Nicole Crowder

Nicole is a D.C-based interiors, food, and still-life photographer. She's also a photo editor for a newspaper, and enjoys good books and great food.
Holley & Audrey’s Dining Room Redux
Name: Holley Simmons and Audrey Matthias Location: Mt. Pleasant; Washington, D.C. Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented In September of last year we introduced you to the beautiful decor and fashion sense of friends and roommates Holley Simmons and Audrey Matthias. The duo recently remodeled the dining room of their apartment in Mt. Pleasant, NW D.C, and we can’t help but admire the mix of modern textiles and vintage furniture.
Dec 19, 2019
Before & After: Brass Embellished Chair
Collecting chairs is a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I could spend whole weekends searching for them in flea markets and antique stores, or trolling the internet for rare ones. I’m that girl who will get giddy more giddy over a chair in someone’s home than over their shoe collection, and I have the Pinterest board to prove it! Thanks to a lucky Craigslist find, I scored this antique armless chair that was made in Italy over 60 years ago.
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Pumping Up The Volume on a Bench
A few months ago, while searching for furniture to restore for an upcoming outdoor market, I came across this beautiful painted bench. She was so lovely to begin with that part of me debated whether I shouldn’t keep her as is. But seeing how much potential there was in this piece, I decided to up the wow factor and add a little more personality. Check it out!
May 4, 2019
How To Make a Colorful, Inexpensive Floor Cushion
Floor cushions are hot items right now. They make great alternative seating to accommodate extra dinner party guests and they’re perfect for back patio garden parties during the summer. Every shop from West Elm to Serena & Lily offers plenty of options, but depending on your budget they can be a little on the pricey side.
May 4, 2019
A Color Expert’s Own Brightly Hued Home
Name: Annie Elliott, CEO Bossy Color Interior Design Location: Woodley Park, Washington, DC Size: 2700 square feet Years lived in: Owned 8.5 years With a business called “Bossy Color” one naturally has a strong point of view when it comes to design. Enter Annie Elliott, the energetic designer behind Bossy Color Interior Design based in DC.
Feb 20, 2019
Playful, Cozy Style in D.C.
Name: Teeny, Pie Baker, and Aaron, Content manager for PBS Kids Location: Woodley Park, Washington DC Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Renting You know that really down-to-earth couple in your circle of friends with the gorgeously decorated apartment in the coolest part of the city, full of vintage gems they always seem to have the best luck snagging right off the street? Well, pie baker Teeny Lamothe and her boyfriend Aaron are those friends.
Feb 20, 2019
Calvin’s Naturally Stylish DC Home
Name: Calvin Gilbreath Location: Capitol Hill, Washington DC Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned “Natural” is an apt term for the look and feel of Calvin’s Capitol Hill apartment — not just for the materials that make it up, but his innate ability to mix (and repurpose) high and low decor into a truly fashionable space. And I’ve never wanted to steal someone’s bathroom trash can until I toured Calvin’s home.
Feb 20, 2019
Matt & Mel’s Animated Home in Virginia
Name: Matt and Mel Location: Fairfax, Virginia Size: 816 square feet Years lived in: 10 mos; Renting Is it ever the case where you visit the home of designers and find that their space isn’t the coolest one on the block, filled with creative design and a beautiful harmony of eclectic trinkets? Never! And the graphic home of designer and animator Matt and Mel is thankfully no exception.
Feb 20, 2019
The Bright Home of The Casa Pino
Name: Mike and Lea of The Casa Pino Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting Creative husband and wife duo Mike and Lea Pino met in New York several years ago, and have been working together and designing up beautiful modern textiles with their business The Casa Pino ever since. So it comes as no surprise the same fun aesthetic they put into their collection is reflected in their equally stylish home.
Feb 20, 2019
Holley and Audrey’s All the Pretty Colors Home
Name: Holley, Dining Editor for the Washington Post Express, and Audrey Location: Mt. Pleasant, Washington DC Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; renting One can only imagine the stream of fun ideas and shared secrets that two cool, creative women who are equally inspired by the Anthropologie-meets-Kinfolk aesthetic must dream up.
Feb 20, 2019
Oscar’s Well-Preserved DC Rowhouse
Name: Oscar Beisert Location: Grant Circle (Petworth); Washington, DC Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Own When I first entered the home of Oscar Beisert, I thought for sure he had inherited it from an 90-year-old retired art historian who redecorated as a side hobby. Each wall in his sprawling two-story, three-bedroom home was chock full of carefully placed framed paintings, filled with portraits of historical characters both related and non-related to Oscar.
Feb 20, 2019
Keila’s Deliciously Colorful DIY Style
Name: Keila Hill Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; renting For Georgia transplant Keila Hill, sprucing up her apartment into a colorful oasis is never more than a paint can away. See how this thrifty gal maximizes impact on a small space.
Feb 20, 2019
Amy & Jeremy’s Maximum Impact Abode
Name: Amy Zeller and Jeremy Location: Capitol Hill; Washington, D.C. Size: 520 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Renting To say this cool couple knows how to maximize space would be an understatement. Amy and Jeremy may very well be the champions of resourcefulness, tidiness, and organization, while maintaining a charming and minimalism about their home. Stepping into the space initially, one might mistake it for a long foyer leading to the bedroom.
Feb 20, 2019
A Bohemian Hotel in the Heart of Mexico City
Name: Chaya B&B Location: El Centro — Mexico City, Mexico Type: Two suites and nine rooms Perched high on the top floor of the trendy and newly renovated Barrio Alameda, Chaya B&B, stands out among a fantastic new crop of boutique hotels that are part of Mexico City’s unparalleled design scene. Travel to this part of Mexico City without leaving your home or find inspiration and ideas to add to your own home.
Feb 19, 2019
“The Lemon Bowl” is D.C.’s Colorful, Patterned Spot for Creativity
Name: The Lemon Bowl (Founders: Kate Zaremba, Linny Giffin and Holley Simmons) Location: Park View, Washington, D.C. Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Visiting The Lemon Bowl—a retail space, shared workspace and workshop studio in Washington D.C.—is like being inside a gumball machine where all the treats are handmade.
Feb 19, 2019
Take a Spin Through Amsterdam’s Unconventional Hotel The Dylan
Name: The Dylan Hotel Location: Canal Center; Amsterdam, Netherlands Never intending for its design to fit into a box, the cheeky hotel’s aesthetic gives a playful wink at anyone who stays because each room offers a one-of-a-kind experience. This 5-star hotel tows a wonderful balance of shirking tradition and delivering a funky design model of its own that puts a focus on sharp style and individuality.
Sep 2, 2016
Bree and Andy’s D.C. Home Hits the Bright Spot
Name: Bree, creator of Capitol Romance, and husband Andy Ryback Location: Trinidad, Washington, DC Size: 1250 square feet Years lived in: 3; Owned There’s no question Bree and Andy Ryback want you to feel welcome in their home, and they start up front, where their sunshine yellow door and mustache ‘Bonjour’ mat instantly brings a smile to your face.
Feb 25, 2014
Linda’s Fashionably Modest Condo
Name: Linda, pharmacist and fashion and food blogger of NomNomBlingBling, and dog ManduLocation: McLean, VirginiaSize: 903 square feetYears lived in: 1 year; own Working as a pharmacist by day but a fashion blogger in her spare time, Linda describes her home style aesthetic as being much like her fashion sense: a mix between high and low, elegant and modest.
Dec 13, 2012
Sara’s Vintage, Luxury Find
Name: Sara, Blogger and Real Estate ConsultantLocation: Dupont Circle, Washington D.CSize: 718 square feetYears lived in: 2 years; OwnedWhen you have a blog that focuses on how to achieve high fashion at a bargain, there is a good chance your home will reflect that same sensibility. Blogger Sara’s home radiates world charm, luxury, and her keen ability to mix her taste in high-quality vintage pieces with great low-price steals from her favorite bargain shop, Home Goods, and D.
Aug 14, 2012