that speaks to you
I consider the most important part of my job to be to listen carefully to the things my clients tell me about their likes, desires, frustrations, dreams, and the way they want to live.
My skill set lies in taking that knowledge—sometimes with conflicting ideas among multiple people—and translating it into a beautiful physical space that reflects its owners.
With more than two decades of experience and technical knowledge, I enjoy combining the functional aspects so important to these spaces with bespoke aesthetic principles and inspiration from around the world.
Most of my designs have a simple yet sophisticated aesthetic achieved through not-so-simple custom pieces and attention to detail. No two spaces are alike, and I work to incorporate the highest quality elements, plus thoughtful space planning and secret functional items. I particularly enjoy scouring various sources for the building blocks of my designs—metal, glass, steel, unique windows and doors, custom inserts, tile, and more.
I view design as a collaborative process, helping my clients create the perfect space for them.
Nicole joined the kitchen and bathroom industry in NYC in 2001 after making a career switch from working in fixed-income at Merrill Lynch (and doing some soul searching over the course of a two-year MBA program). Jumping in head-first, Nicole embarked on a journey to learn everything she could about designing kitchens and bathrooms. She spent a year selling appliances, plumbing fixtures, tile, and more (all of the items that go into the spaces she wanted to design) in order to learn the technical aspects of the job while attending FIT’s Interior Design program at night. Within a year she was hired by her mentor-to-be, Reeva Locker, at the [now closed] Homeworks Wood Mode showroom in NYC. Over the next 4 years she designed and managed 25 kitchen and bathroom renovations in NYC and became an expert in design specification and hands-on renovation project management.
In this same time period Nicole was named one of the Top Designers to Watch Under 40 by New York Spaces Magazine and was elected President of the National Kitchen and Bath’s Manhattan Chapter (first serving as Vice President of Education). In this role she hosted three kitchen and bath mini-conventions in New York City where consumers could come to learn about the latest products, as well as multiple educational events for designers and members of the trade.
In 2006, Nicole moved back to her hometown of Ridgewood, NJ and launched her own business where she has been working ever since. Her own kitchen was featured as House Beautiful‘s Kitchen of the Month in April 2012 and Nicole continues to be passionate about creating timeless, elegant spaces.
Nicole holds a BA in Economics and International Relations from Bucknell University and an MBA with concentrations in Corporate Strategy, Economics, and Entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Nicole is also the founder of AFTER Alcohol-Free Magazine and the NAvigator AF alcohol-free search engine where she spends most of her time these days. She lives in Ridgewood, NJ with her almost-grown children and their dog Sadie.
Please contact info@nicolehoughdesigns.com with any inquiries.
