about this blog
Garrison Keillor once said that writing is an act of discovery. My favorite design books, magazines and blogs do more than simply showcase great products and ideas their authors have created or found; their writing reveals something unique about themselves. About their way of seeing, beautifying and celebrating their world. I have started this blog the same way I start a new project—by filling a notebook with scribbles and swatches … sparks of inspiration that may, or may not, catch fire. I hope to refine this blog the same way I refine any home or interior design—by engaging with the family that will live within it. If you’re reading this, I’m hoping to make you feel at home. I’m also hoping to help you create the home you’ve always wanted.
I usually say Nicola’s Homes began with one neglected house in Yarmouth, and my husband Bill and daughter Maeve’s willingness to move into it with me and do the hard work of restoring and reinventing it by my side. That was seven homes ago. Seven opportunities to reinvent my life, with those I love best always close by. I am so grateful for those seven homes. I discovered something new in each and every one. Better ways to upcycle original materials and respect the environment. Innovative techniques for infusing modern updates with a warm patina. New perspectives from wonderful artisans who helped me realize my visions. And personal revelations—that Bill and I were better partners than mates, that Maeve would always be the center of our worlds, and that I truly love the work I do and am so privileged to be able to do it.
Now that my portfolio has expanded to include custom home design, consultation, renovation and my textiles line for Garnet Hill, I try to stay mindful to what drew my clients to me in the first place: my determination to infuse my work with the elegant, easy, lived-in grace of an older home. I felt this yearning from childhood. My school friend Sarah always envied the home I grew up in—a new Cape in a lovely development, with that rare thing in Maine, a swimming pool. And I loved that house too. But Sarah lived in a beautiful antique home on Yarmouth’s charming Main Street, and I was in love with all its antique details. That home had stories to tell and I wanted to hear all of them. Playing with her in that house I started dreaming of the day I would own such a home. How I would decorate it. The furniture, textiles, dishes and accents I would fill it with. The family that would share it with me. I’ve realized that dream again and again, and whether I restore an old home or design and build a new one, whether I do it for myself or for someone else, it never loses its wonder.
I want to share that joy through this blog. I hope that when you stop by, you will discover something that assists you in creating spaces that nurture your family, embrace your guests and celebrate your personal style. I hope that you can settle into the comments section as if it were a favorite chair by a warm fire or a sun-drenched breakfast nook and talk to me about what resonates, and what doesn’t. I hope we can discover the very best of home and interior design together.
