So it was such a privilege to be selected as one of the interior designers featured in their very first Interior Design issue this February. I was in such stellar company, and I’m so proud of the home I shared! It was also a treat to have photographer Trent Bell photograph one of my spaces again. If you love design, you must get your hands on a copy. If you’d like to peek inside my project, click here:

“A Living Space that Unites: Nicola Manganello of Nicola’s Homes”
Maine Home + Design, February 2012

I knew from the very first paragraphs it was a book I needed in my life:

We have forgotten what enough feels like … We live in a world seduced by its own unlimited potential. We are driven by a presumptive grandiosity that any economic, social, or political limitations can seemingly be overcome with more speed or technology. But for us, as human beings, our limitations remain constant, eternal, fully intact. Rather than feeling large and omnipotent, our own very limited, human days are likely to feel more cramped, overgrown, and choked by impossible responsibilities. At worst, we feel powerless; no matter how strong our hearts, or how good or kind our intentions, each day the finish line seems farther away, the bar keeps rising, nothing is ever finished, nothing ever good enough. So we work and add and never stop, never back away, never feel complete, and we despair of ever finding comfort, relief, or sanctuary…

If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. I cried when I read it. For the last twelve years – ever since I started my own business – I have been unable to stop. To rest. To let go of the idea that at any given moment, I need to do MORE.

I had a very, very good friend who approached life very differently. He was successful, but he enjoyed that success, every bit of it, all the time. He was always teasing me, telling me to slow down, have fun. I needed to hear that. I needed him. And then, in October of 2011, I lost him. He lived every day as if it were his last and his best and in the end, that is what took him from me. In all my grief I’ve had to sort through where he went wrong, but I keep coming back to what he did right. He celebrated his life every day. In his memory, I mean to do the same.

So in 2012, I resolve to be more grateful. (For my family, for my beautiful daughter Maeve, for my friends – the greatest blessings in a very blessed life.) I will trust my inner voice. (It does not lie if I listen well.) I will accept my outward appearance. (I am so loved, exactly as I am.) I will make sure everyone I admire, love and look up to knows that I do, each and every time I see them. (It is not a given that I will see them again.) And I will accept compliments from others. (They are sincere. There are things I do well.)

Here’s to truly living – and truly loving – our lives in 2012.

Our doors are flung open wide at 215 Commercial Street in Portland, Maine, welcoming locals and travelers alike.

“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

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.

Store manager Jennifer Connor and I have been busy working on our spring and summer product selections for the store. We have Spring Fever. We even have Summer Fever! On these grey, in-between season days, I love looking forward to what lies ahead.

Snow Angel

Snow Snow Snow!  I just love my I-Phone 4 as I can so easily keep special moments like this one at my finger tips for Maeve and I to share now and long into the future.  I also love sharing these moments with you.  As you get to know my designs you will see in them, the love I have for family. Simple moments like this one mean so much to me and I try to reflect them in my work. 

And to all, a Good Night. On this Christmas Eve I wish you as much sleep as you are able to get, warm and cozy in holiday flannels like my Northwoods collection from Garnet Hill. We’re open until 5pm today, so there’s still time to dress your bed for a night of magic and anticipation.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my inaugural holiday season with Garnet Hill and with my retail boutique such a success. From my home to yours, Happy Holidays.

Early—and I mean early—Monday morning I left Portland, Maine with two of my dearest girlfriends—and business associates—Jen Connor and Denise Demarco. By the time we’d normally be walking into my new retail store to start the workday, we were all in a Manhattan cab on our way to the New York International Gift Fair.

Jen and Denise have extraordinary senses of style … and senses of humor. I need extra helpings of both to do this right, and I’m so glad they’re here. Today is our second day of attending seminars, hunting through a dizzying array of booths, displays and venues, and soaking up the creative energy that just hums in the air.

We’re looking for the very best things to bring back to 215 Commercial Street, my clients and my customers. We’re also exploring a city we all love, a city that never stops surprising and inspiring us. We’re having a lot of fun. I can’t wait to unpack my bags in this space and show you all what I’ve brought home!

You can receive my updates from the Fair in real time by following the Nicola’s Homes Twitter feed.