Tuesday, April 29, 2014

CURATED NEST: Color

Whether you're shopping for the closet or home, finding inspiration in different places is often times the best way to design. Like this inspiration artwork by Mary Heilman via Tate for example... Colors you may not be on the hunt for just might end up being your favorite objects.

1. Pendant / Y Lighting
2. Pillow / Society6
3. iPhone Case / Ban.do
4. Dress / Topshop
5. Clock / Society6
 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

On Apartment Therapy

Amazingly a month (or maybe longer) after our Apartment Therapy book shoot, I'm still finding various things online from it.  Here are two photos I just discovered (thanks to my sister-in-law Soyoung at Dogear Press) from AT's Instagram Feed:


And here is a photo of the Overlays on our closet doors that Maxwell blogged about in his daily finds!


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Stylin' Mamma: April Breeze

Let us discuss these trousers and whether certain mothers over the age of 35 should purchase them.

The first time I saw these they were styled with a short-short as the under-layer (rather than the full lining you see here) and I was like, "Hmmmmmmmm."  Do I love the big flowy pleats?  Yes.  Do I love the is-it-a-skirt flexibility?  Yes.  Do I love an elastic waist?  Always.

But the short-shorts?  Notsamuch.  

So you can imagine my distinct glee when they finally appeared with the full lining, thus making them accessible to us more discreet types.  
Basically these trousers define chic comfort, which is my favorite way to dress when the temps start to rise and the schedule loosens up a bit.  A flat, walkable sandal, a breezy tee, a cropped jacket, and a big bag.  And a big necklace (glamour being for every day).  Spring in the city?  I got this.
 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: REFINED OFFICE

Whether you go to an office building each day or just walk down the hall to your home office, the design of your work space should matter and never be overlooked. Take this home office, designed by Refined, as an impressive jumping off point for adding style to the space you spend so much of your time.
Natural light, good seating and lots of table-top space should be at the top of your priority list. But of course, you need the decorative elements that make you feel great every time you walk in, like pretty light fixtures, elegant drapery and check out that ceiling!


Here's how to get this look...

DESIGN BLUEPRINT
Ceiling Light / All Modern
Desk / Hive Modern
Dresser / CB2
Task Chair / All Modern
Desk Lamp / Y Lighting
Picture Frame /  Z Gallerie
Hourglass Set / Z Gallerie
Leather Storage Box / QVC
 

Monday, April 21, 2014

In the Press: Architectural Digest

Recently one of our showrooms Katonah Hardware sent off some hardware samples to Architectural Digest including one of our F-03 pulls.  We got featured in their Best Renovation Products roundup for spring!  Super exciting as they are one of my benchmark publications for the design industry.


Friday, April 18, 2014

New Years Business Resolutions

A while back I posted about my New Years Resolutions for 2014 most of which stemmed around work/life balance.  Well, I know it's already April but I figured I'd share some of my business goals with you guys as well.  I'd actually thought through most of these early in the year before I ever started putting my personal goals together. Although honestly when you run your own business and work from home most of these things end up going hand in hand.  So here goes:

Delegate. Up until about a month ago I was doing everything for my company by myself. That is the nature of the one-woman-show.  But with Baby #2 on the way and a growing business, I knew there was no way I could continue doing what I was doing.  So I'm delegating in a few ways.  First off, I hired an amazing employee.  Funnily enough her name is also Jessica Davis (seriously, it's like I asked to clone myself). She comes from a banking background, but also loves art which means she is great with money and super organized, smart and creative. She is also a mom of two so she understands what I'm up against.  She will be helping me with fulfilment and general admin and problem solving - putting systems in place to make things run more smoothly.  And I can hopefully focus more on creating new lines, sourcing manufacturers, and bringing in more business.

You might have also noticed a new look and feel to our logo and blog and our new url www.nest-studio-home.com .  I delegated that project to my friend Meredith over at the Killswitch Collective who has been doing my graphics for a while. I also had Carolyn Valentin update my blog so that the look is more tied in with the website. There are still a few things that need to happen (business cards etc) but overall I'm really happy with the look and how it reflects the feel of the hardware line.

Get organized. It's amazing how much being organized helps your peace of mind as well as your productivity. Even doing this blog post is an excercise in getting organized.  We recently moved my office to the basement in anticipation of the old office becoming the new nursery.  It was my goal to get the office much more organized than it had previously been.  Because we pretty much had been moving every 2 or so years before, our files were a mess and our office had always been the last space to be completed (or rather, just remained incomplete through every residence).  I really hopped on it this time (I guess having a new employee start also gave me some impetus).  Now all my design books are on one shelf, my hardware boards are on display and everything is in it's place (AND I got to go crazy with my label maker which always makes me happy).

Focus.   I tend to overcommit - A LOT.  Something sounds fun or interesting or I know I will be good at it and there I go volunteering to help.  Along with overcommitting in my personal life I tend to over-extend and spread myself thin on too many different work projects as well.  This year I'm cutting out much of the residential and commercial design work I had been doing and focusing on really ramping up my hardware business.  Last year I was trying to do both of those as well as work on projects around our own home while also volunteering on several committees locally. It was just too much!  On the business end, in focusing more on my hardware line, I have a few more concrete goals:

1) Double my 2013 sales figures: working on this. It's always hard to tell but this is definitely where marketing and PR come in.

2) Add 5 new showrooms: on the docket are Miami, Seattle, Boston, DC and maybe somewhere international like London or Hong Kong.

3) Add 2 new collections to the line: See my hardware inspiration posts!

4) Get my hardware featured in one my favorite Design Publications: Print publications are still the top place to get a product or yourself as a designer featured and this year I'm aspiring to Arch Digest or Elle Decor.

5) Partner with a large retailer to develop a line of licensed hardware: I've been watching the evolution of Joy Cho's brand first with her wallpaper for Hygge & West  and then her line of Oh Joy party supplies for Target and most recently her collection for Land of Nod.  I'd love to do something with a retailer that ties into what I currently do and what would be better than a line of Nest Studio hardware and accessories for West Elm? Hello West Elm?! Are you listening?

Thanks for letting me share a little of what my plans are for this year. What sort of business and career goals have you set for the rest of 2014?

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

INSPIRATION: HARDWARE 2

Last month I shared a series of hardware inspiration photos with you.  Recently I've been working with a metal worker to develop some more organic and sculptural pieces to introduce into the line. The rest of my line is so geometric and architectural that I thought it would be fun to do something different. It's been hard to step out of my box though since I want whatever it is to tie into my existing line. So I've been doing a lot of pinning and online research to get ideas.

One thing I've been very inspired by is mid-century sculpture. It's organic but clean and modern.  It has been really fun to explore different textures and patinas we can add to a piece as well as cool things we can do to make a piece more sculptural versus just a surface pattern applied to a flat pull.  Here are some of the things that are catching my eye lately:
A - I love the antique Chinese pattern on this set of Limoges dinnerware from L'Objet. I feel like if translated correctly, it could make some fabulous hardware.

B - I love the idea of mixing materials and I think these molded glass rods could be a really interesting way to add transparency and texture at the same time.

C - This sculpture is so cool. The play of positive and negative space and geometry is really fun.

D - Another piece of sculpture. It's so refined and the juxtaposition of curves and straight lines could be amazing in a piece of hardware.

E - This Robert Kuo tile also has an asian feel and I love the sort of "topographic" nature of it.

F - Jewelry always inspires me and this Alex Sepkus piece is so cool and organic.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Curated Nest: Simple Silhouettes

There's a few home decor shops where just purchasing one thing can step up your home decor. Ferm Living is one of those... You can find something for the living room, kitchen and even kid's room.

They have a simple, modern aesthetic with geometric patterns and a minimal color palette. These are a few of their best pieces in my opinion, but they have a new collection that you should check out.

 

Monday, April 14, 2014

The Baby's Room Revealed

Hi Folks.  I know you've been waiting patiently to see the baby's room.  If you follow me on instagram you've seen some sneak peeks, and I've showed you my dresser revamp recently as well.  Well, I wanted to get the final touches in before I really revealed the room. I managed to get everything pretty much done in time for our Apartment Therapy book shoot and finally got around to photographing the space the other day.  Now to get Floopy out of the bassinet and frame one final piece of art that Aunt-to-be Soyoung from Dogear Press gave us.  Excited to welcome the little lady to our home (after crossing a few more things off my list of course).









Wednesday, April 9, 2014

STYLIN' MAMMA: SNEAKING INTO SPRING

My latest obsession (there's always something...) is the slip-on sneaker.  Is there a more mom-friendly shoe?  I think not.  Cute with ankle-length skinnies, cute with a skirt, cute with cutoffs...Bring them on!

But how to choose?  Here are my faves, in no particular order.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: UNEXPECTED COOL

When I'm perusing the web, mostly Pinterest and design blogs, the spaces that catch my eye the most are the unpredictable designs. I never would have paired peach-colored chairs with a white and black dining table, plus a rustic wood bench. But check it out, it looks amazing in this space found on SFGirlbyBay, designed for Cotton & Flax.
Unpredictability is always good, in fashion, interior design.... Hell, even in life. It makes everything a little more exciting.

The string lights, white floors and full house plant are beautiful details to an already cool dining room. I also spot a fun DIY near the window... There's a vintage sconce with the glass shade removed and the bulb replaced with an Edison

Here's how to get the look...

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:
Table / Dot & Bo
Chairs / Hive Modern
Pillows / Cotton & Flax
Vase / CB2
String Lights / Target
House Plant / Home Depot
 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Curated Nest: Toddler Cool

While Jessica works hard designing a nursery for her little one on the way, I thought I would round up a few items from a cool kids store for Bryan's room as he gets older.

There's no reason the kids rooms can't be as stylish as the rest of your house! Here's some fun ideas for a growing toddler's room.
Whether you're styling a nursery or a kids room, The Land of Nod is the place to go for stylish design.