Jessica Davis in her Atlanta Home

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This is the final in a series of conversations with special guests on hardware, homes and the holidays. Today we catch up with our own Jessica Davis, Owner and Creative Director of Nest Studio and Atelier Davis. 

Over the 2018 holiday season, Jessica Davis and her family purchased a mid-century modern home in Atlanta’s Buckhead community and in true Interior Designer fashion, started plotting an extensive interior transformation. This new home base, designed by famed Atlanta architect Jerry Cooper, was significant on multiple levels - 850 miles south of their previous house and a completely different aesthetic from their New Jersey Victorian. Davis’ goal was to make the space a family-friendly gathering place while honoring the integrity of the existing architecture.

One of the biggest transformations was in the kitchen renovation. Davis opened up walls between the kitchen and dining room to let the natural light flow throughout the space. This adjustment provided a beautiful view into the wooded surroundings.

She smartly salvaged magnolia paneling during the demo phase and repurposed it on kitchen cabinets, pantry and built in coffee bar.

“I love playing with contrast in interiors - using the wood paneling and combining it with black countertops and cabinetry - then installing era-appropriate white terrazzo tile on the floors to really make the space pop,” Davis said. I used a beautiful handmade tile from Fireclay as the backsplash to add another dimension of texture and color.”

An exception to the theme of contrasts is a black microwave that’s barely visible nestled within a dark kitchen island. “I think that most people would select a stainless microwave because that’s what’s considered the modern finish, but I really wanted it to go away,” she said. 

It's no surprise that Davis' house is a showcase for Nest Studio hardware throughout including a decidedly unexpected choice for the kitchen. We chatted with Davis about her hardware designs and upcoming holiday plans.

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Nest Studio's 

Deco Collection

at play in Jessica Davis's airy kitchen.

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Why is the hardware a stylistic fit for your kitchen?

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Our Deco series is not specifically mid-century, but it is a nod to some of the lines that exist in mid-century architecture. What’s unusual is that I used the unlacquered brass pulls. That type of brass is not necessarily a mid-century modern finish, but it works because of the contrast and the fact that the pulls are clean-lined. 

The pulls are the perfect finishing touch for the space and really pop off the black cabinets. I used the same Deco series, but in our Matte Black finish, on the magnolia cabinetry to bring a similar contrast to that space.

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Nest Studio's Signature Deco Collection.

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What do you love most about Deco?

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I love the racetrack shape and the way that we designed it to make it feel like it’s floating. You don’t really see the connection of the two racetracks to one another.

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Do you feel it captures your personal style?

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Definitely. I feel like I always gravitate towards Art Deco shapes and architectural forms. The series is named Deco because it is truly inspired by the modern curves and clean lines of that era. I'm very inspired by this period of art and design and you can see a lot of this translated into my other hardware collections.

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Jessica Davis', Atlanta Kitchen dressed for the holidays.

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The holidays are upon us. How will you be celebrating? When you entertain at home, where do your guests gather?

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This year I'm excited to be hosting Christmas at home with my extended family. People always wind up gathering in the kitchen no matter where you intend them to go. Our large kitchen island is the perfect space for hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and buffet-style presentation.

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Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

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We started getting into the whole matching holiday pajamas thing, which is fun, and my kids love it. This year, we're even putting our sweet poodle Cheerio in matching pajamas although I'm not sure he'll be happy about it!

For a couple of years I actually wrapped our magnolia kitchen cabinets with giant ribbons to make them look like extra large Christmas presents. It was challenging because I had to wrap it in such a way that I could still open the fridge and the cabinets. The ribbon looks like it’s continuous, but it’s not. 

I love decorating for the holidays. Each year, it's a design challenge for me because this house is so different from our Victorian. Figuring out how to do Christmas in a cool, modern way is always fun for me.

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Name a cocktail you’ll be serving or enjoying over the holidays?

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A mulled cider cocktail is always a top choice around the holidays and when it’s cold outside.

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Jess’ Holiday cocktail pick: a seasonal mulled cider, a delicious and easy cocktail for holiday entertaining. Recipe available on our Instagram.

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Anything special on the menu?

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My husband’s family always likes to do turkey at Christmas. I feel like I just finished eating turkey leftovers so I like to mix it up and also have something different on the menu like leg of lamb or lobster.

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Egg nog, yay or nay?

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I do like eggnog and my son is already drinking it. If he could drink eggnog year-round, he would. 

Special thanks to David Dunn and Dana Pollack for taking part in our previous Q&As. Whether you’re hosting at home or traveling, Nest Studio wishes you a holiday season full of happy times with loved ones, delectable dishes, and delicious drinks.