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!
