Daddy Blogger Series: Domestic Daddy

By Jen Smith
June 13, 2011

Our special Father's Day series continues with the third of four interviews with popular daddy bloggers. Read below, and check out the full set of daddy blogger stories.—The Editors

“I’d like to think of my daddy blog as a hip, friendly Home Ec course for people with busy 21st century lives,” says Chris Nordquist, otherwise known as Domestic Daddy. On his exquisite lifestyle blog, this father of daughter Julia, now 2, offers down-to-earth yet elevated home-making advice to a widely diverse global audience. Topics range from interior design to entertaining ideas, food and gear.

Nordquist, who resides in New York City but has homes in the Hamptons and San Francisco, has been compared to Martha Stewart, but we think he's more like a favorite neighbor who manages to make even the most hectic of days seem like a summer breeze, and can turn a bad day around by handing you a perfectly chilled “Red Hook.”

Nordquist loves his roles as “enthusiastic father, cook, host and decorator, ” and he is equally adept at them. He enjoyed a successful career as a corporate lawyer, but he tells us, he often found himself “dispensing advice about cooking, entertaining and home design alongside equally pressing legal matters.”

Domestic Daddy

Nordquist's daughter Julie's fish Halloween costume, made by him; Nordquist's family's beloved dog, Eva

After Nordquist and his partner, David, welcomed their daughter into the world, the idea for the blog just gelled.

“I share what I've learned about creating a comfortable, stylish and well-functioning home filled with family, friends and delicious food, but I try keep my approach down to earth. Realistically, nearly everyone needs homemaking advice that efficient, practical and economical, or it just isn't relevant to their lives.”

1. The Inside Source: Why be a daddy blogger? What has been the most fulfilling part for you? The most surprising?

Chris Nordquist: I became a Daddy blogger by accident. Friends frequently called me for recipes or advice about entertaining or home design. They would often say something like, "I'd like to make a dinner like yours last week, but something simpler—something I could do myself." I thought a website and blog would be a good way of showing them that the things I did really weren't very complicated (I'm also wrangling a toddler, after all), and that they were easily achievable with some good advice and clear instructions. I didn't think anybody but my friends read it, but then the messages and comments started pouring in from people I'd never met. The most fulfilling thing about the blog has been all of the new online friends I’ve made, and the biggest surprise has been that I have readers all over the world.

Domestic Daddy

Nordquist's family frolicking on the beach when Julia was one; "This is why I can never find my reading glasses," Nordquist says

2. The Inside Source: How are Daddy blogs different from Mommy blogs (which get a lot more media attention)?

Chris Nordquist: For me, the wonderful thing about good blogs is that they are authentic and individual, so I really can't generalize about the differences between Daddy and Mommy blogs as groups. I read the blogs I read because I think they are unique.

3. The Inside Source: If we were to read five posts from your daddy blog, what would they be and why?

Click through this gallery to see Nordquist's five favorite posts.

Previous Next

Painting Stripes

This post is close to my heart because it's about how I decorated Julia's nursery in the days before she was born. It's also a good tutorial about how to paint stripes on walls without driving yourself crazy.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream

I just love this ice cream.
Julia's Goldfish Halloween Costume

I had a blast making this, and Julia loved wearing it. Good for inspiration but perhaps not for expert sewing tips . . .
Fresh Tuna Casserole

A fast and delicious recipe that's become a reader favorite.
The Frisco

A great cocktail to make Dad for a Father's Day toast.

4. The Inside Source: Describe your perfect Father's Day.

Chris Nordquist: My perfect Father's Day would start by sleeping in. Then my daughter Julia, my partner and I would have brunch at the Foreign Cinema restaurant in San Francisco, where we often took Julia when she was a newborn. Then we would all hop in the convertible from my eBay Father's Day wish list (this is a fantasy, after all) and drive North across the Golden Gate Bridge to spend the day under the sun in the wine country. After Julia's bedtime, my partner and I would have a romantic dinner at the French Laundry restaurant in Yountville.

5. The Inside Source: If you could go on a Father's Day shopping spree, what would you buy?

Chris Nordquist: I'd love to spend a day shopping for kids in need, buying them toys, books, music and clothes from their wish lists and throwing in a few surprises to delight them. Of course, I'd need to be super efficient, so I'd shop online.

6. The Inside Source: Do you shop on eBay? Any favorite eBay stories or frequently used keywords?

Chris Nordquist: Yes! For years I've shopped eBay for vintage modern furniture and home accessories, and I've purchased some of our favorite pieces there—at great prices. There's a chest in the entry of our house in Southampton that gets frequent compliments, and I paid $69 for it. Lately, though, I often check eBay for almost anything I'm shopping for online.

Domestic Daddy Blogger Chris Nordquist's eBay Wish List

Roll over items for details

Hermes Silk Seashell Design Pocket Square

Finn Juhl Dining Chairs

(buy it now price, $5,500)

Carmargue Fleur de Sel

(buy it now price, $13.50)

1974 Mercedes Benz SL-Class

Stan Getz "The Bossa Nova Albums" 5 CD Box Set

(buy it now price, $25.95)

9 Gallon Vintage Copper Cauldron

Amethyst Cathedral Geode

Italian Mid-Century Retro Vase

(buy it now price, $89.99)

La Pavoni PC-16 Professional Espresso Machine

(buy it now price, $990)

Vintage Rolex Air-King Stainless Steel Silver

(buy it now price, $2,199)

1. Hermes Silk Seashell Design Pocket Square: "I rarely wear a tie anymore, but I often pop a pocket square in my jacket—it’s become a sort of trademark. My partner and I both have large collections, and it was a big day when we merged them."

2. Finn Juhl Dining Chairs: "I love the warmth, comfort and sophistication of classic Danish modern furniture. These chairs seem to call you to the dinner table!"

3. Carmargue Fleur de Sel: "The weather’s getting warmer, and it’s time to start making our family favorite salted caramel ice cream."

4. 1974 Mercedes Benz SL-Class: "This was my favorite car when I was 9 years old. My pulse still quickens whenever I see one, and this is a real beauty."

5. Stan Getz "The Bossa Nova Albums" 5 CD Box Set: "Absolutely my favorite albums of all time. My father introduced them to me when I was a very young child, and I’ve listened to them ever since."

6. 9 Gallon Vintage Copper Cauldron: "I like soup as much as the next guy, but nine gallons of stock? This would be a great for storing flip-flops at the beach house, though—or for kindling in winter."

7. Amethyst Cathedral Geode: "My godfather kept a spectacular amethyst geode like this on a bookshelf, and I was fascinated with it as a kid. It would be nice to have one on my shelf to remember him by."

8. Italian Mid-Century Retro Vase: "I sometimes collect Mid-Century Italian ceramics, and this happy orange is my favorite color."

9. La Pavoni PC-16 Professional Espresso Machine: "Years ago we 'upgraded' to a super efficient built-in coffee and espresso maker. It’s great, but my inner barista sometimes misses firing up an old-school machine in the morning. Plus, it looks much cooler."

10. Vintage Rolex Air-King Stainless Steel Silver: "I think this is a true classic—clean and simple, with just the right balance of ruggedness and refinement. Maybe I could pass it on to my daughter, Julia, when she graduates from college..."

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