Making it Lovely Blogger Nicole Balch on Pink as a Design Palette

By Lexi Green
February 28, 2011

Nicole Balch The color pink is just one of those colors. It can go from pretty and sophisticated to Pepto-Bismol-unpleasant with just a mere change of pigment.

Nicole Balch, the creative mind behind the uber-popular design blog Making It Lovely, has taken pink to an exciting and bewitching new level. Nicole Balch, who also owns a custom stationery business named—what else?—Pink Loves Brown, started her design blog in 2007 when she and her husband Brandon bought what she calls a “so-so” house in Oak Park, IL. Since then, with her husband’s utmost trust and approval, Balch has taken her readers through her various home improvement endeavors. The color pink is incorporated into nearly every room. She also always infuses a feminine accent into her redecorations—floral wallpaper, floaty curtains, or '60s-style housewares.

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Interior design blogger Nicole Balch originally launched her Making it Lovely blog as a way to involve her mother-in-law in Iowa in her family's home-making process. But it wasn’t too long before it became a huge hit, helped along by her custom stationery business, which already had an avid following. Since her first design blog post, which was a Haiku on the perils of finding the perfect pink fabric, we’ve watched Balch go room by room transforming her home. We’re especially enamored with her pink mid-century modern living room, the purple floral wall-paper in her dining room, and her pops of color in everything from her bathroom fixtures to her front porch. Nicole Balch has also inspired us by creating her “30 before 30” list, giving birth to two children (her son August arrived on February 8th!), and being named one of the 50 Best Design Blogs by the London Times Online. We caught up with Nicole Balch to hear more about her design inspirations, blog endeavors, and why she came to love the color pink so much.

The Inside Source: Could you tell us why the obsession with pink?

Nicole Balch: It’s funny because I hated pink when I was younger! I dressed in all black and I wore combat boots. Black was cool and pink was awful. And then I grew to love the color and I think I use the color in the way that doesn’t say “baby pink” or “overly girly.” Because pink is a hard color and it can easily go wrong.

The Inside Source: You definitely infuse a great feminine feel without going over-the-top. How would you describe your interior design aesthetic?

Nicole Balch: Definitely feminine, but not too girly. I love color and pattern. I love mixing the mid-century vintage with what’s new.

The Inside Source: And your husband, Brandon—he is OK with all of the pink?

Nicole Balch: Yes! He has been great about it. He thinks it all looks great. He trusts me to put things together and make it work.

The Inside Source: Outside of pink, what is your favorite color?

Nicole Balch: I like brown and white. I like a lot of neutral colors. It’s funny, because my house is not decorated in neutral colors, at all!

The Inside Source: You have done so much with your house since you started. Do you really feel it was that bad when you first moved in?

Nicole Balch: Yes! It had all white walls, really bad natural wood trim, and bad lighting fixtures. Everything was pretty horrid.

The Inside Source: What has been your favorite interior design project so far?

Nicole Balch: I think my favorite spot to re-do was the library upstairs. It is really just a landing at the top of the stairs and it was such a bizarre and awkwardly laid out space. But it is a big space; bigger than our bedroom. Not utilizing that area for anything felt like such a waste. My husband and I met at a book store, where, combined, we worked for a total of 15 or 16 years. So, we had a lot of books! The library is definitely functional and beautiful and that is by far my favorite part of our house.

The Inside Source: What would you say is one of your favorite design pieces in your house?

Nicole Balch: The pink Madeline Weinrib zigzag rug in our living room!

The Inside Source: Name one design tool you can’t live without:

Nicole Balch: Photoshop! I love to put things together with Photoshop before I put them together in real life. It lets me see how things might look together.

The Inside Source: Who are your biggest home design inspirations?

Nicole Balch: I love Jonathan Adler because everything he does is so happy. Happy and colorful. I also love David Hicks because he uses great patterns.

The Inside Source: Alright, so outside of your feminine and charming look, what would you say is your favorite design aesthetic?

Nicole Balch: I really love the look of minimal clean design. I could never live it with personally, but I find it really beautiful.

The Inside Source: Do you ever use eBay online auctions to help you with your home designs or inspiration?

Nicole Balch: eBay is great because I can have a random design-related idea pop into my head and go search for it on eBay. Like the other day, I got myself this big giant mug of hot chocolate and then I felt like I needed a big giant spoon to go with it. It was eBay to the rescue to help me find a series of long spoons!

Before Balch got off the phone with us and went nearly straight into the delivery room, she told us baby August’s room will be adorned in shades of orange and bright olive green. She’s also in the middle of a massive re-do of her unfinished basement, the completion of which we are highly anticipating. While Balch takes a quick maternity leave, we’ll fill her absence with a few items she has picked from eBay that she could see bringing into her ever-transforming home.

(images provided by Making It Lovely)

Roll over items for details

Set of Two Tolix Style Marais Side Chairs

(buy it now price, $250)

Pair of Danish Modern Lane Walnut End Tables

(buy it now price, $599)

Stuffed Moroccan Leather Pouf

(buy it now price, $169)

Vintage Green Enamel Bread Box

(buy it now price, $95)

Thomas Paul "The Birdcage" Pillow

(buy it now price, $90)

Making it Lovely Blogger Nicole Balch on Pink as a Design Palette

Tolix/Marais Chair: "I've been really loving these lately. They look great with just the bare metal, but they're pretty adorable in various colors, too."

Danish Modern End Tables: "The medium wood tones and curves of Danish modern pieces mix so well with so many styles. And they always look great without calling too much attention to themselves."

Pink Moroccan Pouf: "I used to think these were a little silly. But, I bought one a few years ago and now I love them. I keep mine under my desk to prop my feet up. I also love them in living rooms."

Vintage Bread Box: "My mother-in-law had one, and after seeing hers, I grabbed one off eBay for myself. They really do keep bread fresh longer, and it's so cute sitting out on the counter. They're great for storing anything, really."

Thomas Paul Pillows: "These pillows are always around for a limited time, but it seems like you can always find past designs popping up on eBay. I love the colors and oversized graphics."

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