In the BOH series What I Love, we’re asking designers to build us a mood board of what’s inspiring them right now.
Alexandra Killion imbues every space she decorates with warmth, texture and a touch of whimsy to make it feel like a dream home, no matter how big or small. And she means really small. Three years ago, coming out of the pandemic, the CEO and creative director of her eponymous Houston-based firm had the brilliant idea to invite other Texas designers to decorate dollhouses that would be auctioned off to benefit local charities.
“The funny part is, I didn’t even grow up with a dollhouse,” says Killion. “I have no childhood connection to them. I just thought it would be a creative way to give back to the community, and now it’s this big event and I’ve become the dollhouse lady!” In its first year, the mini masterpieces raised $150,000, an amount it nearly doubled in 2023. On December 4, the third annual La Petite Maison Gala will benefit Family Houston, an organization that aids neighbors in crisis. The theme is après-ski.
“My mood board nods to the dollhouses while speaking to my style as a whole,” says the designer. Killion’s love for natural materials can be seen in her selection of fluted marble tile, grasscloth wallcovering, and an ivory-colored linen from her own AK Collective line. “I wanted to keep the palette fairly soft and neutral, adding interest with textural surfaces like boucle and plaster,” she adds.
True to her casually chic aesthetic, glamorous elements also find a place in the flat lay, including strands of gold Lurex interwoven with wool and a luxe celadon damask with a subtle sheen. “That’s where the elegance comes in,” Killion explains. “It’s not completely ‘cozy homebody.’” A patinated brass pull from her new cabinet hardware collection grounds all the golds, greens and ivories. “When I look at the assortment, it feels classic and calming, like a sigh of relief,” she says.
1. CALACATTA GREEN HONED MARBLE TILE BY MARBLE SYSTEMS
“Fluting brings such an interesting dynamic to this honed Calacatta marble, further intensifying the dimensionality of the warm beige, gold and green veining. It would be gorgeous as a fireplace mantel.”
2. DAMAS DE LOUIS FABRIC IN SÉRAPHIN BY CHELSEA TEXTILES
“This classic textile with a silk warp and a linen weft is definitely the most formal fabric in the flat lay. A gorgeous damask with a bit of sheen, I imagine using it for anything from pillows to drapery. I even like to put a pop of it in more casual spaces—to contrast with the neutral, nubby, textured Dedar and Christopher Farr Cloth fabrics, for example. It would be unexpected on a sofa, truly elevating the space. I love the combination of blue-green with mustard gold: The light plays with the colors, bringing an element of reflectivity to the palette.”
3. DROP PULL IN ANTIQUE BRASS BY AK COLLECTIVE
“These gorgeous drop pulls are among my favorite options for the customizable case goods from my furniture collection. I love how timeless and elegant they are. They make contemporary pieces feel at home with antiques and other collectibles—which is the whole point of my line: to get people to start incorporating a sense of history back into their homes. The antique brass finish adds a bit of patina; I prefer hardware that looks like it has some age to it, and I don’t mind a fingerprint mark or two. The articulation adds an extra level of engagement every time you grasp and lift the pull.”
4. WANDERER FABRIC IN ECRU BY CHRISTOPHER FARR CLOTH AT JANE CLAYTON & COMPANY
“I live in a family- and pet-friendly household, so both this and the linen from my collective are a little forgiving. For upholstery, I look for fabrics that will hide any evidence of my dogs! When you have something with texture and depth, it tends to be better at concealing wear and tear. It’s more durable.”
5. PLASTER IN STONE WISP BY SEGRETO
“I’ve chosen three possible wall treatments: an abstract Holly Hunt wallpaper, a Winfield Thybony sisal and this plaster. While I really like plaster on walls, I also use it for my furniture pieces. Some side tables and a pedestal made of plaster would be perfect in this imagined living room.”
6. ORO BLANK FABRIC IN IVORY GOLD BY DEDAR AT KELLY FORSLUND
“This Dedar fabric introduces some texture. It’s a wool with strands of Lurex woven through it, so it combines the comfort of boucle with an unexpected metallic pop that resonates with the damask. So fun as a pillow or cushion.”
7. CUMULUS WALLPAPER IN EUCALYPTUS BY HOLLY HUNT
“As much as I love the structure of a stripe, I love the softness of the clouds in this Holly Hunt wallpaper. It has an abstract, watercolor feel, and the greens offer such depth—light in some spots, heavier in others. Along with the fluted marble tile, the wallpaper unites the whole palette, because it brings in beiges and taupes with the greens.”
8. VINTAGE CERAMIC CUP
“I adore discovering antiques and other vintage curios for my shop. This glazed cup has little lion’s heads in lieu of handles, which I find so charming.”
9. DOLLHOUSE CANDLES FROM ETSY
“If we could shrink ourselves down to go inside the designer-decorated dollhouses at December’s La Petite Maison Gala, I picture these not as plastic toys but as beautiful old iron candlesticks with a weathered patina. They’d contrast so well with the modern plaster tables.”
10. FAMOSA FABRIC IN ASPARAGO BY DECORTEX FIRENZE
“This is my passion: I fall in love with any stripe I see. Every interior needs at least one, and I’m especially fond of this tiny little stripe in green. Classic, elegant, it can be used in any application.”
11. SIMPLY SISAL SILVER MIST WALLPAPER BY WINFIELD THYBONY
“This grasscloth wallpaper is a neutral, but because of its texture, it brings so much warmth and dimension to what would otherwise be a flat surface, all without taking anything away from artwork, an open-backed bookshelf, or whatever else you put on top of it.”
12. MABLE FABRIC BY JAB ANSTOETZ
“A simple white sheer adds to the depth of a window treatment, introducing height and softness to the room. I like to keep sheers simple; they don’t need a lot to them.”
13. LINEN FABRIC IN IVORY BY AK COLLECTIVE
“This lovely performance linen is one of the upholstery options available for the made-to-order chairs, sofas and other items from AK Collective. The luxe neutral tone complements the overall palette.”
