Upon entering Stacey Bendet’s Tribeca home, it feels as if I have been swept up into a high-end circus-like tea party equipped with everything from a chandelier in the shape of a ship to black and white checkered floors contrasted with pops of bright color to velvet furniture in every imaginable shape. The aesthetic is purposeful, right in line with the alice+olivia designer’s funky yet elegant style.

“Whether it’s my home, my office, or my showroom, I like people to smile when they walk inside,” Bendet explains. “I like my spaces to feel uplifting, sort of intellectually whimsical, where things are fun and happy and make you smile but also make you think. It’s like a mix of sophisticated architecture — a space that really makes you want to look around.”

Indeed, there is a lot to take in. Bendet’s loft-like abode is the perfect blend of chaos and calm, excitement and tranquility. It’s a marriage between Pop art and a refined baroque style. “I worked with Robert Couturier,” Bendet explains of the eight month renovation. “It was really the most beautifully collaborative project, to the point that he’s now working on the redesign of all our stores. He’s basically my life partner.”

And then there’s the art. “I have a nice collection,” she humbly states. On every wall is an interesting piece, including a custom Julian Schnabel plate painting and a massive Francesco Clemente piece that hangs in her bedroom. But among the designer furniture and high-end art is a vast array of family photographs, a testament to the fact that this house is as lived in as it is styled. (Note the tricked out playroom in the basement, equipped with a floor-to-ceiling slide.)

The house is constantly bustling, from hair and makeup and the house staff to her alice+olivia team. Bendet moves through the buzz (in 4-inch platform heels) to pose for several photographs. She needs little to no direction and has a vision for every shot, another nod to her design instincts. Sitting beneath her FedEx Christmas tree, her daughter Scarlet bounds into the picture and Bendet reacts with a smile and a kiss.