Cool Hunting

by Sawyer Trice

Bringing a little more joy to the humble act of cleaning and maintaining the home, Newport Beach's Alice Supply Company focuses on the process more than the end result. Their line of “hip housewares” still manages to get the job done, but brings a little flair to it with products like a lime green dustpan with pink and orange stripes. Other items, such as a camo toilet plunger with safety orange handles, may even accomplish the feat of looking cute while tackling that clog.

We checked in with with Maria Barnes, President of Alice Supply Company, to find out more about the glam homemakers movement.

What inspired the line?
[My partner] Raili Clasen and I both worked in fashion for over 20 years and wanted to do something new. We thought long and hard about what we could put prints and patterns on that didn't already have them. On a little R and R trip to small surfing village in Mexico, we found ourselves climbing the shelves of this dusty old hardware store pulling down neon bristled brooms and brightly-colored buckets.

Who is Alice?
Ann B. Davis...are you old enough to remember her?

Who's your audience?
Our products appeal to anyone who has an appreciation for aesthetically pleasing things. We sold products for dads in Henri Bendel for Father's Day. We have sold hundreds of toolboxes to women. There does not seem to be an age or gender demographic. We had a trunk show at a high-end clothing boutique in Laguna Beach and sold out of everything. Their customer is a 30-something hip woman.

What’s next for Alice Supple Company?
We are so excited about our next line! Given that nautical stripes are so big in fashion right now we decided to put that on our next range of products. We are making hammers with a little pouch of powder-coated nails. The next range will also include nautical striped flashlights, fly swatters, tape measures, ping pong paddles and balls.

When did you start the company?
The company was created in 2008. Our first inventory arrived two months ago. We launched to retailers at the New York International Gift Fair in January.

Who designs your products?
The design of our products is a collaborative effort. Raili [our CEO] and I bring ideas to our "oh-so-talented" creative director, Clive Piercy, and he makes them come alive. He has a firm called Airconditioned LA and is an insanely talented British man with a sophisticated taste level—yet he is connected to pop culture. Raili and I worked with him in fashion for years.

See more images after the jump