Could Interior Design be for You?

You might be finishing up high school at the end of this year, you might be in the middle of your university studies. Maybe you’re thinking about a career change in the prime of your own and finding those cafe meetings or trendy offices are the part of your day you actually enjoy the most. Perhaps it’s because you’re more preoccupied with the vibe of a place and how its interiors set the tone for said meetings. If you’re a keen bee after beautiful spaces and find yourself thinking about how you could switch just a couple things around at your friend’s house to create a better feel for the room then honey, you might just be an interior designer in the making! 

Here are a couple of confessions from our latest staff member, Hannah, you might benefit from if you’re considering the career!

1. As an 18 year old I wanted to change the world. I was so buzzing and eager to hop into a degree that I thought would aid me in activism. I didn’t have a particular cause I was interested in but that didn’t stop me from dabbling in both a Religious Studies and Social Work degree! If you’ve ever done the “Strengths Finders”, test one of my top ‘strengths’ is Restorative. That basically means I like taking broken things, or things I think could be better, and bettering them. I thought the way this strength could be best used was if I applied it to my idea of people that needed help. That got old quickly because I soon realised people are people everywhere and my teenage strength wasn’t enough to make them happier all the time! Actual Social Workers are heroes that walk among us! But I was the kid that had to try a bunch of different things to figure out what she wanted to do! 

2. During my studies I found myself thinking about how I love beautiful places! I’m a nature baby at heart but if I have to be indoors I want those places to be cool because I value how those places make myself and other people feel. I see it as an extension of hospitality when I get to invite friends and clients into atmospheres I’ve been busy putting my mind and hands to. Hospitality was something my momma raised me in. Our home was always a place full of people and there’s nothing quite like having smiles and laughter because, in part, you’ve created a moment for others to rest into and take a load off because of.

3. I started down several different career paths before I found interior design and styling. Prepare yourself for an extensive list. It goes like: Youth work, barista, poet, manager, flipping houses, early childhood, health care, marketing - you better know I gave my all to those things and found they just didn’t stick. Then I put my hand to styling and LOVED IT! Because I got to make spaces.. better.. and so began my romance with interior design. 

4. Fast track down the road a bit and here I am, surrounded by creatives in so many different fields! With projects coming out of our ears! Truly, I found something that makes me come alive. There’s so much diversity in tasks throughout the day that there’s barely any time for boredom, Nook is a business looking to expand itself constantly and it’s an exciting time to be a part of the business! Every job we take on we bring a new look and I still get to work with people! Have I even mentioned that it’s fun?                                                                                                                      

If that sounds like a bit of you, first, check us out on Instagram if you need to be nourished by our enthusiasm because you don’t know where else to go! We genuinely love being able to say at the end of the day that we made something beautiful throughout the course of ours. Second, plug in to some other accounts, get to talking to some interior designers and/or stylists! Third, get to talking to the people you trust around you about if they think this could be a career choice for you! I encourage you to do so because I get to wake up being thankful about what I do. Aim to make your main hustle the one that makes you thankful, I reckon. If yours ain’t that - reach honey’s, reach!

An Autumn Excerpt

Trees are brushing off their neutrals, burnt oranges and reds in those chilly winds, fall fashion is layering up our sun-kissed bodies, we’re holding on to coffees a little longer than usual for extra warmth and what we’re cooking for dinner is slowly accommodating for colder times too. Let’s talk interiors. Auckland skies are holding more clouds and our sunlight is disappearing quicker, so it’s important to have a space that provides a positive environment for the wintery times ahead.

Time to take inventory of our surroundings. First of all, what’s going on with your lighting? We spend more time inside in man-made light as the weather changes, so we highly recommend getting this right! Do your light bulbs give off a white or yellow light? Which of the two makes you feel calmer? Or makes your space feel bigger? It’s important to have good light throughout winter to optimise your mood. Adding a lamp here or there can be a help too! Secondly, what’s going on with the textures of your rooms? Draping a blanket on the arm of your sofa or chair, or replacing a couple of cushion covers with texture could work a charm! Even plumping your cushions regularly is a simple tool to help your living room feel cosy. Keep in mind that the fabric of your cushions affects the experience of temperature you and your guests have too. For example, do you feel chilly when you think about leather cushions during winter months?

Last but not least, colour! Depending on the room you’re working with you might want to play with darker, neutral colours - to set your intentions for rest. If you’re needing to wake up the room you might want to add a tinge of pop to solidify your expectations, through aesthetic. That is just scratching the surface of the whole colour conversation but hey - it’s simple advice you can take on board immediately!

Have a chat with your family about their favourite colours at the dinner table and see if you can give your home character with their character throughout this winter. A little something for the kids to smile at whenever they see it. Or chat with your partner about lighting and see how they feel about whether or not you have enough in your home for those books you’re both about to get stuck into. Or have a play with textures on a rainy day by yourself and feel it transform your room. Make it a conversation with yourself and the people around you and keep warm, friends!

Dried Florals, My Father’s Florist

“I don’t think I’ve shared this before, but a big part of my business and my love for dried florals is grief. But grief interwoven with learning how to step into gratitude and step into joy.” A quote from our new obsession over at My Father’s Florist. Joanna is a beautiful weaver of stories and she tells those stories through dried florals. Based in Auckland, this dreamy woman spends her days foraging in the wilder parts of Piha and the like. Her care and hard work is so evident in every bouquet, in her modern circle designs, in her mood boards, frames and oh my - you should hear her talk about her brand! This woman is belly-full with belief about why she does what she does, and we’ve fallen for her brand too.

The reason why we’ve chosen Joanna is because her products speak for themselves. In our line of work we want products that will create an aspirational space for potential buyers, will last a fairly large amount of shifting, and will add a sense of magic to what we do. Dried florals have an amazing lifespan and we’re chuffed to be working with a local business we can get behind. If you’re thinking she sounds like a good idea - we’re right there with you! Check out her website and give her a cheeky follow on Instagram to get in touch or keep up with her Piha adventures. Her arrangements and displays are perfect for the colder months because they pair so sweetly with autumn and winter tones. We’re obviously a little bit into her and found her at the right season for our designs!

- Megan and Hannah