Search For A Stylist contest.

well, the cat is out of the bag- I was announced last week as the WINNER of Inside Out magazine & The Home's Search For A Stylist contest!!!!  Lucky me!!  As the winner I get a job as Head Stylist at The Home, to style a real cover of Inside Out and $1000 dollars to spend at The Home, which I intend to entirely put towards french linen!!! I was very unsure when I first heard about this whole thing (I think it was shock...), but I made it through my first week of work and it was w o n d e r f u l. such a lovely team and so many creative ideas being pitched and produced on a constant basis- I am over the moon, truly. I will be sure to share some of my favourite projects on here with you all; stay tuned.

*above is the winning mock-up cover photo I styled, shot by: Guy Bailey, whom it was an absolute pleasure to work with.


pinch me.

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!

SEARCH FOR A STYLIST contest!

i am lucky enough to be a part of the Inside Out magazine SEARCH FOR A STYLIST contest, featuring all products from The Home (click through for a peek behind the scenes). we were given a very open brief to put together a vignette showcasing our style for a mock-up of an Inside Out cover; i obviously chose a very tight option- the intimate shots are my favourite. i also made some little cutie cacti out of wire and wool especially for the shoot- what do you think? please click through or search www.searchforastylist.com.au and VOTE FOR ME! i could win a full time job and the chance to style a real cover (as much as i love freelance, i just got back from Europe and a full time gig sounds really good right about now...). thanks so much for your support!!! i will be sure to keep you posted and remind you to vote if you haven't- voting closes June 23rd, 2014.

put a crown on it. 14.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

this is the final crown in the seasonal floral crown series as winter has gone and come again to the Southern hemisphere. i chose a bird's nest for autumn and have just realised that this is the first crown i have not actually made myself (a little bird did). lack of planning on my part or perhaps i am naturally evolving into a new conceptual crown series? this beauty just happens to be one of my absolute favourites of the year-long series. please let me know in the comments which is yours - i would LOVE to know! thank you all for following along xo

house beautiful.

Photo by: Fiona Galbraith

this empty window which looks out onto nothing (well, a concrete wall) got dressed up 3 different ways for JB Est 1979 and was then chosen as one of the top 5 design posts for this week on the House Beautiful blog. thank you!

3 creative ways to dress up a window.

Photos by: Fiona Galbraith

i might be on a holiday in Europe, but i'm still up to something this week over at JB Est 1979, check it out HERE.

Little Nicki does Easter for Freedom!!

here is my final Easter inspired table setting for Freedom Australia- this one has the most DIY aspects to it and was SO much fun to be a part of. please let me know what you think or if you have a favourite (??). and here is the last supper, if you will:

easter inspiration.

you might be getting tired of seeing me in bunny ears, but here are some table settings i did for Freedom Australia. are you as eggcited as i am for Easter??!

all images by: Latessa Photography

Little Nicki does Easter for Freedom!!

my second little video from my day doing some Easter styling with Freedom Australia - please have a look! this one is all about decorating one piece of furniture (the Newham console), three different ways.  stay tuned for one last eggspirational video to follow; then i hope you can tell me which is your favourite x

Little Nicki does Easter for Freedom!!

how eggciting! my first Easter inspiration video for Freedom Australia. share it around and stay tuned for more. hippity hoppity xo

behind the scenes.

two more from yesterday's super fun Easter DIY video shoot with Freedom Australia. that's all folks!

behind the scenes.

i had a great day shooting Easter inspiration DIY videos today for Freedom Australia - so many laughs; is work supposed to be this fun? i cannot wait to share the finished product with you soon - stay tuned!

put a crown on it. 11.

the sunshiney season is well and truly pouring in down under, so what better time to introduce the next creation in the floral crown series (it has been awhile). i thought i would start with the marigold (french and african varieties by name, but both mexican in origin, who knew?) - a humble flower that seems to fly under the radar. there is nothing quite like the punchiness of their unique orangey, golden hue; the buds shone right through the summer haze, just like i was hoping they would (yay!). *side note: i reallllly wanted to make something with marigolds last november for day of the dead, but you would not believe how difficult they are to come by in Sydney. this crown was actually made up of about 10 different plants, all of which all now potted and thriving in the yard (…except for maybe one, ahem…), but seriously, there is no such thing as a bunch of marigolds in this crazy town. on my search i learned that the Spanish word for marigold is Caléndula and the Aztec word is Cempasúchil or they are simply referred to as Flor de Muertos- Flower of the Dead.

et voilà:

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

a very merry backyard christmas.

being from Canada, but living in Australia, i have experienced a few christmases down under. it is always a bit strange and never quite feels like christmas at all. since i am home in the great white north these holidays, i thought i would embrace what it means to have this traditionally north american holiday in the sunshine. photographer Fiona Galbraith and i wanted to create a sort of daggy backyard christmas and not use too many custom holiday motifs (except tinsel). the result is a colourful, haphazard, outdoor setting amidst the ever-present aussie hills hoist. merry christmas and happy holidays to all, no matter where you are celebrating. enjoy your time with family and friends- that's what it's all about!! the transcontinental affair will be back after a short break. peace and love xoxo

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Styling by: Nicole Valentine Don

be merry.

it's time to deck the halls! my living room is looking only a little festive this year. since i won't be here for christmas, i wanted to do my mantle up in a non-traditional way, using colours you wouldn't necessarily associate with this time of year. can you dig the pink and black (and gold, oh my)?!

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

You Have To Ask Me First by: Nicole Valentine Don

this is a bit of different fare for the transcontinental affair; a short film (scene, technically) that i wrote and act in, alongside my actor friend, Michael Yore. director Chris Nelius of Storm Surfers fame, shot, directed and edited it. i, of course, did the styling/art direction. enjoy!

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