there's no place like home...

six months before my first son christian was born, i left the magazine world, GLAMOUR to be exact, to become a full-time mom. i do not think at the time i realized how hard it would be to forgo my creative outlet, and instead be nursing and changing diapers. BUT when i do something i usually go all in! six years later and another baby born (micah is now two), i have learned the importance of my personal space, the place i spend the most time with my boys. i believe i spun a lot of artistic nature into my surroundings, so much so that it became my new creative outlet; my palette and my painting. i understand the need to express inner thoughts, ideas, and theories about life and have these concepts eventually displayed in a tangible space, one that we all know as HOME. so when i found THE SELBY IS IN YOUR PLACE, revealing many different types of creative individual's homes, the site immediately became one of my absolute daily favorites. shortly after, most of these beautiful and inspiring photos were published in a book of the same title.

todd selby, the man behind the project, is a photographer and illustrator. his photos portray an insider’s view of creative individuals in their personal spaces with an artist's eye for detail. the selby is filled with ideas and details that are beyond inspirational, and also international, featuring interiors from manhattan to milan to mexico. here are a few selby images for you...

SO... i thought i would give you an insider's look of the home i share with my boys, our portugese water dog talulah, and our hermit crab hermie (christian would not be happy if this creature was not included- lol). now i am nowhere near as cool as any of the peeps in the selby, but it certainly can't hurt to share. the home is a 1972 wide line ranch that sits on a mountainside, 40 minutes outside of new york city. we like to call it the tree house, as it is surrounded by many tall oaks and pines, remember a woodpecker did fly in! i love that it isn't far from the city and all its culture, yet we get to enjoy nature, privacy, and quiet on a daily basis (well at least when the boys aren't screaming!!!). it is an everyday event that christian and micah spot a red cardinal or an owl from our windows. although, i have to admit sometimes the wild turkeys stomping around on our roof can get annoying, but it's worth it!!! hope you enjoy the view...

bohemian modern: living in silver lake by barbara bestor

besides the selby book, i have a few other favorite interior home and architecture books that i draw a lot of inspiration from. the first book and my personal favorite is barbara bestor's BOHEMIAN MODERN: LIVING IN SILVER LAKE. she is a yale graduate of architecture, the mother of two girls, and has her own incredibly hip architectural design firm in LA, california. talk about doing it all!!! her work mixes vintage and modern seamlessly. she is also into being cost effective (for example: she loves to use commercial windows because they are less costly). she is definitely my hero!!!

 domino the book of decorating by deborah needleman, sara ruffin costello, and dara caponigro

the second book worth mentioning, and one that is closest to my heart for a few reasons, is DOMINO THE BOOK OF DECORATING. i was a huge fan of domino and used to work with sara ruffin costello, the creative director, back in the day at glamour magazine. she is not only extremely talented, but also one of the nicest people in the industry. domino had perfect idea after perfect idea and it is just plain sad that it folded. so many of us miss you domino!!! luckily we have a book that commemorates this awesome mag.

downtown chic by cortney and robert novogratz, photos from their great barrington home

via cococozy

the last book to mention, but certainly not the least is DOWNTOWN CHIC. some of you may have caught the show 9 BY DESIGN on bravo a few months back giving us a glimpse into the life of the novogratz family. husband and wife design team cortney and robert novogratz are the founders of sixx design in new york city. not only do they have seven children (yes you heard me correct) but they also have a great eye for mixing old and new with tons of bold color and a slight quirkiness that always pleasantly surprises. my favorite, is their great barrington, massachusetts country home. not only do i dig the yellow shutters, but the open sun-filled rooms with pops of color throughout make me SMILE.

via cococozy

 





i hope you enjoyed the insiders look at my home, as well as, four of my favorite books: the selby is in your place, bohemian modern: living in silver lake, domino the book of decorating, and downtown chic. for some it may be overwhelming to feel you can achieve what these books illustrate, but really it is possible and it does not have to cost a pretty penny. garage sales, flea markets, ebay, and even ikea are all inexpensive ways to find the diamond in the rough, that one piece that makes your home individually unique. all you need is the inspiration, that photo that sparks the idea. maybe some of these images or books will do that for you or maybe you already have done that for yourself. whatever the case, creating your space so that it portrays who you are inside is like using your home as a palette. this means that everyone can be an artist, everyone can CREATE in some way, shape, or form. don't sell yourself short!!! xo nikki

 dig this!

SADIE

the milk-eyed mender

joanna newsom

♡  
"down where i darn with the milk-eyed mender
you and i, and a love so tender,
is stretched-on the hoop where i stitch-this adage:
"bless this house and its heart so savage."