martins, London. Her background in Art History and her practice as an artist play a huge role in inspiring her collections, as do the travels of her childhood, and the buzz of living and working in London. Alongside these influences, Anna Alicia also explores a fascination with historical craft and particularly Japanese craft and design. Ethical and environmental concerns are central to her collections – all A Alicia accessories are made by hand in Anna Alicia’s London studio, using fair trade organic cotton and vintage elements wherever possible. Far from finding it restrictive, Anna Alicia feels that working with limited materials inspires her to make the most of their possibilities."

Psst: She has a second shop for wedding accessories and she is on Etsy. (images: Anna Alicia)