that speaks to you
Through each new space my goal is to set the stage for the life you want to live, turning your house into a home made just for you. It brings me great joy to see this transformation take place time after time and to see my clients’ excitement as a vision becomes a reality.
The process, for me, begins with listening carefully to my clients’ likes, desires, frustrations, hopes, and dreams. Together, we transmute those ideas into a beautiful physical environment.
Each space I create is unique. I enjoy searching my sources for the building blocks of each design—custom cabinets, metal, glass, and steel, windows and doors, tile, custom inserts, bespoke elements, and more. I particularly enjoy creative space planning and applying two decades’ worth of technical knowledge to make my spaces functional and efficient.
I view design as a collaborative process, helping my clients create the perfect space for each home.
After making a career switch to the kitchen and bathroom industry in New York City in 2001, Nicole spent a year attending FIT’s interior design program at night while selling appliances, plumbing fixtures, tile, and more in NYC showrooms to learn the technical aspects of the job. In 2003, she was hired as a senior designer at the (now closed) Homeworks Kitchen and Bath WoodMode showroom in Chelsea under the mentorship of the late Reeva Locker. During her four years at Homeworks, Nicole designed and managed 25 kitchen and bathroom renovations in NYC and became an expert in design specification and hands-on construction project management.
During this 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 produced three kitchen and bath conventions in New York City where consumers could learn about the latest K&B products, and hosted monthly educational events for members of the trade in showrooms around the city.
In 2006, Nicole moved back to her hometown in New Jersey and launched Nicole Hough Designs. Her own kitchen was featured as House Beautiful‘s “Kitchen of the Month” in April 2012. Nicole is passionate about creating unique and timeless 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 NAvigator, an alcohol-free search engine where you can find her as well.
