THE LOUISE LETTER | DEC. '25
and that's a wrap!
Here’s The Scoop
It’s been another incredible year of Louise Letters - sharing behind the scenes looks of all the fun and hard work both here at ALI and at home! As we settle in to enjoy the holidays / soak in the final few weeks of the year, we wanted to send a few last peeks along with a special feature on one of our services!
Life Lately
November is a double win for me! It’s when I celebrate another trip around the sun and my all-time favorite holiday (Thanksgiving)! My birthday was filled with my most treasured humans plus cookie cake, so I think we can all agree that’s all that needs to be said on that.
Thanksgiving for both myself and my team was spent filling our dining tables with family and delicious food. We have so much to be thankful for always but this was an extra special time of reflection.
From each of our families to yours, we sincerely wish you a sweet holiday season filled with memory making!
Behind the Scenes
We’re still bopping between our office, installs, and client meetings, as we do! We’ve been working hard to tie some bows on both presentations and project installations. This has resulted in Pretty Piles™ galore and finished products coming in ready for their moments to shine!
Just recently, our team got started on a home very close to our hearts and we are dying to show you all soon!
It’s hard to believe that our team has just one *last* install of 2025! This past month we’ve been able to bring together several incredible spaces you are sure to see more of in the coming months.
While some projects have neatly wrapped in time for the holidays, we have some exciting progress at several projects to carry us into the New Year like this dreamy renovation…
Project Feature
Speaking of renovations - we recently had the unique opportunity to see one of our Design Field Guides (DFG) come to life in person! Our Field Guide is a great option for remote clients seeking thoughtful, comprehensive design that they can execute on their own. This simplified design process provides all the tools you need to create a well designed room. Even though this service is mostly used by remote clients all over, every now and then we have a local client who reaches out and the DFG process is the best fit for them!
These clients had quite a puzzle for us to solve with their new-to-them home. The flow of the first floor of this 1976 build was off and we were called in to help create spaces that made sense for the family while still keeping the charm alive.
The first space to tackle was a back entrance into the home. The placement of what was previously a sliding door was where the clients pictured their guest entering the home the majority of the time. Our goal was to make it a bit more welcoming with a new wood door and adding in a large window to allow more light to pour in.
The room you walk into was initially an oversized living space right off the garage with carpet and faux wood paneling while the kitchen was smaller and placed in a major walkway of the home. With their Design Field Guide, we provided all the build selections, as well as floor plans and renderings showing exactly how to transition this space to a highly functional eat-in kitchen.
In the center of the house was a collection of closets and small walkways. We decided to open a large section and create a direct route from the entry into the new dining room where the kitchen original was. We then reconfigured a few of the closets and a full bathroom to create a butler’s pantry and powder room.
Our team provided the clients with detailed drawings of the butler’s pantry for their contractors to use when making their own measurements so they knew exactly what we envisioned.
In addition to elevations and floor plans, we also gave them all the selections for the room which they executed perfectly!
We borrowed space from a laundry closet and what was a full bathroom. With all the bedrooms upstairs, the full bathroom was unnecessary so we created a plan for converting it into a powder room.
Below you’ll see the condensed version of the plan and in addition, we provide each DFG client with a detailed shopping list in an itemized document with all the specifics to make ordering a breeze.
In short, the client was provided with all the links and notes they needed to make the powder stand out! Though we provided a pedestal sink and toilet option, the client was able to use it as an inspiration when shopping for their plumbing - one of the advantages of using a DFG.
Moving back into the new kitchen, the room offered a perfect kitchen sink window moment that we took full advantage of!
Again, in order not to overwhelm your scrolling, we’ve consolidated the design boards but we gave them elevations of each wall of the kitchen for the cabinet makers to use when taking their own measurements and generate their drawings.
The goal of DFG is to give you everything you need along the way but tweaks are often needed with renovations. We are always happy to help along the way and answer questions over email or the phone!
Our designs typically include full furnishing plans, but this project was a little different in that the client wanted to tackle the build portion first. With this approach, we simply provided information / selections related to the renovation for several rooms including the two front rooms of the house, the first being a blue craft room that doubles as a playroom for the two spunky girls that call this house home.
Across the way, is another color drenched space, previously used as a bedroom. After talking through their preferences, we decided this would be an ideal room for a study / office, converting the closet into a built in dry bar.
Adding in details like the bookshelves/desks in the other space and the picture frame moulding in the study give the rooms dimension and personality that we adore.
No layout changes were needed in the girls’ bathroom, but the room did call for a lot cosmetic improvements in addition to new tile and an updated vanity.
We decided to lean into the yellow of the original 70’s wallpaper and we love the cheeriness it added!
The main bath was another puzzle in regards to layout. While the footprint was plenty for main suite, it felt too broken up.
We created a floor plan that maximized the space and felt cohesive with the rest of the house.
We aimed to build a tranquil palette that could be layered on top of over time.
We are so thrilled with the way these rooms turned out! Our team is currently scheduling a select amount of Design Field Guides for the beginning of the New Year and we would love to talk with you more to see if it could be a good fit for your home!
You can find more information on both DFG and Full Service Design on our site and inquire here to start the process!
Favorite Things
This Friday, December 12th, we are inviting you all to join us at our studio to celebrate and shop our Favorite Things to gift or to enjoy all year including works from several of our favorite local artists! We hope to see you then!
Sorry I sent before finished.. in the "fav things sale" picture?
Who is the artist of the swimming paintings in your favorite things sale "