Hi there! I'm known as The Nester {my real name is quite unique and difficult to pronounce until you hear it} and I started Nesting Place in November of 2007. I've always had a love affair with my house, ok, with all houses, and this blog is a place for women to come and find decorating encouragement, creative ideas, and be reminded that "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".
I'm a design school drop out who took a week long course so I could be a certified home stager and redesigner. So I don't have much training as far as schooling but, I've had lots of experience in real houses. My husband is an ambitious entrepreneur so we have had a few times of plenty and lots of lean times. We have lived in 13 different houses/apartments/condos some for only a month or two while waiting on a closing, some for years.
I know what it's like to want a pretty house and not have much to work with and still have to get dinner on the table and nurse little children. I know what it's like to rent and live with white walls and ugly carpet. I have decorated on no budget in the past.
About five years ago my husband and I decided to save up a little cash every month to put towards furnishing our home. We sat down together and made a plan. I focused on one room at a time and committed myself to use the money wisely and purchase items that would serve our family well for years in any home. It was fun and scary and rewarding.
I do not advocate going into debt to furnish your home.
Most of the photos you will find on Nesting Place are photos I took of our home--if I grabbed the photo from someone else, I'll tell you with a link to them.
We have lived in two different rentals in the past two years and before that we owned a home and were able to spruce up the outside of it. I painted some of the walls in our last rental but we are keeping them all white in the current rental. It's a fun challenge and I love decorating challenges!
This is the last house we owned:
I'm so glad you are here. Decorating your home is an adventure and a journey! I hope you find acceptance and encouragement here and learn to love your nest more every day!
Nesting Place was the name of my redesign business. A few years ago we moved to a new city. Instead of going back into clients homes, I have decided to write about what I love. It's my dream job. Now, if the pay were only better...
and again here.
31 birds say {click here to leave a comment}:
lovely to meet you :) I believe I have seen you about at hooked on houses ...
your site is beautiful - I love your sentiments - so warm and wise.
My best to you and yours le
Thanks for the comment and for visiting my blog! I am a designer and are one of those people who never gets around to actually working on MY house! I am feeling inspired to work on it one peice at a time now that I have found some great ideas on your blog! Thanks for sharing all of your great advice. You truly are gifted in this field!
I would like to bring you to Iowa to make my nest cozy! I feel like my space is decorated just enough to make it NOT look like an asylum but nowhere near as great as your place. Do you ever sell your former things on Ebay or anything?
nice to meet you! I found you through Our Journey !!
I love love your work!and ideas! Makes me want to go home and start thinking of things to do!
Dude, no wonder Worthington Wire is getting so much traffic.
You rawk, my friend.
Much Rawkage!
Just browsed through your site and I love it already! I am especially intrigued about your experiences of decorating with no budget - sounds familiar! We are a single-income family, I'm homeschooling our children, and my husband is getting his second master's degree. (i.e. "Bye-bye, expendable income!) Looking forward to reading more from you!
:) Jen Y.
I just wanted to say that I saw your blog link on a friend's blog and I intend to make it mine as well! I love your home, and thank you for introducing yourself!
I love your blog! I read and read and read and read last night after linking to you from Meredith yesterday and couldn't stop reading! I love your mistreatments and can't wait to try some in my home. We own a 120+ year old home in SW MN with over 40 windows! some are 7' wide and over 108" tall. You can imagine the nightmare with trying to "dress" them on a budget! Keep up the good work! I can't wait to read more more more!!!
Love your blog, let me know the next time you are in Durham! I need help!!!
It is so wonderful to read heartwarming, real world sentiments about what we all go through- times of more and times of less.
Thank you for being honest and intructional- a powerful combination.
Come see me at
Laura
www.whitespraypaint.blogspot.com
Reading this makes me want to know you more!! Very nice to meet you. You are truly inspiring. I mean that...truly...I not only want to rearrange and try new things around my house...I want to live in my nest contentedly. Thanks for the inspiration.
It's very nice to finally meet you. I have read about you on other blogs, but I'm just now coming over to check you out! I have spent the past 2 hours drooling over all of your ideas! I've always been the type of person that once I was done with a room, it stayed that way for years. I've never been good at moving things around. I'm so glad that I found you. I am truly inspired. I'm looking at my new (rental) home in a whole new light! It has a TON of challanges that I haven't even bothered unpacking. However, I think I might just dig on in!
I look forward to the many posts to come!
I found your site through another,and had lots of fun reading through it. I to have rented and always tried to find a house with good bones to decorate. I have always been pretty lucky. Right now I have a carpeted house even after looking for one with hardwood flooring. Lucky for me the carpet is good quality and it looks not too bad,but I feel limited in the color of the walls. While they aren't all white, I just wish I could be brave and paint them another color, at least in one room.
I'll be a frequent visitor :)
Hi
Perfection is not all that we expect it ot be . Perfection is limited to one perfect thing ,to one perfect moment ,and if you are Human than you live in many moments and experience many things.I am glad to be part of those striving for perfection while maintaining my humanity with all it's many flaws .
This makes for a unique one of a kind moment which in it's own way is perfection.
Have a blessed Sunday
with many happy moments.
This is my first comment on your blog, even though I have been following it for a few months. I followed your advice, I made new kitchen curtains with upholstery tacks,and hot glue. They turned out beautiful. I love them, and I only spent $40 on the fabric. Now onto my family room! I check your blog every day when my 2 year old takes her nap. I am addicted. Thank you for all your tips and advice.
I am a stay at home mom with 4 kids, 3 girls and 1 boy. Ranging from 16 to 2years old. I love being home and making my home a place when my family can be safe from the outside world.
Just wanted to pop by and read a bit more about you. Thanks for sharing your backstory. The before/after of the last house you owned was beautiful. Did you paint the brick? What did the neighbors think??
What a lovely site! I love your site name, too. I read your free e-book. It's so freeing. I'm not much of a decorator. (wish I was...sigh)
Your thoughts have given me some good ideas. The main one being...I really want a comfy livingroom where we can talk and play games together, but I only have one couch. That doesn't work well with 4 children at home. So, I'm going to save some money monthly, meanwhile scouring the thrift shops and see what I can find! Thank you for such a simple idea!
Sheila
Love your blog and am glad to know I don't have to be perfect!!! Your quirky posts and comments make me smile! I put you on my blog roll and will visit you often...have a wonderful Mother's Day with your handsome family...
xxx
Paula
I found your site while looking for a paint color that I once saw... Tobacco Road. Thank you so much for doing this blog! I will be checking back often.
Your blog is beautiful and from listening to your story, which is beautiful also, I can tell you are genuine!! I will follow along with you as I can....love your style!!
I'm following your site and lovin' it!
Jane
I just found you today and I am really excited to read your blog and learning how to dress my nest.....
i enjoyed reading your blog tonight. You write from the heart and i can't wait to follow your blog. i am an interior decorator in PA & i have one also. if you get a chance please check it out & let me know what you think www.loveyourroom.com.
Hey! I met you at SheSpeaks ... actually sat in front of you during the photo blog class. I was with Renee Swope and her assistant, Leah. I really enjoyed you guys. Both you and your sister were charming and inspiring! I'm the one that wants to paint her brick colonial and Renee was determined to find me that picture of your house. I just found it on your "about" page. It is beautiful!! We're getting ready to do a MAJOR remodel, so I might be living on your blogsite for a while! How do I subscribe to your site? I have so much to learn about blogging!!!
bighug,
Marlo Francis
www.dreamedforme.blogspot.com
Stumbled upon your website, fabulous!! Notice you live in Charlotte, like me:) Have to give a shout out for Front Door Fabrics. The owners go to my church & are wonderful ladies!!!!!! Learned so much already. I'll be back!!!
I love your website. It's encouraging me to find little ways to make our white-walled apt beautiful after 3 years!
Now I just have to decide which room to begin with!
hello there, so nice to meet you! i am a designer by trade and school and everything and i just have to tell you design school drop out or not you def have the "knack!" wonderful site and wonderful photo's! i'm following you now, i came from another site, i love doing that and meeting new "friends!"... beautiful site!
cheers,
shelley
http://iamstillstandingafterallthistime.blogspot.com
http://theplaygroundprincess.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for having such a wonderful place for me to visit.
I'm just now finding your blog. It's so nice to hear from a fellow 'gypsy' the difficulties in trying to make a house a home not once or twice but through several moves. And I'm in Charlotte too! Small world... :)
I just discovered various decorating blogs and yours is fantastic and inspirational. I too have moved with our family, across the continent from one country to another. We lived outside of DC for a few years and are now back in western Canada. We have owned and rented homes at different times and different cities. We am currently in a rental and have tried to be creative to make this house our home! I understand about the ugly carpet ;)
My secret desire would to do what you do-blog about creating a home. In the meantime I will follow along. :)
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