“I want you to see the Portland I love,” Anna S. of the blog Instant Portland declares. And it is such a treat that today, my Old Port boutique made that list. In Your Own Personal Design Consultant: Nicola’s Homes, Anna proves to be a kindred spirit with a very discerning eye. So many of the beautiful objects she singles out from our selection are my own personal favorites!

Anna also mentions browsing my winter Garnet Hill line – and that she was able to pick up a few pieces she loves on sale. So true! As Garnet Hill sells out of pieces like the popular Grace Flannels and Old Port Quilt, I still have a few in the shop. And they are all on Last Chance Sale, so if Anna has piqued your interest, you should definitely stop by. And remember – even if you can’t make it into downtown Portland, you can always shop our collection online.

“Bedding, cookbooks, art, pillows, glasses, toys, sweaters, rugs, tea sets, even a top hat – it’s all here. Every item is clearly selected as much for its high quality as for its physical beauty, and — perhaps the best part — I feel like every item would fit well into any style of home.  And if you find yourself to be inspired, or perhaps need some inspiration, at the back of the shop is a design center staffed by friendly and knowledgeable designers who can help you find exactly the right pillow or a farmhouse table or perhaps just help you talk through a particular design challenge.”   Anna S., Instant Portland

Anna’s blog is a savvy insider’s view into so many of the unique shops and eateries that make this city such a special place to live. I appreciate her commitment to buying locally and her glowing writeup was the perfect start to a frosty January day! The next time she’s in the store, I hope she comes back to the Design Studio to say hi.

A sense of belonging, comfort and familiarity that’s both personal – and universal. Now, in my brand-new Nicola’s Home online store,  you’ll find everything you need to create the home you’ve always imagined. And because I want you to feel truly at home, I’m offering a very special grand opening discount – 30% off all online purchases through January 16, 2012.

Start shopping!

And remember, just a few more days until you can shop my pieces online!

Quilts—vintage and modern—were one of my very first design obsessions, and my love affair with all things pieced continues today. My ever-growing collection of vintage quilts is a treasure trove of inspiration, and one I dug into when I created my popular Picnic Quilt for Garnet Hill. The blend of sunwashed seersucker and ticking stripes is impossibly soft, with just the right amount of weight for a Maine spring, summer or fall. And the hand-tacking with golden thread? Like pollen dancing in drowsy, late-afternoon sun. I just can’t get enough.

And so I took a few of the quilts we had on the floor at my Nicola’s Home boutique and design center, and created a year-round indoor picnic by using the quilts as upholstery fabric for a handsome, inviting sofa and chair set that you’ll want to snuggle into year-round. I gave the quilts to the master craftsmen at CR Laine, who create bespoke furnishings of exceptional quality. Bench crafted, hand tailored and just … beautiful. I kept checking in on their progress, and they always indulged me with photos!

(Looks like fun, doesn’t it? Remember, the Nicola Home Design Center can custom-create upholstered furnishings for anyone, using found fabrics as inspiration, or as actual upholstery materials. Cutting into vintage fabrics can seem like a sacrilege, but quilts in particular were made to be used as much as admired. When time has not been kind to the entire quilt, playful projects like these can give them new life. If you’re holding on to a treasured quilt, curtain or embroidery, bring it to our design experts to explore the possibilities.)

Finally, the finished Picnic Quilt set arrived. Come visit the store to see them in person, or email our design consultants for more detailed measurements and photos! I think they would be inspired accents in a little girl’s room or a sweet baby’s nursery – this styling will grow with your little ones, as the color palette is quite sophisticated. The Picnic Quilt sofa and chair would also be quite at home in a cottage-inspired living or guest room, and would add a splash of summer to any cozy corner in your home.

Like all my pieces, this set was designed and built to be a new family heirloom … and quilts, like anything homestead, is very on-trend for fall 2011. An indoor picnic, all year round—thanks to my Nicola Home Picnic Quilt from Garnet Hill!

“This barkcloth print from the recent Garnet Hill catalog caught my eye. This lumbar pillow cover is part of the Nicola Home Bedding collection designed by Maine Interior Decorator Nicola Manganello. I love the retro touch of the print, which reminds me of a suburbanized Grandma Moses landscape.”

Prints Charming
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Brooklyn, New York based textile designer specializing in printed silk accessories for men and women.

At left is the quilt you’ve all been clamoring for – the original Fiore in melons and blues. For Fall 2011, however, we brought the jewel tones forward for an even richer, warmer look, just perfect for cooler seasons.

2010

2011

It is so great is it to see my Love Bird Pillow for Garnet Hill land on page 84 the April issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine! Their style team loves the peach and melon colors of the flowers— they’re the hot hues this season.

The blues and greens of the pillow are easy colors to blend into color schemes already in your home. It’s fun to know Better Homes and Gardens thinks the Love Bird pillow is as fabulous as we think it is!

Several years ago, I lived on a street called Flying Point Road. Our antique farmhouse needed a lot of work, but I was up for the challenge. The property overlooked fields, farmhouses, winding roads and even the Atlantic. It had a huge red barn tucked into a quintessential rural farm setting. For all its imperfections, it was picture-perfect.

Maeve was just a baby and I was just starting my home business. Maeve and I would go for long walks along Flying Point Road. I miss those quiet and peaceful strolls. Away from the pressures of renovating a home and starting a business, I could hear myself think. I would dream of our future.

One of our neighbors lived in a meetinghouse much like the one depicted on my Flying Point Lumbar pillow for Garnet Hill.  They held monthly potlucks for their friends. Maeve and I would sit on our porch and watch people come and go on their big night out. How simple, how lovely it was.

These are the days of melting and thawing. Of dreaming of warmer days, brighter skies. Thumbing through garden catalogs, cookbooks and vacation brochures. While you are dreaming, I want to give you warm, fluffy pillows saturated in color to dream on. From now through March 20, take 20% off all pillows at Nicola’s Home, even my bestselling Garnet Hill pillows.

The cut of this coverlet is completely unique, and based on an antique from my personal collection. The scalloped edge transforms your bed—playing peekaboo with your coordinating linens and blankets and adding a layer of sweet simplicity, like vanilla frosting. The piping that runs along the mattress edges give it emphasis and structure. From a distance the effect is formal, almost architectural. But cuddled up close? The double-diamond quilted cotton can be dressed as modern or vintage, but will always be soft and welcoming.

I’ve heard from many customers that the photo in the Garnet Hill catalog is confusing. I know it’s difficult to visualize the coverlet’s length, and I know most of you aren’t storing your firewood beneath your beds. I think the photo had hoped to show its sophisticated style and versatility, showcasing the coverlet’s clean geometric lines in a rustic setting. But if that isn’t working for you?

Try this.

Instead of firewood—imagine the sheets and blankets you have right now. Or, imagine my Hobnail Percale Bedding in Sprout, topped with Garnet Hill’s Cotton Herringbone Throw in Acorn or Apple peeping through. (If you splurge on luxe layers, you want to see them all!) Or, best of all, imagine it layered over an old quilt of your grandmother’s brought down from the linen closet and revealed like glimpses of a beloved past, encircling your bed.

The Nicola Home Christina coverlet and shams for Garnet Hill—like my cousin—is all easy elegance, and will make any bed sing.

Whenever I design a piece for Garnet Hill or source an item for my store, I am always thinking of all the homes—and all the lives—it may someday be a part of. I believe a piece can be bold or distinctive or adventurous, and still be completely versatile. Buying any of my pieces is only the first step towards truly making it your own.

I want you to play. With color, with texture, with light. With rooms and expectations and conventions. I’ll be posting many more videos in the coming months filled with how tos, design tips and inspirational ideas for celebrating your own personal style using my own products, things you already have in your home or unexpected materials and techniques. Any space can use a fresh take or a small update for spring, and changing your bedding is both seasonally appropriate and a whole lot of fun.

To kick off this series, I’m inviting you into my very own bedroom. (I wonder how many hits this will get?) The video above shows you a couple of different ways to style my beautiful Picnic Quilt from Garnet Hill, gives you a close-up peek at the popular Flying Point pillow and shows you just how utterly addicted to pillows I really am. So … come on in, and let me know what you think!