Alyce Tran has always been organized, just take a look at her shoe collection.
It's here, in Tran's sunny Sydney home, where everything knows its designated place, is named accordingly, and conveniently within reach. Adhering to a very Cher Horowitz school of thought — you know the wardrobe — Tran's collection of slingbacks, square-toed sandals, and pointed stiletto pumps are boxed up with Type A precision.
"I think the fact that I'm constantly cleaning out my wardrobe has kept it really organized," muses Tran, co-founder of Australian-born leather accessories brand, The Daily Edited. "Once every six months I actually go through everything and I'll either on-sell or gift items to family and friends, pieces that I haven't worn in that period — to make way for my new arrivals."
In the sweltering Sydney summer of 2012, Tran was processing accessory orders during her lunch break at a well-respected law firm. Together with co-founder Tania Liu, 26-year-old Tran couldn't help but notice the stark lack of desk-worthy office accessories. As a young lawyer with a penchant for the sartorial and an eye for good design — Tran made her move.
From leather laptop cases to signatory iPhone covers, personalized notepads, and clutches to covet, if there was room to personalize — Tran was all over it. The Daily Edited quickly grew from a niche Instagram launch, a monogram movement among Sydney's most fashionable fleet — to a mainstream phenomenon that saw every influencer and their dog blind embossing whatever they could get their hands on. Now valued at an estimated $21 million — it's safe to say that Tran's hobby escalated.
"The Daily Edited is a fashion, lifestyle and accessories brand designed to suit your everyday life," explains the entrepreneur. "You can personalize everything in our range — you'll probably notice our product peppered throughout my own home, from my letter rack, to my laptop case and decorative trays, through to small handbags and phone cases."
Inside the entrepreneur's sun-drenched home — located in the Eastern Suburbs' neighborhood of Woollahra — Tran's created a veritable showroom, fit for her favorite TDE pieces. Dotted with millennial pink, bouclé poufs and plush armchairs decorate the primary living spaces, while cotton-candy SMEG appliances accent a sleek, dove gray kitchenette — rendered in just the right amount of not-too-flashy Carrara marble.
In true Sydney style, Tran's French doors seamlessly flow out onto a grassy courtyard, complete with bay seating and decorated with HAY furniture and oversized concrete planters. It's the perfect little spot to enjoy the sun, start to unplug, or wade through a backlog of emails.
"I kind of created that," Tran explains, when asked about the enviable indoor-outdoor flow.
"My place is small and I needed to have that flow on space to let in more light. I think my home generally adheres to the Sydney vibe — it's quite conservative and is a pretty good use of a small space."
Tran utilizes space with care. Cozy niches and multi-purpose corners receive a stylish-yet-practical edit under her watch. A marble-topped tulip table by Saarinen and Thonet Bentwood chairs create a pared-back dining nook — should she wish to entertain family and friends. Tran shares her space with her younger sister, Caroline, and is proud to admit that it was first time lucky with this low-maintenance, lock-up-and-leave home.
"This was my first ever property purchase, I was on the hunt for a cute, freestanding home in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney," explains the entrepreneur. "It definitely suits my busy lifestyle, I am able to lock it up and go — plus the garden is very low-maintenance."
Despite being ultimately practical, Tran's home also serves as a blank canvas for endless styling possibilities. Molten, smoky pendant lights provide a decorative point of difference in the hallway, while a large print by New Zealand photographer Derek Henderson — pink and purple hydrangeas in full bloom, a gift from her mother on her 30th birthday — hovers above the fireplace, neighboring a classic gray sofa sourced via the local boutique, Urban Couture. A series of artwork by Bart Celestino and a large painterly piece by Melbourne-based Catherine Hiller, occupy the surrounding wall space. Whether she'll be the first to admit it or not, Tran clearly has a thing for pink.
"I do, don't I?" she laughs. "I think it's totally reflected at The Daily Edited, too. My armchairs are by Jardan," Tran adds. "I would love to be able to shop exclusively online, but I think with furniture you still tend to see more options in person."
A candy pink bouclé ottoman — sourced via Freedom Furniture — adheres to Tran's playful mid-century modern aesthetic, neighboring a marble console by Urban Couture.
Follow the aroma of Cire Trudon and Byredo upstairs, and Tran's aforementioned shoe collection is hard to miss. Dedicated shoe storage with leather pulls by Sagitine occupies the master bedroom floor space, housing a collection that's as neat as it is impressive. A Fendi gown hangs casually behind her bedroom door, as if she has somewhere fabulous to be. Crisp linen in pale pink and white — sourced via Sheridan — dress the bed, while a nightstand by HAY remains within reach. Vertical shelving houses dozens of books, while the dresser boasts a coveted line-up of clean cut TDE handbags — each emblazoned with a serifed "A.T."
In the bathroom space, it's all crisp lines and white marble, echoing materials on show throughout the living, dining, and kitchen spaces. Cult beauty products and a line up of EDPs — from Byredo to Chanel — complete Tran's vanity, while a Clear Travel Case from her own line spills with on-the-go essentials.
Tran's home — all plush furniture and pops of pink — strikes the ideal balance between convenience and comfort. The entrepreneur revels in the versatility of open shelving — styling and re-styling, curating vignettes to suit her mood, and offering ample storage space for a growing library of fashion tomes.
It's filled with pretty pieces that make her happy, but it's also testament to a decade's hard work. There's no mistaking Tran's penchant for fashion or her role as a young entrepreneur, and it's here at home where Tran's passion and professional life fuse together, with subtlety and style. With a busy schedule marred by constant travel and overseas meetings, Tran's home must first adhere to her lifestyle — not the other way around.
When asked what's the first thing she tells a house guest that comes to stay, Tran's response is fitting.
"Make yourself at home... followed by the WiFi password," she smiles. Spoken like a true millennial — with a penchant for pink.
