nichole staker design and style

{news} nsd + pinterest

2013-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Nichole Staker Design has joined Pinterest!!! You can find us here... happy pinning. xoxo

{product+love} folding brass stool

2013-05-18T16:09:00.002-07:00

This my friends is complete and utter love.... I can honestly state that this is, by far, the most gorgeous folding stool I have ever laid my eyes on.... blush leather (gasp) and polished brass. Ah, SWOONING! xoxo

*Images via Douglas & Bec

{inspiration + color palette} sky blue meet pink and orange

2013-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

I instinctively gravitate towards a room alive with fresh color (maybe it has something to do with my mom being a Latina or my Dad's favorite color being turquoise!). Yet I don't love spaces dripping with every color under the rainbow, rather I love spaces that sing with the perfect balance of interest, pattern and depth. And that kind of space, that perfect sweet spot, is often achieved by balancing color with equal parts white and a hint of black. I love how this approach can transform a room into a modern-day classic with a twist. And one of my favorite palettes to achieve this is sky blue, bright pink, and orange. Gorgeous isn't it?! xoxo

*Images via BHG

{inspiration} a blue and white bedroom

2013-05-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love blue and white, its no secret. I especially love it come spring and summer when I can almost smell the salt water rising off of the ocean... rolled up jeans, white gauzy tank, sun hat... walking through an open farmers market. Ah... What I love most about this combination is how timeless it is. Always chic, always crisp, always classic even when done in a modern ombre wallpaper. It is truly so adaptable to every taste and something I always find myself coming back to. In my mind that is the sure sign of perfection. Complete. Adore. xoxo

*Images via The Pink Pagoda

{inspiration} a gorgeous grass cloth

2013-05-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely loving grass cloth right now. And before you start to physically recoil at the thought of 1970's Palm Beach decor (which I happen to find inspiring...) I am here to tell you that today's versions are not the grass cloths of yesteryear. Today's grass cloths are fresh and vibrant. They come alive in an array of fabulous colors and completely wrap a room in warmth and texture. I adore how they make are space feel relaxed, chic and finished. Ah...Love. xoxo

*Images via Live Like You

{inspiration} mother's day from the Honest Company

2013-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love the Honest Co. If you are not familiar with them, it is Jessica Alba's brain child company, an eco-friendly, socially minded business that creates beautifully designed products for healthier, cleaner living. As a mother myself I can't think of anything more important. Click here for their list of wonderful Mother’s Day gift selections (as seen above). And here's wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day! xoxo

{inspiration} the blue velvet chair

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

They call it blue velvet... a fabric often associated with royalty... yet it's rich, deep hue suddenly feels so current. I love the drama of the color, the glamorous vibe it instantly gives a space and man... when paired with a sleek Modernist frame... I absolutely love its cool swagger. To die. xoxo

*Image via hgtv, house to home (4), interior design for houses (3), panda's house (2)

{inspiration} hewn blues the anthropologie way

2013-05-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Just a little colour inspiration... from the always amazing Anthropologie... beautiful blues in an island of brights. Ah... love. xoxo

*Images via Anthropologie pinterest & Design Seeds

{inspiration} ripe pink + lemon yellow

2013-05-05T16:08:00.001-07:00

I am so inspired by the kiss of summer... never mind the snowfall we had just 3 days ago. That aside, the warmth is returning and the birds are chirping so I am starting to think about all of the magical summer palettes yet to be explored. I am loving the idea of ripe pink-red cherries and lemon yellows. It is so cheerful and utterly sweet I just can't resist! xoxo

*Images via The Sweetest Occasion (1 & 4) & From the Right Bank & Design Sponge

{inspiration} 70's luxe and bits of gold

2013-05-03T08:52:00.001-07:00

I love the luxury of the 70's era. Think Halston's white silk jumper with glamorous gold cuffs. (pause for a brief moment of awe) It is just an impossibly sexy era... minimalistic yet incredibly decadent. It was rock n roll on Park Avenue. I love the drama of the era, its incredible restraint... two completely opposing ideas that paired so magically together. Catherine Kwong described her San Francisco decorator showcase room (image 1 above) perfectly: ... impossibly stylish and full of excitement, with a bit of scandal, of course. I wanted the room to be just like Mick and Bianca." Well said. xoxo

*Quote and image 1 & images via this is glamorous

{inspiration} more than mint chip

2013-04-30T23:00:00.001-07:00

Mint is the big "it" color of the season... yet I have not jumped feet first onto the bandwagon. I have always viewed mint as a youthful color, a yummy color but maybe a little bit unsophisticated. I really couldn't have been more wrong. Mint can create a quiet moment, very modern, clean and sophisticated. It's just the right amount of fresh color to make white sparkle, deep wood appear richer and gold seem ageless. I might just love it! xoxo

*Images by Boat People Vintage, Delight by Design and Elements of Style

{inspiration} let's hear it for the men

2013-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I have been working all weekend and am exhausted. So while I was toiling over what to share for the start of the week I came across two of my all time favorite rooms. (Let's hear it for the men, aka Nate Berkus and Steven Gambrel!) These spaces are simply perfection... a beautiful balance of yin and yang, masculine and feminine, lux and low... and each possess just enough color and metallic to make the neutral palette sing. Plus the sofas are to die for! Have a fabulous week everyone. xoxo

*Image sources unknown

{inspiration} nature's peach

2013-04-25T21:29:00.001-07:00

The blush of peach. Calm, serene, soft.... it's perfect, like a first kiss on a summer evening. I love its warm glow, even in the whisper of tangerine. It fills a space with such pleasantness, familiar and lovely. So reassuring and sweetly comforting. xoxo

*Images via Mae Engelgeer, Miss Moss & (2&3) Crush Cul de Sac

{inspiration} rooms with a view

2013-04-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

A truly talented designer is part visionary... someone who can transform any space they encounter, even an old cow barn in the South of France. I am absolutely loving this space created by Josephine Interior Design and featured in Living Etc. It's a chic mix of french vintage, classic mid century and refined, urbane, modernity. And how could you not want to live here? Just look at those views! Amazing. xoxo

*Images via Apartment 34

{inspiration} blooming branches

2013-04-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

I adore Spring... her fresh beauty is always so hopeful and inspiring. I love her delicateness, like she is tip toeing into the sun... shimmering with shades of green, blooming whites and soft pinks. Unfortunately she was so late in arriving this year that we almost bypassed her beauty... so for those of you who are still buried under the chill of frost or the greyness of rain here is a little reminder of her fabulousness! (Loving the drama of a blooming branch in a space. Simple and lovely.) xoxo

*Images via Kika Reichert & Lush Home

{decorating principles} scale & proportion

2013-04-18T20:19:00.001-07:00

I love a good design 101... today I'm sharing a fabulous "reference" post I found on Rue Daily about selecting and placing furniture that is proportionate to each other and to its surrounding space. So if you have every wondered just how high to hang that Dining Room chandelier, this is the post for you! xoxo

"Here at Rue, we think the most important rules when designing your home are Choose Furniture You Love and Trust Your Eye. However, for those times when you are feeling a bit uncertain of where to start, Professor Rue is here to share our best tips on choosing furniture to fit the scale of your room and be proportional.
What do we mean by scale and proportion? A piece of furniture should be in scale with the room and proportional (a similar size) to the other items of furniture in that room. An easy way to keep your furniture in scale is to match the lines of your room. A loft looks great with low furniture because it is also longer than it is wide. A small room with tall ceilings calls for furniture that is also tall rather than sprawling. If your room is both wide and tall, you have the option of either playing with low, wide furniture or choosing large, tall pieces. Just be sure to accent the walls with large pieces of art or other visual interest.
Think of the visual weight of furniture, not just physical size. Glass and Lucite take up less visual space, as do thin legs and light colors. In a small room, you can fill a lot of the floor space without feeling cluttered by employing these visual tricks.
When planning the placement of your furniture, think about the relationship between pieces of furniture and their use. Coffee tables should be within 4” of the seat height of nearby sofa or side chairs. Leave about 18” between the sofa and coffee table to allow for a comfortable reach for drinks. Consider common walking paths between doors and furniture so the flow of traffic in your home isn’t interrupted.
Lastly, know how to break the rules. You don’t have to follow any guidelines perfectly. For example, if you have tall ceilings but love a certain low-slung sofa, you can make it work by adding a large piece of artwork above to fill the space. Remember, trust your eye and choose what you love."

Copy: Katherine McEachern, Images: via Rue (thanks Rue for this great feature! xo, nichole)
Rue 4.11.13

{stella & dot} say hello to bags!

2013-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Say Hello to BAGS! Our debut collection is smart design meets irresistible style. All inspired by you and your life everyday. xoxo

Watch the Video!

Featured Stella & Dot Bags:

How Does She Do It-Navy Ikat, How Does She Do It-Metallic Ikat, La Totale Large- Espresso Ikat, Getaway, Red Ikat

{inspiration} musings from the kitchen

2013-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen... it is really the central location in our homelife (and I would expect this is similar in most families). And as it is the room that we inhabit most frequently I dedicate much of my musings to what I should do next. Paint the space white with lovely poppy accents? Install a delicious, marble counter top, reveal some open shelving, wainscot the island... just so many options. But for today maybe whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies will satisfy! Welcome back to the week everyone! xoxo

*Images via Belle Maison & Anthropologie

{inspiration} its brown its white

2013-04-11T20:06:00.002-07:00

There is something so genuinely refreshing about natural elements in a clean, white space. I love the look of leather, rattan and wood against white (especially a slick, glossy white)... it's clean and crisp, like the fresh morning rain... but it is also strong with soft, gentle edges. It has an easy accessibility that is lovely, cool and fabulous.

*Images via Kika Reichert & Patterson Maker (2)

{inspiration} her statement paper

2013-04-10T06:50:00.004-07:00

There is something about statement wallpaper that I adore... it can create such an amazing visual statement, bold & graphic, whimsical & sweet... maybe even a bit of nostalgia. Here it seems to do both. Combined with white and dusty blue and a touch of black it is at once feminine, timeless and fresh. I am so loving the velvet, yellow headboard against the softer yellow wall. Quite fabulous indeed. xoxo

*Image via Skona Hem

{inspiration} my favorite pair

2013-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is without doubt a fabulous color combination.... so cool in Mid Century and so lovely with a feminine touch. I am loving the application of colour saturation and restraint. One refuses to be subtle and the other, irresistibly chic. Perfection, dare I suggest it? Yes, I will! Welcome back everyone. xoxo

*Images via Julie Thigpen Pinterest (1 & 3) and Crush Cul de Sac

{inspiration} red beauties

2013-04-04T17:12:00.002-07:00

Oh me oh my, I am absolutely loving red consoles (or sideboards if you are so inclined). Such a grand... confident, unique, sophisticated and oh so unexpected... statement! I think they add incredible depth to an environment and just enough energy to make a space sparkle. Ah, fabulous! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! xoxo

*Images via vintage ground blog, hgtv and indulgy

{stella + dot} my jolie

2013-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

My new favorite.... green baubles, gold chain, bold statement.... fabulous!

The Joile Necklace from Stella & Dot

{inspiration} back to natural

2013-04-02T16:24:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in the midst of all the craziness, in our world of plugged-in, stimulation pounding environments... the thing you need most is to get back to nature. Here's to a little natural elegance... and a tiny pop of green! Ah, now that's lovely. xoxo

*Images via Rue Magazine, Miss Moss, Skona Hem

{inspiration} a metal cabinet xo

2013-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have been obsessing about kitchens and cabinets lately... and then there is my long-standing obsession with all things gold... so of course when I saw this Paris apartment with hammered metal cabinets I lost my breath slightly. It is simply nothing sort of fabulous! Ah, (gasp) to die! xoxo

*Image via this is glamourous