Of all the homes we’ve showcased on Walkthrough Wednesday, would you believe this is our first condo?! We’re so excited to head downtown with you and check out this brownstone beauty. The location is fantastic – walking distance to the yummiest restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and more. Inside, you have a lot of opportunities to personalize, try out some new design trends, and maximize the small space to utilize every square foot.

We are all about a Murphy bed/ office combo on the second floor in that open nook at the top of the stairs. Can you see it? We just did a live at California Closets the other day to show you what we’re talking about: https://www.facebook.com/nixonpackproperties/

I can’t tell you how much that would have come in handy in the row home we owned in Chicago. It’s so nice to have a space that serves many purposes, but doesn’t have a bed taking up space all the time when it’s only used for guests a few nights a year.

Interested in this listing? It’s offered by Nicole Foresti and you can see more, here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/133-Walton-St-Apt-130_Syracuse_NY_13202_M30664-05072

And a big thank you to our good friends at Call of the Loon for all of their video wizardry – they are the best! CalloftheLoonProductions.com

To see more design inspiration, real estate nuggets, DIY’s and more, we invite you to join us over on the ‘gram, @nixonpack!

Kaylea Nixon is a Licensed Realtor with My Town Realty.

I’ve been enamored with this neighborhood since I was a little girl. I didn’t live anywhere in the vicinity, but I remember going to one of the tudors for a Christmas party hosted by a colleague of my mom’s. I was convinced they were the grand, lovely homes you see in the movies. The ones with the winding staircases and several levels of living a la Home Alone. This season 2 opener did not disappoint. I loved how it still kept that old world charm, despite recent renovations. Hello, fabulous kitchen, complete with champagne fridge! And speaking of fabulous, Jon brought it with a TIE for our premiere, the first time ever. For those of you who know him off camera, it’s a mega deal. I tried to match his enthusiasm with a full floral suit, and as Jon dubbed them, Austin Powers boots. Without further ado, a 6 bed 5 bath Sedgwick stunner, 15 Brattle Road.

Presented by: California Closets Albany/Syracuse californiaclosets.com

Video Production by Call of the Loon Productions: calloftheloonproductions.com

Listing offered by Dylan Wise: https://www.realtor.com/…/15-Brattle-Rd_Syracuse_NY_13203_M…

Kaylea Nixon is a Licensed Realtor with MyTown Realty

See more from the Pack on IG @nixonpack!

If you’ve been part of the Pack for a minute, you know all about my #plantladygoals. From the sweeping orchid wall we installed at the Parade of Homes to the money tree I’ve killed and brought back to life at least six times in the past few years. I’m always trying to trick my blue thumb into believing it can be green. Plus, there’s just something about bringing a little more life into your home, especially this time of year. Here are a few plant lady people trends we’re eyeing in the New Year:

1. Ferns. We’re seeing these pop up again and again, and I have to say, I love the look of them and the movement and tropical feel they bring to the space. Hot tip: Ferns love humidity, a decent amount of shade, and ambient light which is a perfect combination for a bathroom with a small window.
2. Grow BIG. In 2018 we saw lots (too many?) of fiddle leaf figs. In 2019 the trend of the hour is the bigger the better. More mature trees, think fruit trees (cumquat trees for bonus points) getting top billing over the fussy fiddle.
3. Green Shelfie. The shelfie we’ve all come to know and double tap over on the ‘gram is getting an upgrade with greenery. This year is going to be all about how you style your shelves in shades of green. Grouping plants together is next level design in the New Year.
4. To Pot or Not. Last year was all about the basket. Heck, people even put their Christmas trees in baskets. You can keep one or two, but this year we’re going to see pots take back their reign as the keeper of the plants. We’ll see an uptick in etsy makers showcasing different colors and materials and the pot as another piece of art. I love supporting mama makers and I’m excited to DIY a few of our own as well!
5. Staycation plants. Wouldn’t it be nice to look around your living room and feel like you’re on an exotic Aussie vacation? Tropical plants are IN for 2019 and I couldn’t be more excited about this one. Keep your eye out for Bird of Paradise, Elephant’s Ear, even palms!

Which plants are you adopting this year? We’d love to hear!

Photo by Aaron Conti @aaronigorn

I’m a lover of lists. Give me all the honey-do’s, goals, reminders, groceries, manifests, you name it, I don’t discriminate. And on any given day, there are four or five old school notepads and planners scattered around the house, on top of what I keep on my phone. So with all that said, it will come as no surprise that I live for resolutions. But not the kind that you float out there and “hope” will fall into place. Nope. Those will not do. Because do you know what I love more than making the lists? Putting tidy little check marks next to the boxes when I’ve completed the tasks. So satisfying. Without further ado, here are our 2019 Home Resolutions in Casa de Nixon, and we invite you to join us as we make room in the New Year:

1. Go Through Storage & Clean Out. “Storage” could mean different places for different people. You could have one of those lockers filled to the brim a la Storage Wars. Or, you could be like us and use an extra garage bay and basement for superfluous home goods and baby items “just in case”. Well, let me tell you. By the time “just in case” rolls around, your stuff is going to be so thick with dust, or damaged from poor conditions that you’ll end up tossing it anyway. So let’s make good use out of that sweet rocking chair now and donate to a family in need. 
2. Buy ONLY what you LOVE. This year we are vowing not to buy something new because we think it will make for a cool instagram square. Not because we think the color goes well with our palette or because it “might” work when we get around to refreshing the office. We are vowing to only bring in the things we truly love to surround ourselves with. And when one thing comes in, one thing must go out. Deal?
3. Scrap Sentimental. This one is a slippery slope. But in keeping with what was said above, and our design philosophy in general, do you truly love it? What does it mean to YOU? Not to your loved one on the other side, not to your mom who gifted it to you with good intentions but it’s a far cry from your personal style. Not to the you who liked it five years ago. Taking all the but’s out of it. But it cost X, but so and so would be sad if I got rid of it, but it might come back in style someday. If you don’t love it, donate. Period.
4. Delete the Clutter. Paper. Old Magazines. Receipts. Notes. Aforementioned lists. There are so many sheets flying around this house and none of them are organized. The worst part is, when I need something really important, it’s never where I thought I filed it, and once discovered, is covered in G’s and circles from our tiny design associate. No more! In 2019 we’re rolling out a new system and scanning everything to our phone and filing electronically. I just downloaded the Adobe Scan app and I’m quite sure I breathed an audible sigh of relief. 
5. Budget Better. There are certain things we just pay, without much thought, as adults. Like the electricity bill, the water bill, cable, repairs, etc. But what if we were more mindful about it? Yeah, it’s nice to come home to lights on. But the six hours I left them on with no one home cost money. Surely the dogs don’t mind snoozing with the lights off. And what about the 342 channels we don’t have time to watch on cable? Time to cut the cord. Same with the water. Do I need to stand in the shower for an extra five minutes peeling another layer off my skin? These small swaps may only save a few extra bucks a bill. But they’ll also help us to be more mindful with our usage, or lack thereof, and help out Mama Nature while we’re at it. 

We have a few more changes we’re making in the New Year, but those are bigger shifts that take up a whole page on their own, and we’ll share them later on. We want to hear from you! What are some of your Home Resolutions in 2019? Comment below!

I know. You are bombarded with lists right now between all the Cyber Monday “extended” hoopla and the mad dash for holiday gifts. But if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, here are a few things we’re loving for this week’s list:

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1. I’m praying this time next year we’re packing our bags for Mexico. No, not just because the first snow flew this past weekend. More for my big love for all things sugar skull. Spanish was my major in college and the history, the fiestas, the mysticism, and mostly the true spirit of celebrating the dead has always been fascinating to me. Thus, my deep desire to attend the Dia de los Muertos festivities and feel it in person. In the meantime, Coco has been on repeat, and we’re working together on our ofrenda to honor my Dad and Grandma. 
2. It’s beginning to look a lot like…OK, I won’t say the C word yet. But I’m going to hint at it with this delectable little diddy from a new shop we stumbled upon on etsy. We were asked to do a #NixonPack tree to be auctioned off for charity and I’m starting to put together all of our favorite pieces to add to it. More to come as we get closer!
3. Tabletop Pop! Our table runner has outlived the past three dining tables, and it just might be time to retire her for the season. How bold is this vintage indigo number from Eclectic Goods? Give me allll the fringe please!
4. Denim is my love language, so when this color popped up in my feed the other day I knew I had to find a place for it in casa de Nixon. I’m thinking he’s the perfect color for the mudroom cubbies!
5. With the Parade of Homes wrapping up soon, the crisp fall feels and the season of sharing, I’m starting to get into those nesting tendencies to make allll the treats and host all the friends. This lovely lady is my spirit animal and I can’t wait to (try to) recreate a couple of these for a little gathering we have coming up!

Have something fun you think should make next week’s Nice List? Share with the Pack below!

 

We’re big into gallery walls at NPP. Not just for clients, but in our own home as well. In our current house we have a mirror wall, a basket wall, a book wall, and even a hat wall. It’s a great opportunity to transform a room by creating a unique focal point to showcase all your favorite items. 

For the girl’s room we designed at the Parade of Homes, we knew we wanted a feature wall to display artwork, inspirational quotes, and a pop of color to brighten the space. I also wanted it to be something she could have done herself, and affordable to boot. 

We’ve done several galleries featuring frames, but that didn’t feel like the best option to achieve our goal. Frames would be harder to swap out her latest painting or the feeling of the day. What about clipboards? Bingo! I primed these to the house for about $10. Now, you could stop here if you wanted a more natural look. But if you’ve been following Nixon Pack for a minute, you may have noticed we have a thing for ombré – using one color and gradually going from a light to dark hue to create a really beautiful effect. If ombré isn’t your jam, you could always spray paint your favorite shade. Next stop, Sherwin Williams. 

Listen, I love me a big box store and you can find us at one at least once a week and twice on weekends. But there’s something really extra about getting paint and supplies from Sherwin Williams that makes every project  feel that much more elevated. We worked with our favorite paint expert, Mackenzie, to bring this ombré dream to life – keeping everything in the same realm of pink, just going up a half a shade at a time. That’s right. You don’t have to go just from the tiny chips you see. They can customize everything for no extra charge, plus we saved even more by using sample jars. Voilà! The sweetest pink palette you ever did see. 

The next part was easy. So easy a toddler could do it! Well, almost. There were a few stray smudges thanks to my tiny helper. But you don’t have to be too precise with it since you’ll be covering the majority of the board with pictures, papers and more. We bought a few of the sponge brushes for less than a buck and it couldn’t have been more simple. Could you use a brush you have lying around at home? Absolutely. But I did like the texture from this one. A nice bonus on the cheap ;). 

Remember when you’re hanging them to have a tape measure and a level on hand or you’ll drive yourself crazy. No chance of eyeballing a gallery wall unless you’re going for a whimsical look. Since it was the Parade house and not our own, we just used finish nails to hang. For other purposes I would use something more sturdy, especially if you’ll be swapping out the art often and putting stress on the nail. Side note: I read this to Jon, he says finish nails are fine. The mom in me does not want those suckers coming down. But he did say that he pre-drilled holes in the back of each clipboard to ensure they were all hung at the same height. 

To finish, we added custom, original artwork from our friend Lisa. She has the most beautiful calligraphy I’ve ever seen, and I am mesmerized by her talents on insta stories. You could not imagine my excitement when she said yes to being a part of this DIY. The quotes she chose were so inspiring, the drawings so unique and colorful – such a bright spot in this space! 

Imagine the possibilities. You could do this DIY in an office, a play room, a mud room – anywhere really. It’s easy, affordable (less than $20!), and can be a great way to display your own personality and style. Happy DIY’ing, Nixon Neighbors! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! PS – leave us a note with your email and we’ll send you an awesome Sherwin Williams coupon exclusive to friends of the Pack!

It’s finally here. I was telling Jon, I feel like we’ve been pregnant for over a year, we finally delivered her, and now everyone is coming to visit the (not so) little bundle of joy. We hope you think she’s cute, and not a face only a mother could love ;). But the reality is, we know this style isn’t for everyone. And no style ever will be. But that’s the fun part of the Parade of Homes. You get to walk through nine houses, every one with its own unique stamp. We designed this home to be a source of inspiration for all who enter. Whether it be for a large-scale kitchen renovation you’re about to tackle, or cool built-ins to showcase your deep love of books. Maybe you come with your kiddos and it inspires you to tackle an inexpensive DIY together. 

No matter your reason for coming to the Parade of Homes, we thank you for supporting this wonderful event, and all of the talented people who came together at JMG Custom Homes to make it happen. Our goal was to highlight all of the incredible local shops we are blessed to have in Central New York. A big thanks to our furniture partner, China Towne. I was shocked to see how many one-of-a-kind pieces they had sourced from around the globe. It really helped us achieve that lived in, layered, collected feel we were going for. And a huge hug to our dear friends at Sweet Salvage in Jamesville. They were kind enough to let us showcase so many of their unbelievable vintage gems and hand-painted furniture. If anything catches your eye, we’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Want free tickets to attend the event? It runs for two weeks! Head to our Facebook page or instagram at @nixonpack for more!