“That yellow horse there?” The polo player said in a Southern accent. “She’s not for sale.”

“She might be for the right price,” my dad said with a Cheshire grin. We were there looking at another horse for sale when we spotted the palomino mare tied up to the trailer. She was stocky and had a large muscular rump, unlike the other slender thoroughbreds next to her. She stood out like a ray of sunshine was beaming down just to illuminate her shiny coat and bright white mane and tail.

“What’s her name?” I asked the polo player as he handed me the reins to my soon-to-be soulmate.

“Alice.”

“Like Alice in Wonderland?” Aw, what a sweet little name for such a grand, powerful horse.

“No, like Alice’s Restaurant.” He could tell from my dumbfounded look that I had no idea what he was talking about. He named his horse after a restaurant?

“You know, You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant…” Singing it to me just made me even more confused. So… it’s a song about a restaurant? OK… whatever man.

“Arlo Guthrie. Look it up, kid.” So I did, which, at the time meant going to Tower Records at the mall and having to buy the CD. The WHOLE CD. OK, so my new horse is named after an eighteen minute song where some Bob Dylan-type guy is rambling on and on about who knows what, something to do with throwing out trash and Thanksgiving and a restaurant where you can get anything you want, but not an Alice. Pretty damn Rockstar, if you ask me. I was not about to change her name.

That was my introduction to a relationship of a lifetime, lasting more than twenty years. When she passed, I was left with the physical remains of our life together- a well worn saddle scratched from running through trees on fox hunts, pilled polo wraps, bridles for every discipline, endless saddle pads covered in her palomino hair, blankets for every season, polo mallets with wood-chipped heads, and trophies we won together as a match made in polo heaven. It didn’t feel right to put all of these treasures in a box to be forgotten, so I temporarily piled as many items into my office as I could, just to see them everyday.

This room is for her. It’s for her memory and to honor the things she left behind.

This is for my Alice’s Restaurant.

Arriving at University of California, Santa Barbara, 1999

The design started with this portrait of Alice. I took this picture of her for a black and white photography class in high school, and although I have always loved the shot of her, it just doesn’t even begin to depict her radiant glowing sunshine coat. I had this photo just mounted to white board for several years until she and I won this silver frame in a polo tournament at UCSB, and it could not have been more perfect for this photo. The photo has never really had a place in my home where it’s beauty is showcased, and I knew that this was the moment to finally find a place for Alice to shine.

I knew that the room wanted a dark and cozy vibe, I just needed to find the perfect shade of green reminiscent of an old hunt club.

“What about a dark gray?” My husband questioned the green concept.

“Nope. Green.” I was not entertaining any other suggestions from the peanut gallery.

“Or what about black?” He still didn’t get it.

“Hey, here’s an idea,” I said, “Maybe let me pick out the color? And also everything else in the entire room?”

Et voila: Backwoods is the winner.

Unfortunately when college was over, so was my access to thirty horses six days a week at the lovely Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. After graduation, it was just Alice and me, trying to survive on an entry level salary which could not sustain multiple horses, a truck and trailer, club membership fees, etc. So my polo career ended rather abruptly and for the last 18 years I have dragged my collection of mallets from house to house and across the country. Why do I hang onto them, you ask? Well, someone could call me one day and ask me to play in a high-goal charity tournament and I will need to be armed and ready. Or maybe I will bequeath them to my children to be auctioned off one day for tens of thousands of dollars just because they came from the estate of the famous Lindsay Hunter, President of the 2003 UCSB Equestrian Polo Team. Probably not. But they do remind me of one of the most significant periods of my life- playing polo with my friends and my mare with ocean views without a care in the world (unless it was finals week). Even if I did get called in to play some big celebrity exhibition game now, I would probably have to invest in a new mallet and let these historical artifacts live safely above my bed forever.

Finding the perfect nightstands was imperative, as I had this shot in my mind before I even started the project. I knew that I wanted something with texture, not just another wood surface. When I saw this leather nightstand with saddle stitching and brass hardware, it was a mouse-drop moment. BOOM. We’re done here. Yikes, how much do they cost? I’ll take two. (Hands over credit card with eyes closed.)

Artwork from Hart EquestrianPhoto by Ruby & Peach Photography — Artwork from Modern Equestrian Shop
Photo by Ruby & Peach Photography

Having a quiet space in one’s home for meditating, journaling and general self-care can be restorative and calming. Or so I hear. I’ll let you know if I ever get to dust off my journal from 2017 and sit in this lovely chair long enough to tune out the sounds of screaming children and barking dogs. At least it’s nice to look at as I walk by wistfully longing to wrap myself in my Scottish tartan blanket and curl up with a good book.

Blanket from The Tartan Blanket Co.Photo by Ruby & Peach Photography — Blanket from Modern Equestrian Shop
Photo by Ruby & Peach Photography

I had an idea to take apart Alice’s bridle and use the bit and reins as a drapery tie-back. In case you were wondering, yes I did clean the bit first. Also if you’re wondering how I achieved this effortless look, I’m sorry but I will not be pulling back the curtain on this one. (It involves several rubber bands and does not look very designer-y.)

I wanted to find a really special show-stopper lamp for the dresser, so where do you go for something one-of-a-kind and amazing? Rodeo Drive baby! No wait, wrong movie. You go to Chairish.com. I wanted something super duper special and unlike anything anyone has ever seen, and also equestrian- a tall order. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but an orange Hermès riding boot lamp that looked just like my first pair of polo boots. (Once again, handed over credit card with eyes closed. Eeek.)

I wanted to incorporate my old stirrup irons from Alice’s saddle, and it made perfect sense to place them in proximity to the boot. I wish I knew how many hundreds of miles Alice and I have traveled with my boots in those irons. But alas, I will never know. Now I’m wondering if I should have cleaned them? Hum.

In case you were wondering, this is what I look like drinking coffee in bed while gazing out the window in silent wonderment.

It’s been awhile, so let’s revisit the BEFORE: Drab. (Does not look like a designer lives here.)

AFTER: An Equestrian’s Dream. (Now it looks like a designer finally moved in.)

Thank you so much for following along on this transformational journey! Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go crawl into my cozy bed and enjoy the smell of leather and old horse tack.

If you’re late to the party and you missed the rest of the story, read these posts for further understanding:

Part I: The Before

Part II: Paint

Part III: The Reveal VIDEO

Modern Equestrian Design- The Bedroom Part III: The Reveal