Quick Takes With: Alice Saunders

We have a type, and it’s off-grid houses that are good-looking to boot. So when we saw entrepreneur/designer Alice Saunders’ cabin New Hampshire a few years ago—with no running water, no electricity, and no cell service but a great-looking kitchen, vintage finds, and a board game table—it was our kryptonite. (See: Unplugged: A Couple’s DIY, Totally Off-the-Grid Cabin in the New Hampshire Woods.) And we’ve been following Alice ever since.

Alice is the founder and creator of Forestbound, and you’ve probably seen one of her rustic-cool totes around. “I primarily make classic, utilitarian tote bags and carryalls as well as a line of home goods. My design ethos is translated through the products I create but also the spaces I’ve renovated and decorated; I focus on working with antiques and found materials that have a history and tell a story.”

And, lately, she’s been busy. “I recently expanded the Forestbound studio to include a 1200-square-foot retail space in Amesbury, MA, which I am calling Keepsake and plan to do seasonal pop up shops throughout the year” (including for Valentine’s Day, open now). My husband and I are also renovating a circa-1875 one-room schoolhouse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We’re in the thick of it right now (the house is gutted!) and have a long way to go, but it’s an incredibly rewarding project that we’re both very passionate about.”

Today, for Quick Takes: Valentine’s Edition, Alice writes in with her go-to winter accessory, an easy chic sofa hack, and the ’90s rom-com that made an impact, design-wise. Read on…

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

I love bringing hostess gifts. Number one is always a basket stuffed full of fresh flowers or vegetables from my garden and a close number two is a candle made by my company, Forestbound.

What’s on your bedside table?

A pile of books, my favorite little estate-sale lamp, a jar of Honey Bee Skin Healing Cream (I slather myself in it every night), a few little candies, and rogue bobby pins.

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

Anything by Terence Conran, but specifically The House Book, since it’s quite comprehensive and filled with so many great images and diagrams. I think I’d want that on a desert island!

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

When I really want to get in the zone and let my creativity flow, I always put on Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

I love the interiors in Nancy Meyers movies… sun-drenched rooms, stacks of books, fresh flowers, layers of texture everywhere. The set design in Father of the Bride definitely made a mark on young me in the early 90s!

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

I love @englisheccentrichome, @stissinghouse (for design and food), @slow_roads, @tat.london.

What has been your best house upgrade?

When we were renovating we went for the largest zero-clearance wood fireplace I could find, which seemed very indulgent at the time, but I am SO happy we did because we use it every day in the colder months. It’s the heart of our home, and I genuinely love making fires. Plus when the power goes out we have a super efficient heat source.

A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?

There are many ways to DIY curtain rods, and it’s both very easy and very inexpensive! Also throwing a linen sheet over a sofa can be chic while also being a great alternative to expensive upholstery.

My favorite sheets are…

Vintage Ralph Lauren. I find them at estate sales quite frequently and have a good stockpile! The best quality, colors, and prints.

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

I love a sunny and calm bedroom, so I always go white for the walls. My go to white is Benjanim Moore Simply White, but I love BM White Dove for the bedroom specifically.

My unpopular design opinion is…

I don’t mind a stack of books with the pages displayed outward vs. the spines. Sometimes this is what I do to keep track of novels I’ve already read and it drives people crazy!

Your design pet peeve?

Oh a television over the fireplace is far and away #1 for me.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

A well-used wooden spoon.

Three words that describe my design style:

Nostalgic, utilitarian, folky.

First design love?

My neighbor’s house growing up in New Hampshire. Her home was filled with antiques but was not precious. It was colorful and full of texture but also very considered and understated. She would find and display objects at the flea market and I loved thinking about what the story was behind each of them… photographs and postcards, baskets, felt pennants. There was a lot of emphasis on creating cozy areas throughout the home where someone could curl up and read. I spent a lot of my childhood in this house since they were like my second parents, and it was probably the biggest influence on me design wise.

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

Since it’s February in New England right now, it’s vintage wool sweaters, wool socks, my L.L. Bean Rubber Mocs, and a super warm mohair and wool bonnet a friend knit for me.

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

I love John Derian, Glassette, Viand Mercantile in Portland, ME, and there’s a little shop in Portland, OR called Lowell that I love.

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

Almost everything in our home comes from estate sales or auctions, and I recently found a an oil painting by a Maine artist of a fall landscape dated 1940. It was painted on a wood panel that looks like it was broken off of a larger piece of wood. I love that it’s folky and not precious yet still so beautiful.

Something you’re coveting?

There’s a small ceramic artist out of LA, Cosa Ceramics, who makes her own version of classic cafe cups, and they are gorgeous. When she does a drop they sell out super quickly so I haven’t been able to get my hands on one yet but I hope to someday.

I don’t leave the house without…

My Petite Leather Dock Bag made by my company Forestbound (promise I’m not just saying that because I make it!). I’ve been making and designing bags for almost two decades now, and this bag is my all-time favorite. It was inspired by a handmade leather bag I found at a flea market outside of Providence a few years ago. It’s just the perfect size and shape for every scenario, and I never leave home without it these days.