In the midst of Dallas’ glitz, glamour and beige interiors, Alicia and Adam Rico seem as though they’re from another planet – a much cooler (and, needless to say, more colorful) one. Always ones to do it themselves, the dynamic duo and owners of floral design studio Bows + Arrows in East Dallas nested in a circa-1920 home off Greenville Avenue a year and a half ago with Dotty, now 2, and artfully crafted the interior style room by room with their own hands and paintbrushes.
Clearly, they both have the creative “it” factor. Before one piece of furniture was placed on their hardwoods, the couple devised a color scheme that was vastly different – on purpose – from the other two homes they’d shared. “We both like change a lot,” says the petite brunette, who, like her husband, earned a degree in painting (she from Texas Christian University, he from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York).
The two-color scheme for this home, which is “more impactful,” Alicia says, is pinks and turquoise. Adam painted the walls in their dining room a dark pink with monochromatic Native American-inspired geometric shapes. It’s no surprise that Adam and Alicia have Native American heritage, with the strong vein of New Mexico-inspired details running throughout the home, such as the runner on their turquoise buffet. A peek outside the back door finds coolly crafted kid-size, soft-fabric teepees left over from Dotty’s Navajo-themed birthday party.
Unlike many family homes that are littered with primary-hued kids’ toys, Dotty’s things stay in her room (with the exception of the Mr. Potato Head lips). “I’m kind of big on kids’ stuff being in their room and not all around the house,” Alicia says. Instead, they instill in Dotty “having her own space and teaching her to put her things away in her room.” They also taught their Yo Gabba Gabba!-loving toddler not to touch fragile things in their home – like their artwork, which covers many surfaces in the two-bed, two-bath home.
In the living room, a vintage pull-down map of New York state – a nod to where the couple met – hangs above the grey-painted fireplace, cleverly concealing the flatscreen TV underneath. In the extensive renovations to their home (including redoing the foundation and layout of the house), they had custom built-ins created to cover up the tilted windows, which worked out great, Alicia says, since they have such a huge book collection. While most of their time as a family is spent outdoors going to parks, walking to dinner at local restaurants and playing with sidewalk chalk (a favorite of Dotty’s), when they’re inside, they’re rocking out to Neon Indian, or, when Dotty has her say, Yo Gabba-Gabba! The pale grey walls disappear in favor of the mixing and matching of vibrant green tribal prints with geometric black and white patterns on quilts, rugs and chairs.
The master is the ultimate showcase for their pattern mash-ups. The triangular-patterned wall unites the seemingly opposing patterns dressing their bed – some tribal, some floral and even a little traditional herringbone thrown in there. Dotty seems to have developed a taste for indie music herself and spends time in her parents’ bedroom watching music videos. Her favorites? Bjork (“She calls her Mommy,” Alicia says, smiling) and The White Stripes.
Through DIY transformations, a discerning eye and collecting things from travels near and far, the couple has made their home a showcase of their talent and colorful charisma. And for their next house? Adam’s thinking about all white and neutrals.
