meet nicole

meet nicole... of the blog me oh my!

she's one of my dearest friends... she's thoughtful, gorgeous, sincere, and SO talented.

she has a beautiful home ...

and a beautiful life...

of which she shares on her blog {along with great ideas & fabulous finds!}

nicole & i have share alot of common interests & love for design {and we've actually worked together 3 different times throughout college}. she's in design school right now & has big plans for the future.

so i thought you'd enjoy a little interview with nicole.  you'll love her, just as i do...

What's been your favorite design project?

The most fun I've had is designing ideas for my own home.  I have to be very creative and resourceful with no budget, and I love the challenge.  (Even though I daydream the whole time of buying certain pieces and hiring out the handy work!)  It is rewarding to make, paint, or think of something that I get to live in and enjoy.

What are you working on now at school?

Creating and planning a high budget baby shower.  I love a good party, it is so fun to dream one up that I am not worrying about a budget.  We are working on our event all quarter long, creating a book, invite, menu, and so on.  Another one of my classes is fashion styling.  I am interested to see how this goes.  I idolize Jenna Lyons -- so maybe I can channel her for some of my assignments!  I have actually been thinking a lot about interior and prop styling for editorial spreads as a career.

Who is your favorite designer- explain?

I always love discovering designers that are new to me, and admiring their work.  But my first favorite Interior Designer was and still is Kelly Wearstler.  She was the first designer years ago that got me really excited about the possibilities of design.  Her use of bold colors and graphics have always inspired me!  I love looking through her work - she is genius in my book!

How did you get into design?

I have always had the need to express myself in a creative way and loved the arts since I was a young girl.  I am still in school and figuring it all out because of circumstances, but also because I have the hardest time honing in on one subject!  I started out going to school for photography, turned to fine arts, turned to interiors, now on to visuals.  My major, Visual, is perfect for me because it is very broad.  Sometimes "broad" can also be a negative. I am still trying to decide exactly what it is I want to do when I graduate this fall... 

Design obsession of the moment?

Wallpaper!  I am obsessed, and can't wait for the day that I can install wallpaper in my own home.  I love what it can do to a room, and I am always inpired by graphics, so I love the idea of having a textile covering my walls.

Also, I'm loving black accents.  I just spent all weekend adding touches of black throughout our home.  I have always loves girlish charm mixed with masculine bones.  I think it creates a great bohemian aesthetic that is comfortable and colorful.

Favorite paint color?

Swiss Coffee from Dunn Edwards.  I'm obsessed with white! The majority of my house is painted in Swiss Coffee now, and I wonder if I'll ever paint a different main color in any home we live in.  I love that it feels clean, modern, and fresh.  Then I bring in pops of color with furniture, fabrics, art, accessories and potted plants.

What do you plan on doing after graduation?

That is the hardest question for me.  Not only do I want to do a little bit of everything, but I also need to develop more confidence professionally.  This is something I am working on, and school is helping.  It is good for me to see that I do have a different perspective than my peers, so maybe I can make a career out of being creative, which has always been my dream.  I am still trying to narrow down the options and decide what's right for me.  My number one priority is my family, I love being a wife and mom, so I am hoping to find freelance work.  My dream has always been to own a home and garden boutique, but now I also think about creating my own line of goods to put in other beautiful stores?  I did just see an open space available in charming downtown San Juan Capistrano today that has my wheels turning.  Obviously I am not sure, but can't wait to find out!

How do you keep up on design- magazines, blogs, etc?

The internet is a huge resource, we are so lucky to have so much at our fingertips.  I also love a good magazine.  I am still mourning the loss of Domino (and Cookie). I am so thankful that lonnymag was created to help fill that void. Other magazines I like are House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Vogue Living, Martha Stewart, and Cottage Living.  Another huge resource of inspiration for me is fashion and movies.  I always find myself fascinated by the interiors, fashion, and visuals during a movie.

Favorite sources, stores, websites, etc.

My absolute favorite store is Juxtaposition in Crystal Cove.  This store is so inspiring to me.  Whenever I go, I drive home with my head full of daydreams.  And my favorite blog is Style Files of course!