Design Uncensored with Natalie Papier of Home Ec.
On an episode of Design Uncensored, Stacy Garcia chats with Natalie Papier, designer and owner of Home Ec. Natalie has a strong belief centered around the idea that homes should be a reflection of the people who live in them, full of life, character, and warmth. By looking at her designs, it's easy to see that she certainly brings this concept to reality through eclectic, colorful and playful interiors. Find out what makes Natalie so boldly brave in her design decisions along with some designer tips you may not have known!
SEE THE TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THEIR CONVERSATION BELOW!
1. AN ARTISTIC APPROACH
Have you heard the myth that a painted ceiling can make a room feel smaller? Well Natalie is here to clear that up for us. Stacy dubs her as the "queen of painted ceilings" and for the good reason that it's something she has taken on quite often in her recent projects. She denies that they make a room feel shorter and that it rather just adds a "cool" look to the room. Ideas like this, as many of her other concepts, come from her art forward approach to design. Natalie decided she wanted to go back to her roots of art school and infuse it into her work as an interior designer. Her interior design studio, Home Ec. now "stands in defiance of all things beige and cookie-cutter" and we absolutely love it! Below you can see she turns to graffiti art for her closet doors reading "CHI CLT" to symbolize her home town of Chicago and new home city of Charlotte.
Natalie's Home in Charlotte, NC, Master Bedroom Sitting Area
2. UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
Have you ever found yourself begin a home project and never fully complete it? Face it, we're all guilty. With the One Room Challenge, stopping before total completion is not an option. A widely anticipated biannual event every April and October, the One Room Challenge is when twenty design influencers are selected to take the challenge, as Featured Designers, and transform a space in six weeks. Natalie, who has participated in the challenge with the room seen below, says the most challenging part is that you have to make "game time decisions on a schedule" and there's definitely "moments of panic", but you have to push through because the end result is extremely rewarding. One little piece of advice she gives for anyone doing major renovations is to understand that contractors are NOT designers. This is important to remember so that you stay confident in your design decisions and prove them wrong when your vision comes to life!
3. BREAKING THE RULES
If you can't tell from admiring her work, Natalie is all about expressive spaces. She says, "there are no rules" when it comes it comes to design. She doesn't like to use the word "trend" because its so narrow and makes people think, "well, this is what's popular and everyone loves right now, so I must love it too!". We must get out of this mindset and fill our homes with things that speak to our unique personality. Natalie uses a lot of sentimental and important pieces in her projects to create a real feeling of authenticity. She says, "not all my projects are steam rolled by me", because she allows her client to really have an input on the space and what purpose it's going to serve. One of Natalie's hacks is to purchase pieces from Facebook marketplace, Craigslist and vintage shops for really good deals on unique pieces that no other person has!
MORE ABOUT NATALIE PAPIER
Natalie has a lifelong love of all things eclectic and colorful. Her childhood Victorian home instilled a deep appreciation for period charm and storied furniture. She has a strong belief that homes should be a reflection of the people who live in them, full of life, character, and warmth.
Her early exposure to art has sharpened her keen eye for unique art and unconventional design. Natalie quickly built a reputation in the Chicago community for her unapologetically out-of-the-box designs. Her portfolio stands in defiance of all things beige and cookie-cutter. Natalie's vow against bland and boring has taken shape in her many uses of colorful wallpaper, eclectic art, and funky texture.
