Designer Recaptures Décor From Far-Flung Corners
By Gina Dostler
Laurie Alter’s Laguna Beach home furnishings store Tuvalu serves as a mirror of the owner’s travels around the world. The worldly contributions to its inventory bring a special ambiance that Alter readily instills into creative, one-of-a-kind interior designs for her clients.
Q: You’ve been working on an exciting project. What is it?
A: We have the pleasure of creating the interior design for The Ranch, the iconic hotel and golf course known as Ben Browns. It sits on 83 acres and includes plans for 97 rooms, a golf course, hotel and restaurant. We are very excited about it because the interior design we’re implementing will not exude a hotel feel at all. An exclusive experience awaits the guests with custom furnishings and unique products. The essence of Laguna resides in this place nestled within the canyon and a stone’s throw from Aliso Beach. Peace and beauty abounds with deer to roam around as tame as the Garibaldi’s that swim in our coastal waters.
Q: Can you give us a hint what you are doing at the Ranch?
A: We’ve been working on it for over a year. It has slowly evolved, with a step-by-step approach starting with our own fabric and color direction. What’s been so nice is the investors have been very open to our options allowing us a rare opportunity of carte blanche designing. We are able to custom design a headboard with our own exact finish and height; and even able to custom design fabric, which is unheard of in the hotel industry. It’s a designer’s dream for sure.
Q: What other custom items are you doing?
A: We’re using encaustic cement tile from Mexico customized to our own color palette for the bathrooms. Drapery treatment, throw blankets, rugs are just some of the items we have tweaked to compliment our design and create a very special space. For the look we’ve combined some ranch features with a little bit of coastal, inviting the guests into a high-end custom design residence with no room alike. We are mindful to include our local artwork from the area. Just wait until you see the wedding suite; it is spectacular. There is nothing commercial about it.
Q: This is perfect timing for your newly created design studio.
A: Absolutely. A year ago we expanded our design business next door to our store and our clients just love it. The studio has been incredibly helpful because of the increased workspace that allows us to include additional resources such as tile and fabrics. What’s really nice in having a retail space attached to our design studio is it allows us to offer a 100% design guarantee. If it turns out it wasn’t exactly what they were hoping for, we can always place it in our retail space. It’s a huge option to offer. We also work with over 700 vendors and have over 3,500 square feet of space to accommodate the immense resources and library immediately at our fingertips.
Q: Other Tuvalu options?
A: Along with a new website, we are doing a Tuvalu “To Go” selection. We cater to many clients and travelers from abroad, who like our genre and want our services. Once back home they send dimensions, colors and pictures of the spaces they want customized. From a mantel to an entire home, we put together design boards that include fabrics to upholstery and case goods to the smallest accessories. We travel all over the world to find items that are unique and different.
Q: This makes Tuvalu a unique experience with all your global treasures.
A: Oh, yes, we find one-of-a-kind pieces for our store, older, vintage or what-nots that speak out to us when we are traveling. But it’s not only that. We understand there are so many products people are exposed to, we bring an experience that is so much more than just selling an item. As a family business, we know the customer experience has to be top-notch for us to succeed. We bring the story behind the product up front for the customer – who the person is that created it and why it struck a cord with us. It’s all about building relationships and our goal is to offer what is unique and different and why.
Q: What are some of the unique items you sell?
A: We have an artist from Newport Beach that creates eclectic beach art frames made of rope, happy fun stuff for beach houses. Or another that does chandeliers in ropes. A guy out of Hawaii that makes vintage floats made of glass and a lady in Florida that makes shell encrusted mirrors in custom sizes and colors. I’ve met with all of them and listened to their stories, returning back with beautiful creations that carry history in all their designs.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Laurie Alter
Tuvalu, 295 Forest Ave.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-497-3202
www.tuvaluhome.com
laurie@tuvaluhome.com
