Tucked away on a little side street in down town Anchorage, there is a tiny house. In that tiny house there is an adorable, unassuming home goods shop packed full of charming and functional treasures from Northern Europe. Design House Alaska, owned by Julia Foland, is my favorite shop in Anchorage. It is fresh and bright and offers a considerably different shopping experience than most home good stores here. I recently had the pleasure of shopping, chatting, and sipping espresso with Julia to learn all about her story and how Design House Alaska came to be.
Julia was born and raised in Anchorage, then left for New York to pursue her career in architecture. After a decade of success in New York, she returned home to Alaska. She opened Design House Alaska in July 2015 to bring modern housewares to Alaskans due to the gap in the market for contemporary interior design. Julia was driven to open Design House Alaska due to a love of all things design courtesy of her background as an architect. She noticed a lack of options for furnishing the interiors of her clients’ homes and custom designed a lot of one-of-a-kind items, which, she says, “while amazingly fun didn’t have a far enough reach.”
Julia’s inspiration comes from Scandinavia as most goods in the shop derive from Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. Everything is handpicked by Julia and is of exceptional quality. She says, “I love well thought out products that bring joy into the everyday. I’m continually drawn to and inspired by natural materials that get better with age. I’m inspired by objects that’s don’t just perform their task, but do so in a way that adds an element of beauty with a touch of playfulness into our lives.”
The first time I visited the shop was after a recent trip to Germany, which left me even more smitten with the simple and clean design of Northern European homes. Design House Alaska was the perfect fit for this aesthetic and quickly became my go-to place for nearly everything for home, from small gifts to large furniture. The beautiful simplicity and functionality is easy to fall in love, yet I especially appreciate Julia’s trained eye on why Scandinavian design is so charming– and it is more than just a style:
“The Scandinavians know how to elevate design in their everyday. They use design as a tool to define standards in their society. They produce a huge section of products that are expertly edited, carefully crafted, highly functional, and smartly designed but in spite of all this rational thought – objects that feel warm and playful. Alaska has a lot of the same latent potential as another northern extreme community where design can help shape our unique environment.”
There is something for everyone at Design House Alaska– even a bonafide rustic style lover. Julia encourages people to just start with a piece or two and does not believe one look has to takeover an entire home. On the contrary, it is the juxtaposition of pieces gathered over a lifetime that make a house unique and homey. We recently added a new Finnish dining room table from Design House Alaska which actually seems quite at home with the French Renaissance and neoclassical styled hutch right next to it. There are great gift options for the holidays as well, like a darling set of salad servers for $25 and exceptional knits to prepare for another cold winter. In my home, I use the longhair Icelandic sheepskin (one of Julia’s favorite items in the shop) to add texture and warmth to Magnolia’s rocking chair. Her other two favorites? The everyday accessories and brand new line of handcrafted wood glasses.
As a transplant from the Lower 48, I am thrilled with new shops in town like Design House Alaska. I am eager to see what else Julia has planned. Next on the list: expanding the selection of products made locally and by former Alaskans. I can hardly wait! Julia also owns The Jules Bed and Breakfast which is decorated in the same tasteful, Scandinavian decor as the shop. If you plan to visit Anchorage or have visitors headed this way then I highly recommend staying there.
{Photography by Kristian Irey Photography}
**Thank you to Design House Alaska for your wonderful hospitality, decor ideas, and for sponsoring this post! While I was compensated for my time writing this, all opinions expressed are my own and completely genuine.**
