about nicole cohen
Nicole Cohen is a multidisciplinary talent. As founder of Sketch42, her former lifestyle blog, she culled her skills as a photographer and visual artist. Now, as principal of her eponymous firm, she is leading large scale interior design projects for clients. Channeling her creativity, and aptitude for invention, her firm designs fresh and liveable homes.
Nicole started her creative career as an early design blogger and interiors photographer, carrying a camera with her everywhere she went. Her blog served as design school, as Nicole spent 10 years studying interiors, books, magazines, art and every important design photo published during that time. As Nicole entered the world of interiors photography, she apprenticed for photographers, shooting and styling interiors which helped her develop a deeper understanding of design. Maintaining her blog required a lot of content creation, so in addition to shooting interiors, she began taking photos of her family in everyday life, reframing the mundane. Nicole also sells a collection of her art prints online which have been used in the homes of many design lovers.
Her background as an artist helps her visualize spaces. She’s able to see a home as a composition, understanding the scale and balance of forms in a room, how the colors will play together and what risks to take when mixing materials and textures. Her ability to approach design as another art form makes elements such as negative space, balance, palette and mood paramount. With a love for working with her hands, Nicole aims to make something by hand that can live on in the home of each of her projects.
Throughout much of Nicole’s design work, materials such as brick, oak, vintage lighting, linens, ticking stripes, terrazzos and woven wicker shades are used often, evoking a laid back, light and airy aesthetic unique to New Jersey’s shore. Different from California or The Hamptons, New Jersey shore design is influenced by its colonial cottages, Victorian homes and towns, a strong east coast beach club aesthetic and mid-century modern design. All of these factors impact the area’s coastal style which is important for Nicole to convey in each of her beach projects. She stays true to the “story” of the home and keeps practicality and beauty in mind. In addition to Nicole’s beach projects, she also has many projects in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Nicole’s personal ethos is to constantly be learning and teaching herself new things. She aims to inspire those around her to act on their “what if’s,” emphasizing there’s no time like the present to start something one is passionate about. Through her own artistic journey, Nicole hopes to influence others to see beauty, kindness, romance and nostalgia in everyday life and feel connected to who they are and strive to be. When Nicole is not working on a project, you’ll find her spending time with her husband and four children, riding horses and spending time in nature, taking photos or traveling.
Contact:
For general inquiries please email nicole@sketch42blog.com
You can also find Sketch42 on instagram @sketchfortytwo