Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, 2011 Issue No.5

From farm girl in rural Arkansas to Manhattan design maven…From world-traveling single girl with a dream to living-the-dream mom, wife, and celebrated design star…Laura Day inspires us to keep “an open mind and a keen curiosity” so we can be in charge of shaping the way we want to live! Take a peek into Laura’s world and enjoy her rosy point of view.

Opening image by Natalie Wi

Jordon Cappella is a triple threat…he designs interiors, furniture and products for the home. He hails from the fashion industry where he cultivated his modern luxe approach. Today, he artistically applies his stylish aesthetic to all of his design-related ventures.

NN: Can you sum up your work in interior design?

JC: Modern. Individual. Luxurious. I don’t just define a home…I try to define my clients through the design of their spaces.

A few of our favorite Jordan Cappella furniture pieces. Read more about his background in furniture design on Apartment Therapy.

NN: Your latest product release is a new collection of candles…why candles?

JC: I believe everyone should be able have luxury items in their homes, and candles are just that affordable luxury! Without breaking the bank, you can totally change the mood of an environment by adding a unique candle scent. Try an uplifting citrus scent for a gathering of friends and you’ll really get the conversation going! Alternatively, light a sensual floral scent and you’ll create a nice ambiance for a memorable romantic evening.

NN: How did you curate the collection and decide on which scents to offer?

JC: I was thinking about creating an eco-friendly candle collection for a while. I am originally from Sydney, Australia and three years back I was home for a holiday. Keandre (my nephew) and I were playing ball in my grandmother’s back yard when he fell deep into Nan’s garden. I ran over to help him up and as I grabbed his hand we both noticed this beautiful scent wafting from him and the bushes. I asked him what is that smell?…only to hear my grandmother yell from the balcony: “Get out of my garden…you have destroyed my Grapefruit tree!” LOL

The scent of the freshly crushed grapefruit stuck in my mind and I knew then that this would be my first scent. But, recreating it was not easy. It took three months of trial and error to blend the perfect balance of oils, before Keandre, my premier candle scent was produced. The other five scents have come about from hours of mixing essential oils…which is my favorite part of the process! The Jordan Capella candle collection is comprised of three citrus and three floral scents.

NN: Tell us more…name each scent and will you share where you came up with the names?

JC: Sure! They are all named after my family and friends’ children:

Keandre (grapefruit) is my nephew.
Lucia (lychee) is my Goddaughter.
Francis (Patula) is my grandmother….who has since forgiven me for destroying her Grapefruit plant!
Honor (Blood Orange) is my friend Nina Grayson’s gorgeous daughter.
Juliet (Vanilla) is my friend Caroline Andoscia’s daughter.
Carolina (Gardenia) is my good friend Samantha Gregory’s daughter.

NN: In what ways are Jordan Cappella candles eco-friendly?

JC: We use 100% certified natural vegetable wax derived from the coconut fruit, a completely sustainable, natural resource for wax, made with all natural biodegradable ingredients. All ingredients are manufactured with non–GMO, pesticide free, raw materials that are manufactured ecologically sound, socially just, and economically responsible according to international standards. The cotton wicks we use work especially well in natural waxes, are lead free and minimize smoke with proper care.

NN: Where can we purchase them?

JC: At jordancappella.com

NN: For those of you in Los Angeles, you can meet Jordan in person this Thursday, March 3, at a West Elm design event…Perhaps he’ll light a candle or two!

You may know Laura Day as one of Trading Spaces on-air talents…or you may have seen one of her inspiring projects in (name any of the national) magazines…or perhaps you know her as a web adventuress from her fresh and fab Laura Day Living…but did you know that she’s just a really nice, approachable person who is mom first, design mogul second? We didn’t either, until we had the chance to get to know her in person! We met with her in the Aqua Creations Showroom at NYDC so she could give us a piece of her mind…

NN: WHAT MAKES YOU GET OUT OF BED EVERY MORNING?
LD: My daughter-literally, my daughter wakes me up at the crack of dawn everyday! …also figuratively: )

From Laura Day Living

NN: WHAT DO YOU DO DURING THE DAY THAT IS JUST FOR YOU?
LD: Exercise! I spin at a place called Soulcycle and it is the only 45 minutes during the day that I am focused on me!

Hmmm…Is cycling exercise nirvana?

NN: WHAT FUELS YOUR CREATIVITY AND HOW DO YOU KEEP THE FIRE BURNING?
LD: New York City! That’s why I live here. And… travel, books, other designers, artists, surfing the net, showrooms, EVERYTHING!

Get your own piece of New York. Poster and Screen Prints by Ork Posters!

NN: OTHER THAN DESIGN, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?
LD: My family and healthy Holistic living.

Ohm…Buddha candle from Blissliving Home

NN: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR (OR TWO)?
LD: 1. Get my daughter through the terrible twos! (which just started)
2. Create a year of Laura Day Living issues.
3. Have another child.
4. Build our new house at the beach.
5. Maybe start a new company.

Goals achieved? Countdown the days with Mini-desk calendar from Paper Source

NN: WHAT WOULD WE BE MOST SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOU?
LD: I used to have a dragonfly tattoo across my entire back.

NN: YOU ARE A MOM NOW! WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS FOR YOUR DAUGHTER?
LD: That she never has to have a tattoo removed! : )

NN: WHEN YOU LAY YOUR HEAD ON THE PILLOW, WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU TEND TO THINK OF BEFORE NODDING OFF?
LD: Most of the time, I have no energy left to think.

Nothing but sweet dreams with this organic imperial bedding from West Elm

Delve deeper into Laura’s mind in the next issue of Nesting Newbies Magazine…

Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, 2010 Issue No.4

Hollywood A-List Interior Designer

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She wouldn’t name drop…but we will. Jennifer Lopez. John Travolta and Kelly Preston. Kirstie Alley. Leah Remini. These are only a few of the Hollywood powerhouses who have asked Michelle Workman to design their homes. Her high-profile clients appreciate her low-key perfectionism, her keen eye, and her empathic ability to understand their visions and translate them into breathtaking interiors. But most of all, they adore her collaborative spirit. One client describes it best: “I open my front door, and I am in my own beautiful home, not a beautiful home that was put together for me, but with me.” And when you ask Michelle about her success, she calmly smiles and says: “In my own way, I’m trying to make their homes happy, exciting, wonderful, beautiful, and exuberant places to live.”

Check out our interview with this Iconic Nester in Issue No. 4.

Denice Duff Photography

Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, 2010 Issue No.3

Mei Xu, Creator and CEO of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blissliving Home

In the early 1990s, Mei Xu noticed that the bright, happy colors in fashion were not being reflected in home lifestyle products. She knew that “if people enjoyed dressing in cheerful colors and stylish, modern designs…why wouldn’t they want similar styles for their homes?”

She was right! And a true pioneer in the market with her Chesapeake Bay Candle Company Blissliving Home lifestyle collections. Her savvy intuition and keen eye for global design have helped both companies grow in popularity and prominence.

Check out our interview with this Iconic Nester!

Photography By: BlissLiving Home

Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, Winter ’10
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Jay Jeffers has been on our editor’s radar since 2004 when she named him a “Design Notable” in California Home & Design magazine. “I was asked to select and write about California designers who have assumed leadership roles and are changing the face of design,” says Jodi Murphy. “While researching for the article, I discovered Jay’s work, and I knew then that he was destined to become legend.”

The design blogosphere certainly agrees—do a search in DecorMetro.com, and you’ll find his work is the subject of regular posts. The design industry is also in accord, seeking him out for events, showhouses, and panel discussions. But most important, his clients love him because his rooms are never short of spectacular and he and his team make the process fun.

His design studio, Jeffers Design Group, just marked its tenth year, and what’s so amazing is that the portfolio of his work is so timeless and spirited. Every project has its own individuality, yet each shares a smart balance of refinement and sense of humor. “Throughout the last decade, Jay has left a trail of beauty and inspiration for us to follow,” says Murphy, “And I’m even more convinced he’ll continue to lead the way for decades to come.”

Photography By: Margot Hartford

Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, Fall ’09 >>
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For over 15 years, Barclay Butera has been the quintessential California voice of interior design. From an early age, he has been immersed in the business of design, watching and working with his mother who had clients all over the world. Barclay has grown his own empire based upon his philosophy of “livable luxury” and creates classic interiors and furnishings with an edgy element.

Celebs love his style—he’s worked for Renée Zellweger, Sharon Stone, Josh Groban and Jessica and Ashley Simpson, to name a few. His recent achievements include a line of textiles for Kravet; a rug line for Kravet Carpets; his first coffee table book, Living in Style; and new lines of upholstery and pillows for the Hearst Castle Collection®. House Beautiful calls him one of their “Top 125” designers.

Barclay took a moment out of his impossibly crazy schedule to share his thoughts about nesting for the first time.