Meet… Christine Nickerson

Seize the Day

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY

Last September, Christine Nickerson posted a six-second video on Instagram that quickly went viral. Labeled, “When my husband takes the kids on a quick errand,” it shows her locking the door and speedily tearing down their home’s fireplace surround, smashing the hearth, and pulling out window trim. It was a video that spoke directly to the DIYer and the busy mom, the dreamer and the doer. “So many people related to that,” she said. What the clip doesn’t show, is that it took Christine nine years to reach that point.

RENOVATION GUILT

Christine Nickerson is a Registered Architect who spent nearly a decade designing homes for Saratoga’s Balzer and Tuck Architecture firm. She and her husband Mike moved into their newly-built home in 2013. Back then, their daily life was quite a bit different than it is today. Now, Christine works from home and is a mother of two; a four-year-old daughter, and a one-year-old son. “There are things that now, I would’ve done differently. Certain areas don’t work as well as I thought they would,” admits Christine. She felt guilty however, about making changes. “I was so afraid of making the right choices, that I didn’t do anything for a long time.” Finally, she took the leap. “Life is always changing so the house should change with you, too!” she said.

CHARACTER CHOICES

The first project Christine tackled was switching out the home’s window and door trim. By combining decorative trims, she achieved the look she has today - a feature that has more “character” (a word she uses to describe many of the home’s architectural changes, including adding transoms above the first-floor doorways). These details add an Early American/Colonial feel to this relatively new home.

A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH PAINT

In 2017, a nursery was created for the Nickerson’s daughter. Two-thirds height wainscotting was hung and the walls painted a blush pink. As the natural light shining through the windows changed throughout the year, so did the color of the room, making it look gray. “I had to accept that it was not going to be the same color all the time. Paint is one of those things you learn as you do it,” said Christine.

MAKING HEADWAY

Three years later, the nursery became their son’s room and had an old-world nautical-style makeover. “It was a big step to rip this room apart again but I wanted to make it look better,” said Christine. She was also getting bolder – replacing the wainscoting with a more detailed style and painting it dark blue. “I was learning and growing. I wanted to practice my skills and improve them. It was fulfilling,” she said. She swapped out the rocker for a glider, changed the light fixture to one with a lighthouse vibe, and made the art prints on the wall. Now, it’s a room she loves.

AN EVEN-TEMPERED APPROACH

Last year’s living room renovation was Christine’s biggest project yet. She decided to join other designers and influencers in an 8-week online One Room Challenge showcase. The timeline was derailed however, once she decided to get a new gas insert. Finding a type of stone that could be cut thin enough to make the hearth flush with the floor also proved troublesome. The built-in window seats and storage from her original design are still in the works. This spring, followers can look forward to seeing Christine tackle yet another One Room Challenge project – re-overhauling the mudroom into an office. Find more Christine Nickerson Design projects on Instagram, Pinterest and at christinenickersondesign.com 3. Hire the Pros: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Of course, any structural changes need to be cleared by a design professional, but Christine also hires them to help with things like selecting kid-friendly furniture - empowering her with knowledge and peace-of-mind moving forward. 4. Accept Trial & Error as Inevitable: Gluing the trim together before installing it is something Christine figured out how to do only after trying lots of test pieces. Embrace your mistakes and learn from them. 5. Easy Does It: Don’t feel rushed to fill your house with things. Take your time figuring out what you really want. Then, go for it! SF

TIPS FOR THE (NERVOUS) DIYER

Take fear out the renovation equation with tips from designer and do-it-yourselfer Christine Nickerson: 1. Start Small: You don’t need a lot to get started. Use hand-me-down or borrowed tools to take that big first leap into DIY renovations. 2. Study-Up: There’s always more than one way to do a project. Check out multiple YouTube videos and Pinterest posts for a wellrounded approach.