As this year comes to a close, I wanted to highlight some of the significant events that happened in my life over 2017.
ONE: We sold our 350 sq/ft apartment in NYC. Designing the apartment was one of my greatest accomplishments, and was validated by how quickly it sold. We hadn't found our new home yet, so we moved in with my mother-in-law in the Hamptons.
TWO: We left our empty apartment, went straight to the airport, and got on a plane to South Africa. Taking a vacation after selling a home that you love is the best way to distract yourself. We traveled the country for three weeks. We started our trip with a Safari in KwaZulu-Natal and drove along the southern coast all the way to Cape Town. South Africa is the most naturally beautiful country I've visited, aside from New Zealand.
THREE: While we looked for a new home, we lived with my mother-in-law. I decided to makeover our bedroom. Even though it was temporary, it's a place we wanted to feel comfortable and enjoy. I took inspiration from our trip to South Africa and gave the bedroom a British colonial flare.
FOUR: I photographed my parent's house which was featured in Design*Sponge. As some of you may know, my parents and I collaborate on lots of projects. My mom is an artist and designer, and my dad is an engineer, designer, and builder. It was thrilled to see their beautiful home recognized by a major blog.
FIVE: I decorated my sister-in-law's wedding in the Hamptons. I designed my wedding, so this was my second go at event planning. Instead of using flowers, we used lots of herbs which served as excellent party favors.
SIX: I was asked to be on the Style Matters podcast hosted by Karen Grant and Zandra Zuraw. The podcast tells the stories behind beautiful interiors and seeks to uncover the substantive reasons why style matters. They interview top designers and stylists about how they view their homes in relation to their overall well being and happiness and talk about why cultivating a personal aesthetic is so rewarding. I highly suggest subscribing to this podcast!
SEVEN: WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Days after the wedding, we closed on our new home. Since then we've been renovating, and decorating non-stop. We ended up in North Salem, which is a far-reaching suburb of NYC (1-hour drive, 70-minute train). We're so happy there and truly love our new home.
EIGHT: I participated in my first One Room Challenge as a guest, and was picked out of 200 + participants to be a featured designer for the spring ORC! I also was chosen by Home Love Network to do a video feature of my ORC space, stay tuned!
NINE: I reached 10k followers on Instagram! It was a huge milestone for me that I've been climbing towards for over two years.
TEN: I made lots of new friendships through Instagram and was able to meet some of those friends in person. While Instagram has its flaws, it has introduced me to so many creative individuals who share the same interests. I am forever thankful for the relationships I've made through the platform.
Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year! Looking forward to seeing what 2018 brings!
xx
Natasha