About Nicole.
“My dream is to put to work the complementary disciplines of research, interior design, perfumery and wellness/nutrition to consider the whole experience of space; and help create environments bursting with sensorial pleasure. I admire nature-inspired maximalism, the found and foraged and spaces that sing with all kinds of loveliness.”
Nicole doesn’t just see aesthetics - she feels and smells and listens for them too. Growing up on a fruit farm coupled with a degree in Food and Nutrition has allowed her to intrinsically look to nature as a source of joy.
A career in sensory research helped develop Nicole's understanding of the value of considering every sense. Naturally, visual cues and touch are critical in the shaping of any special environment, as are sound and smell. In a consumer research capacity, Nicole applied experiential branding techniques to help create department stores, shopping centres and clothing stores, that resonated more personally with shoppers.
Along with her husband, Nicole has co-created an award winning Farmstay (voted by Fodors as one of the Top 7 Farmstays in the world). In addition she has designed an eclectic warehouse in inner Sydney, a 'zoom ready' home office, and a sun-drenched coastal shack, as well as a bachelor pad for an urban professional alongside many other family homes. She has styled retail stores, front-of-house looks and trade show stalls.
Furthermore, with a Masters in Perfumery, she understands the importance of personalising the fragrance environment – whether it be drawing out the warmth and passion akin to the Mediterranean sun, the subtle freshness of freshly picked freesia’s or a sultry tobacco-esque den.
Having completed a Certificate in Interior Decoration from Sydney Design School, Nicole's skills are honed to help create environments bursting with - or quietly emitting - sensorial pleasure, whether it be for a home, a store or an event.
Nicole works with individual clients, as well as sourcing and styling for her own store The Picking Shed, housed within the enormous The Merchants Warehouse complex. Here she finds and forages for vintage, apothecary, retro and antique furniture and furnishings that are purchased by stylists, set designers and home makers. In her sitting moments, she weaves baskets.