Doux Nid [du ni]

In a recent article featured in the New York Times, I noticed a quote from Stephen Drucker, the former editor of House Beautiful. He stated that ” decorating always has two goals: comfort and display.” It got me thinking. Comfort and display are important, but at Doux Nid, we think that hearth and home can serve a much larger purpose too. If we take a thoughtful approach, home can promote healthy living, nurture creative and innovative thinking, remind us of our larger missions and visions, and celebrate ideas from around the globe. Truly inspired living starts at home.

There is  a boom with the number of online design publications that are available for readers. Some of my favorites are Lonny, High Gloss, Matchbook, and Rue. Recently, I was perusing an issue of Rue magazine, a San Francisco-based publication, and an article, on page 79, caught my eye. It features a home owned by the founders of the fashion label, Farmers Market. Farmers Market is known for celebrating the purity of raw materials and utilizing neutral colors echoing the shades of Iceland in winter. Their home embodies the same pure and unprocessed philosophy while also emphasizing family history by framing stories through hearth and home.

In the photos shown with the article, you really notice their love of raw textures like sheepskin, real antlers, seashells, and sisal. I love the jars filled with foodstuffs and the upholstery finished in linen, cotten, and silk. The unembellished beauty of the materials speaks for itself and provides a striking backdrop for family souvenirs. Even though their home is on the other side of the world from Doux Nid in Houston, the philosophy of celebrating raw textures and framing stories through home has a universal quality.

In the July/August issue of Lonny Magazine, designer, Adam Strauss, explains how he created ambiance in his Los Angeles apartment. He likes to unify interiors through color, mix modern and mid-century pieces with traditional pieces, and accessorize in out-of-the-box ways. His helpful advice dovetails nicely with the Doux-Nid philosophy.

Unifying Through Color

Color is the easiest way to create mood in a room. Dark colors like the deep browns, charcoals, blues and black are backdrop colors that are neutral but dramatic. Think about blending your fabric tones, wood, and metal finishes too for a really unified look. One of my favorite fabrics to use to set the mood is mohair, fabric made from one of the oldest textile fibers. It is luxurious and durable. When it wears, it gives you the shabby chic of an English-country house.

Mixing Modern and Mid-Century Pieces with Traditional Pieces

Doux Nid loves to use juxtaposition. Mixing high-end with low-end, formal with informal, or rustic with sleek. It is all about keeping balance between elaborate pieces and those that have simple lines and tying the whole look together with color.

Accessorizing in Out-of-the-Box Ways

Once you know the design elements and principles, you can start breaking the rules. I love how Adam Strauss propped paintings on sofas and headboards instead of hanging them on walls. He also mounted a series of small charcoal drawings on antique mirrors. Very out-of-the-box. The charcoal drawings have more presence, and the mirrors bring light and sparkle to rich-colored walls.