• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
nystrom design logo

Nystrom Design

reimagining modern interiors

  • Portfolio
  • Services
  • About
    • Design Team
    • Our Approach
  • Blog
  • Connect
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Stay in Touch
    • Employment

Stay in Touch

subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive our newsletter for a quarterly round-up of design and lifestyle events, inspiration, and resources.



 
 

Get Inspired

This week I’ve gone a little rogue from my intenti This week I’ve gone a little rogue from my intention to compile one year of Chair Stories from the Nystrom Design portfolio - and instead I'm sharing a compilation of chair crushes I developed during recent meanderings in Paris. But each of these wonderful chairs has a special story so I hope it’s a worthwhile detour. Plus, I could easily imagine any of these chairs in a future design project.⁠
⁠
Visit the link in bio for "52 Chairs" on Substack to see all of my Parisian chair crushes - and read a little backstory on each. ⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog #substack
It is almost the halfway point of writing my serie It is almost the halfway point of writing my series of ‘52 Chairs’, and I’m finding that an unanticipated delight of this project is the way it takes me back in time and activates gratitude for clients and opportunities during my adventures in interior design.⁠
⁠
This week's chair story is from my first furniture project as a solo entrepreneur.  When this client moved to San Francisco from Washington DC, she brought several heirloom pieces with her, including a Chippendale dining set.  The chair fabric was faded and worn, and the client wanted a color palette that would feel fresh and crisp in the dining room.  We chose a sapphire blue which enlivened the rich mahogany wood, and I love the impact in the space.⁠
⁠
The room tells a story of pieces acquired over time that represent different stages of a homeowner’s stylistic journey. For me on a personal level, it represents a significant moment in my own stylistic and entrepreneurial journey.⁠
⁠
To read more about the design of this space - and the learning curves of my first solo project - visit the link in bio.⁠
⁠
photographer: Caroline Johnson⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog #substack
This is a story about commingling traditional east This is a story about commingling traditional east coast vibes with a touch of west coast edginess for a bi-coastal family.  Among the more traditional belongings was a pair of Chippendale chairs that they had inherited from family members. The set of chairs turned out to be an ideal seating solution in the entry foyer, where there is a series of beautiful windows window classic architectural detailing. To keep the chairs from feeling too serious in this space, we gave them fresh look with a zebra print textile on the seats.  This playful twist sets the tone for the rest of the home. It honors the craftsmanship and history of a classic chair style while infusing it with a little light-hearted west-coast energy.⁠
⁠
photographer: @lizdaly_photographer⁠
stylist: @melaniogomez_propstylist⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog #substack
This settee is a quintessential chair rescue story This settee is a quintessential chair rescue story. Inherited from parents, it had sentimental value, great lines, and inherent visual interest. After looking at stacks of fabric samples in many colors and patterns, we landed on a fabulous turquoise windowpane plaid fabric.  Now living happily in the foyer at the base of the staircase - where family members pass through multiple times a day -  this vibrant piece energizes the space and offers a convenient spot to remove shoes, take a call, drop the shopping bags, or get the dog on her leash.⁠
⁠
photographer: @kengutmaker⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog
My role on this project was limited, but I was del My role on this project was limited, but I was delighted to see this colorful chair story unfold. The homeowners had acquired 8 vintage Kai Kristiansen Model 31 Chairs over the years and selected a bright palette of wool textiles from Maharam to have them re-upholstered.  Fast-forward a few years, and the completed home was in need of a few special area rugs to pull things together. So, one year at the school auction, they bid on an interior design consultation that I had donated, and we set off together to design a few custom rugs that would complement the saturated textiles.⁠
⁠
To see more photos of this cheerful home - and for more chair stories - follow the link in our bio to our substack.⁠
⁠
photographer: Caroline Johnson⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #BerkeleyHillsResidence #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog
For the end chairs in the dining room of our #Berk For the end chairs in the dining room of our #BerkeleyHillsResidence project, we chose vintage Danish chairs designed by Kai Kristiansen and had them reupholstered in an orange tweed fabric that matches the smaller-scale side chairs (featured in Chair Story No 20 and Chair Story No 15). These chairs are lightweight, timeless, and quite comfortable.  Since the dining room flows right into the living room of this home, one of the easiest dual-purpose moves was to choose armchairs for the dining room that also work in the living room when more seating is needed.⁠
⁠
Photo by David Tsay and styled by Cat Dash, featured in HGTV Magazine.⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog
This is no formal dining room, and the chairs need This is no formal dining room, and the chairs needed to offer a versatility that would match the way the homeowners use the room.⁠
⁠
It’s a place for projects, puzzles, casual dining, work, and occasional large gatherings. It called for chairs that are comfortable, easy to move, look good from the living room, and could withstand regular use by an active family of 5, plus a steady stream of friends and extended family.⁠
⁠
To see more photos of this inviting space and the vibrant orange wallpaper with gold starbursts on the ceiling, visit the link in bio.⁠
⁠
photographer: @lizdaly_photographer⁠
stylist: @allegrahsiaostylist⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #BerkeleyHillsResidence #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog
From my days in design school, I recall that the a From my days in design school, I recall that the allure of the window seat was documented in academic terms by the human-centered architect, Christopher Alexander. What it boils down to is that people are drawn to the light, the view, and a cozy place that allows them to be connected to the room, and a little bit separate.⁠
⁠
The window seat from our #BerkeleyHillsResidence project has a bonus feature of providing storage for our client’s record collection. The coziness factor is elevated by ceiling-height bookshelves that flank the window and house the record player, books, and personal memorabilia.⁠
⁠
To see more photos of this cheerful home and the view from this window seat, visit the link in bio.⁠
⁠
photographer: @lizdaly_photographer⁠
stylist: @allegrahsiaostylist⁠
⁠
#NystromDesign #chairoftheweek #favoriteseating #designblog

Explore the Blog

Chez Maman Fries

Top 5 Places to get French Fries in San Francisco

May 29, 2019 // Out and About

Read More

Charleston Path

My Summer Study Tour

June 24, 2022 // Office News

Read More

Designing With Color: Dramatic Vs. Understated

November 17, 2021 // Design Tips

Read More

General Inquiries

General Inquiries

Location

2 Henry Adams Street, Suite 2M-47
San Francisco, CA 94103

Connect

info@ellennystromdesign.com
415.606.8410

©2026 nystrom design // privacy policy

nystrom design icon

brand + site design by pop & grey