my house in YEN magazine.

@little_nicki_ on instagram

very exciting news!! my house is in the latest issue of YEN magazine (out today in Australia). i had all the rooms in my house ready to go for its close up- then Mr Jason Grant swept his keen stylist's eye over the space and made last minute adjustments to make the shots picture perfect for Lauren Bamford and her superb camera skills. i keep looking at it in awe, thinking 'i wish i could live in these pages'...then i remember...i DO! lucky me to have this A+ team help me show off the home that i love so much!

be sure to get your copy this month- the whole issue is a beauty!

home, lately. 4.

around here, this past weekend.

home, lately. 3.

a few more from around the house...

home, lately. 2.

and more from around the house this week...

home, lately.

as much as i'm all about the well styled interior, i do love the disarray of an honest, lived in home. you know a week or two in between cleaning the house, when the dust settles and you still have flowers around that should have been thrown out yesterday? that beautiful decay.  i've taken some shots around my home today, highlighting the details of where i've been living lately.

This one is my favourite: Hollywood award amongst dust and dead flowers.

bold in black.

yet another reincarnation for the fireplace; she is back in black. for this option, the styling is minimal, but bursting in bright pops of colour. there is a touch of the handmade in my shibori teepee, playfulness in the tulip bunch drooping out of a top hat, a whimsical french ferris wheel, nostalgia in the photo of my momma and quirky delight in my favourite souvenir from japan- the green apple lamp. plus, how crazy ridiculous are the colours in the rug from morocco in contrast to the dark backdrop? this just might be my favourite; check out pretty in pink & winsome in white and let me know yours!

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

thank you, lonny!

a great post by Justina Blakeney last week on the lonny mag blog featuring my fireplace series. i have long been a fan of lonny and am pleased as punch to be included in one of their design inspiration posts. check it out here!
*spoiler alert: it does give away the latest colour version of the fireplace, which i will be sharing with you very soon.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

winsome in white.

the mantle got a milky makeover for its second photo shoot with the wonderful Fiona Galbraith. the snowy palette reminded me of home and for this, the styling ended up inspired by North America. my handmade (by me) native arrows, a mini totem pole and a 1930's American steel guitar set the broad foundation, while an amethyst crystal highlights the purple accents and brass deer look on. do you love it? or is pretty in pink your fave?

photography by: Fiona Galbraith Styling by: Nicole Valentine Don

bohemian bathroom.

my bathroom only became complete when i got this old mantle cut to fit over the tub; i slide it across at bath time and it makes the perfect shelf for a glass of red wine. light the candles and a heavenly scene is set.

photography: Fiona Galbraith styling: Nicole Valentine Don

pretty in pink.

here is the latest creative effort of myself and Sydney photographer Fiona Galbraith, starring my fireplace in all it's mexican rosiness. this punchy hue was inspired by a trip to mexico city last year. makes me miss this pop of pink in my life now, but it was always for a good time, not a long time. stay tuned for more mantle colourways in the series.

*check it out on the blog of super cool L.A. designer Justina Blakeney too.


helloooooo sunshine! *(i made the sign)

my home tour outtakes.

i feel like my home is constantly changing; a paint job here, new piece of furniture there, but often it's just that objects get moved around and find new places to sit for awhile as i go about my business. it's fun to look back and see how the little things have evolved without even trying. here are some outtakes from the shoot at my place last year with photographer Jeremy Greive, that made me smile today.

like,  how my bathroom used to have decaying walls which i thought was really pretty...

how, after this, there has never been a shortage of paper cranes flying around this coop.

i had this mermaid tail collagraph up to hide a hole in the wall which has since been fixed.

this was my overflowing vanity table!

growing crazy!

one of my favourite things in my whole apartment is this hanging plant i have in my bathroom that has woven its way across four walls.  it's almost a miracle how constantly it thrives even from its original small pot.  i just love watching it grow; spotting new leaves forming each morning when i'm in the shower.  we are getting a few rooms in our house painted and i had to take the plant down today.  i actually had to peel vines of it off of the wall because it had glued itself to it- amazing.  i will be putting her back up as soon as the paint is dry of course, but it will never quite be the same.  don't you love it too?

ms. chatelaine, february 2013.

thank you so much to Chatelaine Magazine (one of Canada's oldest and most beloved monthly publications) for including me in their february issue as this month's Ms. Chatelaine- wow! the biggest thank yous go out to writer, Jenn Smith Nelson, who penned this beautiful article on ME (lucky me! i especially love how she could see from across the sea, how my love of travel (& coming home) colours everything i do) and to photographer Jeremy Greive for taking such beautiful photos of my home. i am so over the moon to be a part of such a strong piece of canadian heritage; this is just so wonderful! merci beaucoup xo

ms. chatelaine

photographer: jeremy greive

my home tour.

remember when my favourite blog friend-justina blakeney- posted a peek at my pad? i posted about it too. anyway, i've been going through the outtakes and have found some great images by photographer jeremy greive that didn't make the cut (along with some that did, that i just had to post again).

enjoy! let me know what you think: