NESTER! And How to Make a Thoughtful Home

WE MADE THE COVER OF NESTER Y’ALL! Last year, reps for the magazine came to talk at the Living Room Realty office. I grabbed them after the presentation and asked, how do the people in the magazine get picked?! Apparently, you just have to apply! I emailed the publisher, Anna Zusman, and waited. And waited. Honestly, so much time passed I kind of forgot about it. And even when I remembered, I figured they would have already picked their homes and moved forward without me.

Then I got the email. They wanted to feature me! I wasn’t even sure to what extent I would be featured, and I was still in disbelief even after the writer Rachel Saslow came to visit. I seriously spent 48 hours scrubbing the house from top to bottom for her arrival because I believed it must be an “audition” of sorts. They couldn’t seriously already be saying my house was magazine worthy? After that, they scheduled photos with Cameron Munn and the art director Whitney McPhie. It was 12 hours after I got back from a trip to the Bay Area and I was STRESSED. How could my house be in good enough shape to be photographed?

After that, I didn’t hear much. At the photo shoot I had casually (not so casually) asked Whitney how they decided the cover. “For no reason,” I said. They went on vibes, she told me. I waited two months before I even heard a peep. I had assumed Cameron had lost the photos in a horrible data crash, or maybe they didn’t turn out at all! When I did hear, it was crunch time. Everything seemed very secretive and need-to-know. I didn’t see any photos or the article ahead of time. The layout was a total mystery! Even now, as of writing this, I still do not have a copy of the magazine in my possession. I have to wait until tomorrow. The only reason I know what I know is because Willamette Weekly wanted to run promos for their upcoming event NestFest and let me know rather casually that WE MADE THE COVER!!!

I look at the photos and I am so happy. I had been envisioning it like this for the past four months but it still feels crazy that it is real. I’m actually kind of obsessed with the power of manifestation now I guess! Even though I LOVE minimalist spaces, something about seeing my imperfect, loud, quirky, busy, hectic home being featured brings me so much joy. On the cover, there’s still dog hair on the rug. The fake ADT sticker I have in the window is still there. My annoying dogs are featured doing their usual annoying things (Poppy, clinging to me from anxiety. Roux being aloof. Clover chewing on something so she doesn’t bite or bark).

I last wrote about the feeling of imposter syndrome and how it flares up in my life. Seeing this in print as the pinnacle example of proving those thoughts wrong. I can do things really, really well and my home is a great example of that.

Make a weird (thoughtful) home

I think most homes lack soul. And maybe that’s what I’m referring to when I call my home weird. I put a lot of life, either through art, plants, pets, books, or tchotchkes, into every corner. But that is not necessary in order to have a home with soul. Many minimalist homes have soul too. I think it may be more about being thoughtful, and intentional, with the choices you make in your home.

One of the first things I ask design clients is “how do you want to live in this space? How do you want this space to feel?” I think those questions should guide every decision you make when designing your home. I pay very little attention to the thoughts of, will this have good resale value? Will this trend die out soon? It is your home. Do with is what you want. You are trying to put yourself and your vision for how you want to live into your home. Don’t buy a bunch of glass sculptures if you want to have a lively home with kids or dogs. Don’t buy the accent leather and wood chair that is supremely uncomfortable and delicate for the living room where you want to host guests (this is @ myself).

I think the most important tasks to achieve this goal is painting. I really think most rooms should be painted a color. Even if it is soft or subtle, choose a theme or sets of colors that the room will feature. Sometimes, the walls can be white or cream and the trim can be accents, or leave the pops of color for your bedding and art. Either way, make sure you are thoughtful about the choices. Don’t just throw up a blank shade of white and say “well everything goes with it.” It’s wrong and lazy. Sometimes white can be the statement itself, like in a mid-century with warm toned wood paneling or bold furniture choices. Above all, avoid grey. Especially in places where it is grey outside. Or, places where it is always sunny, because then it draws even more attention to its drab-ness.

Once you have a palette, find art that accents those colors. Sometimes the art needs to have some contrast, like the bold pink in this Experimental Vintage painting. The gold frame matches the yellow of the bookshelf, but there is plenty of bright fuchsia and sea foam green to accent well.

I love this bookshelf for its functional nature, as well as its ability to store all of my wonderful nick-knacks and art. Always try to put functionality on the same level or higher as visual appeal. There is nothing more off putting to me than a couch that looks aesthetically pleasing but also insanely uncomfortable. I laughed the other day at a reel of someone who was revealing the couch they waited 4 months to be delivered. They unveiled it and it literally looked like a waiting room bench. Yes, aesthetics are important but do you want to give off the impression to others of being inhospitable?

Overall, I think being thoughtful about choices in furniture, art, paint, rugs, and everything else in your home will speak volumes about who you are as a person. I encourage you to get weird, be loud, have fun, and be true to yourself and maybe you will end up on the cover of a magazine too.

Thanks for reading!

-Erica

Erica Goodfriend

Broker | OR

I used to be a pastry chef in another life, hailing from Ava Gene’s in town and Nopa in SF. Since getting into real estate in early 2020, I now bake and cook just for fun and friends! But I always know a good spot in town to grab a bite. If you're new to the area, I will give you a list of every good spot to try in whichever neighborhood you're interested in. I bought my own home in 2019 and gut-renovated the kitchen and upstairs, adding a bathroom and creating a very colorful primary suite. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on your potential homes, and I always promise to tell you the absolute unfiltered truth. With a background in teaching, I promise to educate every first time home buyer and seasoned veterans alike about every home I show in Portland. If you are looking for a ride-or-die real estate agent who will help you hands-on from start to finish, I'm your gal.  

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