In this episode, we're joined by Nikki Klugh,a highly sought-after award-winning interior and principal designer and founder of Nikki Klugh Design Group. She is NCIDQ qualified, a true color expert, and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association. 

If you ever wanted to know how to create sacred spaces that spark joy or learn how to prioritize self-care while being a health advocate for a family member, this is the episode for you!

What To Listen For:

• Nikki’s journey to becoming an award-winning designer [01:59]
• The birth of Nikki designing to her senses [05:36]
• The vital elements to make a space feel inviting and tranquil [09:55]
• Common misconceptions when designing sacred spaces [12:23]
• The steps to creating a practical and functional space [14:57]
• Nikki’s self-care journey [16:46]
• Nikki's tips on taking care of her well-being while becoming an unexpected mental health advocate [21:19]
• Resources that helped her as mental health advocate for loved one [27:51]
• How to foster deep joy and excitement [30:05]
• What nourishes Nikki’s soul so much she absolutely for it? [32:33]

Episode Quotables:

• We design our spaces, and then our spaces design us.” – Winston Churchill
• Go and do the thing that makes you happy.
• Despite the forest and briar patches you might be going through, there is something else on the other side.
• What are those things that really satisfy you? Make that happen. Go after it!

Connect with Nikki Klugh:

Website: https://nikkiklughdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkiklughdesign/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkiklugh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiKlughDesign/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nikkiklughdesigngroup/

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So today's guest is a self-described weekend warrior who has been transforming spaces since childhood. Nikki Klugh is a highly sought after award winning interior designer and principal designer and founder of Nikki clewd Design Group. Nikki is in CI DQ qualified, a True Color expert and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association. Nikki's philosophy is interior design extends far beyond making spaces beautiful, comfortable, or even simply functional. sacred spaces have the ability to change our lives, to shift the way we feel and the way we function at a deep level. Her extreme attention to detail, ability to go deeper than surface level with her clients, and upbeat personality are just a few reasons why her clients consistently recommend her to their networks. And it's no wonder since Nikki is always a resounding yes to the possibility of transformation. And we are so glad that she'd said yes. And joining us today. Welcome to Joyfully Black, Nikki.

Thank you. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me. Yes, yes.

So Nikki, I always like to level set for my listeners for a moment. Um, would you tell us about your journey to becoming an award-winning interior designer, founder of Nikki Klugh Design Group was an eye for aesthetics, always just part of your life plan?

01:34

Man Oh, was it! it was way back like literally when I was a little girl, changing my room around trying to maximize the space in my 10 by 10 square foot 100 square foot room. And it was a matter of space planning, but also colors like what colors would make it feel larger? What would make it feel homey. And you know, all of this came as a result of my mom's talents and my grandmother's homemaking skills. My mom was a fashion designer in college. That's what her major was. And so weekend warrior was definitely something we did together, as she was a, you know, corporate America manager in the oil and gas industry, which was the, you know, a great job that she could find, after graduating from college and taking care of her baby girl. So all of her creative energy and juices all went into the weekend. And that's how my passion was born. And so yes, all the way back until I can remember I have been manipulating space and playing with color, and trying to make the best of whatever it is that I'm looking at and living in. Because I know the impact that it has on you. I experienced that all the way through my childhood until an adult and I decided to go back to school when my youngest son was born. I have four sons. And that's when I was like, You know what, I still love this thing. I still love, you know, changing spaces, transforming them, making something that's maybe less desirable, and something that's beautiful and welcoming. And as I was growing my own family, recognizing that as we move from space to space, I was always able to make it feel like home for us. And that's when I decided to make it official and actually go back to school and get my degree in interior design.

Oh, wow. That's amazing. And with the moving. That's because your husband is in military, right?

03:37

Correct. Correct. Yes, he served in the US Navy for 32 years. He retired a couple of years ago. And so as you can imagine, we literally live from coast to coast and many places in between. And yes, that was always a priority for me is to set up house you know, get the boys in again with the four sons getting them settled first so that they can acclimate to the new environment and doing their rooms and the common spaces a living room and breakfast room. Most times we didn't have a dining room. That was something that was just really really important to make a priority as we move from home to home.

Oh, that's great. Yeah. And we often when I speak to folks who are military spouses, I am just in awe of their ability to pack up, unpack so quickly. Oh my gosh!

04:30

Yeah, I have one friend. Oh, she can be unpacked in two days flat. I cannot do that. But there are those of us that have got it down to a tee.

So you mentioned about impacting space. And there is a quote that Winston Churchill once said that "First we design our spaces and then our spaces design us."

That's my favorite quote!

Oh it is? okay! How can our rooms textures, colors and design affect our moods? And do you have any specific examples that really stick out in your mind doing this work?

05:11

So I implement a thing called designing to your senses. In my designs, it was something that I discovered on a vacation one time in Paris, France, that happened to be my husband's and my anniversary, we rode a train from Germany where he was deployed, so he was deployed during our anniversary. Okay, let's make the best of the situation. We caught a train, I took the boys over with me. First of all, we did space A, if anybody knows about space age, you are writing for free, but you're sacrificing your time and your comfort. But at the time with four sons and a limited budget, that was how we were getting to Germany. So we did space at Germany, they took the ice train to Paris and celebrate our anniversary there with our sons. And because of my husband's schedule, I had to go ahead of him. So the four boys and I went ahead, we were there maybe a day and a half before he could actually get off work and be there. And so you know, we just went and just, you know, had a great time on the train and settling into the hotel, the boys were watching TV, and I was like, I'm just gonna go take a bubble bath and relax. This was a little bit of a movement, a little hectic trying to navigate these Paris streets, not speaking the language. And I was there in his bubble bath. And the music was playing I had on like, classical like Beethoven or something like, in the walls were all marble. The aromatherapy was going in the bathtub. And this, it was just like this euphoric moment for me. I'm like, wow, like I just, you know, got off the train and navigated to two different hotels to get to the right hotel. You know, the subway system learning that. And I was frantic. And then like, you know, 20 minutes later, I'm just like, totally zen'd out. What is it about this moment about the space? Yes, I'm celebrating my anniversary. Yes, my family is here. And we're all together. And we're, you know, had this amazing opportunity to visit another country. But like, there's, there's other things going on. And I realized, I put the pieces together, that all of my senses were being stimulated, and in a good way, and it was just all just kind of like gelling. In that moment, I was like, huh, there's sensory inputs that are happening here. How can I use that in my designs? It coincided with a period of time, I was like, literally digging into what makes me different as a designer, what do I do differently? How would I like to serve my clients? And this was something that I was doing innately, but never put it all together. And that was the birth of designing to your senses.

Oh, nice. So it was like your own personal experience that led you to naming what you just came naturally to you?

08:17

Right? So oftentimes, people would say, I can tell when you've designed to space but not really by the photo, but by being in it. And so I couldn't like articulate what is it that I'm doing that other designers aren't doing? Like, what is it that's happening, that's not translating to the photos because I was looking for, like you love big scale you like lots of color, like I was looking for the visual elements to describe me and set me apart. But it was just how it make the space feel when you're experiencing it in person altogether, with textures and colors and smells, with sound, with running water. For one client we had a waterfall in her living room on the wall that had a light therapy tied into the water. So there's different elements of things that I had been playing with and, and experimenting with the whole time that, like you said, just gelled in that moment, designing to your senses.

And speaking of a full sensory experience, I mean, you're known for creating these sacred spaces. So what would you say are key elements to making a space feel both inviting and tranquil?

09:30

So here's the trick question because it really depends on the person. We all experience the world on different levels. Take for example, someone that has lost their sight, their sense of hearing is going to get more sensitive. Someone that is very tactile, like they're a tactile learner, and they have to write it down or they have to do it they put it together a puzzle and then they can always remember that thing that they learned. Um, Someone like that is going to love and appreciate texture. Now, it could be texture that is more rough or texture that is more soft or furry or fuzzy. So there's, you know, 15,20, 30,40 different combinations of your sensory and how you learn how you experience love, but also how you relate to the world. So some of the examples I gave were tactile, olfactory, the way to bring aromatherapy into a space, using different herbs and extracts is really amazing, you know, they have healing properties, but they also have just some normal connotations, like the smell of lavender, in general is going to make anyone feels soothing, and calm, whereas citrus is more vibrant. And depending on what space you're in, we would manipulate and play with that a different way. So in an office space, we'd want a citrus smell and not a lavender smell, right? and in a bedroom, we'd want the vice versa. So it really just depends on what you're trying to accomplish and how you experience the world.

That makes sense, because you wouldn't want people going asleep on the job.

Or maybe if it's a super stressful job, you might want to mix it of lavender and citrus, I don't know. But we definitely will take the time to get to know our clients and what their needs are, and then prescribe something that's specifically for them.

Oh, that's awesome, because I remember I made these lavender satchels for a bridesmaid sort of favor. And later on the bride's mother said, Oh, those satchels you made are just so relaxing but I always to sleep. And I said, yes becasue it's lavender!

Exactly, exactly.

What are some common misconceptions about designing these inviting sacred spaces that folks often get wrong?

11:58

Yeah. The fact that people think it's all about pillows and curtains are no the things that you may notice, right, offhand are things that you associate with making things pretty. It's really about making things functional and making life you know, joyful, getting rid of things that are tedious, or, you know, stutter steps in your traffic flow, in the way that you interact with your family. I love using circle tables, round tables, because that sets up an environment that is more conducive to conversation, you know, no one's in the way of someone else talking. You're more on equal footing, equal ground. It promotes and enhances collaborative efforts and united family. So I love different elements that you can bring into design that are scientifically-based that is not just about making things pretty,

Now that completely makes sense. Because sometimes people don't always get the point of a chair design. So they experienced it themselves. And you know, the past what three years we've been living through more people have been really paying attention to it. Since we spent more time at home. Have you seen that as well?

Absolutely. We have been so busy over the last three years. And to the point where we doubled our staff and, you know, really had to improve our systems to get more efficient. We were already working long distance because of a project that we did in Washington DC, it was a 13,000 square foot project, five million dollar budget. It was an amazing project that I got to design from my home base at the time of San Diego, California. We were designing long distance for the past seven, eight years now. So that was great, but the volume and the scope that people wanted and they wanted it yesterday, and you know, supply chain was making it twice as long as normal. So it was a lot to deal with. But I'm grateful for it because it made a such a tighter team and really trimed the fat on some of the things that we were doing and made us get really serious about our time and our delivery process.

Oh, that's great. And can you talk a little bit about the whole money space and maybe this is top of mind for me because I also work remotely. And like so many people do is you know, the pandemic shifted some things in our lives. So what what goes into creating a money space and making sure that it has the energy that you need to have in order to be your most productive or relaxed self in order to think creatively, creatively? Yes,

yes, yes. So many career paths and fields have, you know, various means whether it's creativity, or maybe it's just, you know, being really adamant about number crunching. And so you need, you need concentration and focus more so than letting your mind wander to the all the possibilities. We look at that we look at your career. We look at the type of work that you do and then we tailor something that's going to support those things. aims. And that's one of the areas that we customize. But there's always a couple of like tried and true, you know, elements of tactics in our design, that is going to be the same for everyone. So that would include sitting facing the door so that you can see what's going on around you. We call that the command position or the power position. People that speak from the stage, they often have that awareness. And if you look at how an auditorium is set up, the speaker is generally always facing the door. So that, in and of itself is the one thing that I always recommend anyone to do is analyze where you're sitting in that space and put yourself in the power position.

Oh good and so, of course, you're in this business of creating these restorative sacred spaces and accessible luxurious surroundings in the home. As I'm hearing you talk and seeing a lot of your work, your profession just is so integral to how people feel in their home, and how they feel cared for. When did you start to prioritize self care in your in your own life? Because I often find it's almost like, you know, the cobbler. They're the ones without shoes, they're so busy making it for everyone else. So when did you start to prioritize self care? And how did you start on your own self care journey?

16:22

So lucky me, it was in the process of setting up our homes that I started making decisions. This is the decision that THIS is exactly what I want to do, whether I ever make any money or not. And so initially, it was really just about recognizing that as I set up spaces for myself and the different places we moved to. First it was the boys next it was the common spaces. And then it was me and my husband, like our space together. I wanted to do that for other moms, I felt like this is such a relief in such a stress reliever to have a place that I can call my own, separate from what the kids have got going on- just to be a woman and a wife in my own self in a space. I thought it was valuable and worth sharing with other people. So yeah, that was always top of list for me. Now, I will admit that I could stray from it as I got busier. And as I was managing more, taking on more as the boys as as our sons grew into men, and as my business was expanding and growing, it did become a point of, you know, "No, I've got to make time. I've got to carve out space. I've got to make this a priority, so that I can continue to serve in a bigger way. "And when I could, no, I didn't make it a priority, I could definitely tell I would be frustrated, I'd be overwhelmed, I wouldn't be able to think as clearly and as methodically as when I was taking care of and making sure that my needs were taken care of. So we've always kept the calendar time block, you know, for self care. And that was probably until like the fourth year of me getting really serious about my business and experiences of growth. I was always so adamant that "I'm a free spirit, I don't need a calendar. I don't live by appointment." So of course, I had my appointments for my kids. But why I thought I could not do that in my business. Because I'm a creative, you know. And so I fought it and fought it but eventually a business coach, you know, got to me, and got it through my head that "Look, you need to block off things. You need to block off anything that's important". And so cooking dinner, doing laundry, going to church working out and working on your business, all these things need to be in your calendar, doing homework with the boys like all of this needs to have its own little space. And so as I started doing that, I realized, oh, this actually frees my brain up to be creative during those creative blocks. Now it took some practice to just like turn creativity on. And then even now sometimes I have to like prep. Like, it's in the background of when the creative block is coming. What am I taking it around, you know, around me and in the world? What am I seeing that I'm going to harness into this creative time block. But otherwise, I really was able to like be in the moment in those blocks knowing that everything else is planned out. Everything else has a space. Let me turn my attention and focus on this football game for the or date night with my husband, or even Sunday like when I found myself making laundry lists of groceries in church. I though " maybe I need to do something to you know, get my life together". So yes, but calendaring you know, exercise and time blocking really, really saved me and helped me again grow my business and keep a balance of personal self care.

Oh, that's great. I love how you mentioned, you know, finding ways to schedule to schedule things. And, you know, despite, you know, you know, most of you think, oh, creatives are free spirits. Why why bother with those things, it's constrained. And you're saying that, you know, that actually helps you have a more sustainable self-care practice, because you were able to make sure that there was time for it. Absolutely, you know, Joyfully Black so many of my listeners, like you, you know, we're so many different hats, particularly, you know, if they have any family members who may have their own mental health and mental wellness challenges, and you know, I know your experience, you were a very avid advocate for your own child, for your own adult child. Could you speak a little bit to how you were able to navigate caring for your well-being while also being an advocate for your son?

20:54

yes. When I first came to the realization that this was going on, it was because we were pushed to it, it didn't, it wasn't a gradual thing, because it happened when he was away at college. And we see him we think, Oh, he's just partying too much, let's, you know, talk to him and help him settle down and get settled into college. So it was this big blow up. And it just really took over our life to the point where I felt so overwhelmed that I just actually made that a priority. And it was like, "You know what? Let me wind down over here" So I stopped taking clients and I finished my client work and make sure everybody was happy. And then as the new leads were coming in, I'd say I was booked until, so I just wouldn't take on any clients as I learned the system and learned how to advocate for my son, inside of all of the different red tape that was going on with, with insurance with the facilities. With the legal system, there were so many different avenues that I had to get familiar with, that I had never come in contact with before. It really was like a part time to a full time job just advocating for him. It was a really challenging situation. It really, really was. I took off likely about 10 to 11 months before I was ready to go back. We got him stable, we got him in treatment. And then it was like, okay. But even through that whole time, like there were periods where I would just cry for days, like I would just be balled up in my bed, like, where did we go wrong? You know, when it's to blame myself of going back and analyzing all the different things like what could we have done better? Why didn't we catch this? Like, there were so many questions. And you know, as a mother, that's just I don't know any way around that I think that all mothers would take it upon themselves to find blame and faults, with something that they did or did not do. And I definitely went through that period. A dear dear friend, Mona Lisa, was able to coach me through that because she had been through it herself. And so she had me journaling. I sought a therapist, a Christian therapist. I was ready to reach out to every and any resource I had ever heard, to not only get support from my son, but also support for me. And through that I was able to come to the understanding that there was nothing I did wrong. There was nothing I could have done differently. You know, the question that faintly remains is could I have caught it earlier. But even then it's like we have to face this is what we have. Now what? And so with that, I had to learn to choose joy. And so that's something that I perpetually promote whatever the circumstances, whether it's mental illness, or death, or lost job or whatever, we still get to choose what, what makes us feel peace on the inside, even in the midst of the circumstances. So it's not easy, like it's easier said than done but we do still get to choose joy. So that was an exercise in and of itself was to find where I was joyful on the inside, even though one of my children was really, really hurting. And, and I did that through various ways. You know, therapy definitely was one of it. Finding other moms and dads that have been through the similar or same set of circumstance, finding community prayer, and then also doing what I love and that's designing. So I did end up going back to work. And I was so thankful and so surprised even that like when I said "yes, I'm taking clients again" The clients were there. So I was like, Okay, thank you God, like I was willingly you know, sacrificing my whole career. Like if I never get another job. That's fine. I just got to take care of my son in this moment. But when it came time I was ready to Focus and refocus on what I built, it was still there waiting for me. So I was really thankful for that and able to share that with other moms that like 'the world is still gonna be waiting, like, do what you got to do take care of your family, take care of yourself' I have a friend whose mom's has died. And they were so so close, like many of us are with our mothers or hope to be. They really were close and it's hit her hard. And I was like, girl, you coach women, you got to take your own advice, like you have to be an example, you know that this is the time that your managers are going to understand. Yeah, I need some time away, and they're going to be there. When you get back that work is gonna be there when you get back. So I can say that knowing from my own experience, and she'll be able to say one day too that we have to take care of ourselves. Absolutely. 100%. Take care of ourselves and our family in the process.

Yeah, that's so true. And, and what you're speaking to us sometimes don't always see the forest for the trees when you're in the midst of it, particularly when caregiving or experiencing in the throes of guilt. And, of course, being a caregiver, whether it's because of you know, mental illness or some other situation, it can be a very challenging, sometimes rewarding and empowering situation. Because you said like you had to learn a system that you had no idea about before.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I did. That included Friday's off when I went back to work. I had Mondays and Fridays off. I only worked three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, even when things got busy. And I was like, Hey, I could have done this the whole time. Like, how do you get so you know, so productive when you short that time span? You do not waste it. And so we went to a working schedule of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, myself and my team, so that I would have the space to breathe. And as things would happen with my son, you know, I could still support him and his treatment and be an active, you know, advocate for him. Because again, the system is meant for us to fail, it does not want to or does not make space for people that are different.

That's so true. That is so true. And do you have any specific resources organizations or books that you would recommend for listeners who may find themselves as mental health advocates for a loved one?

27:26

Yeah, NAMI was really, really great. Because my husband was still active duty Military OneSource was a good resource for us. That's where I got therapy for myself and also for my sons, because he was their big brother. You know, he is their big brother. And so that was challenging to watch their hero have weakness. So NAMI was number one though, because they have a network that they can help.. And there was also one other person that I don't think that's, you know, literally a blessing from God, she was a rep for an insurance company. And while I'm sure that was you know, part of her number, you know, part of her goals, she was always able to help us get placement. So I would recommend digging into your insurance and provider and seeing if there is an advocate that can help find the location that the insurance will accept, that the needs are met. It just helps navigate the system so much easier. versus searching for programs yourself.

So appreciative of you sharing your experience because there are probably a lot of people like you and you're seeing the other side and they're just like okay this woman who I'm listening to, who I'm seeing she went through this busy mom I mean even model for boys, a thriving career also, you know, busy family life in general. So, you know, you're a testament to there is something else on the other side, despite the forest and briar patches that you might be going through.

Yeah, for sure. I sometimes look back at that and wonder how I made it through,like literally. But you can.you do just keep waking up and putting one foot in front of the other.

You mentioned something about choosing joy and I know you're also a proponent of lives filled with luxury, excitement and this deep joy every day. So what advice would you give to a woman who wants to foster these qualities in her own life?

Right! So I am literally a boy mom. Like that's what I'm sent to be. I'm an adrenaline junkie. Like that's my thing. As zen'd out as I may seem and appear - I love fast cars. We go skydiving, we do zip lining in every country we visit

Oh I love that

So really knowing who you are, despite what others may say, or think about who you are, like being in touch and in tune with what makes you happy, what brings you joy? What makes you giggle? And how, you know, like, what are those things that really satisfy you? And make that happen. Like, go after it! Don't let anyone stop me. So when I wanted to go skydiving, nine out of 10 of my friends were like, "girl, you crazy. We don't do that kind of thing" But I found the one girlfriend that would go with me, and that's who went and so we have ever had that experience together. And it might not be your best friend. It might not be your sister, but find someone or do it alone. Like go and do the thing that makes you happy.

Hmm, that's so true. You know, my eyes kind of light up when you said kydiving because that's on my experience list. So so now I'm like imagining you with your favorite drink. Aranciata Rossa San Pellegrino. Just about to jump and taking a sip before jumping out of the plane. I love that it's one of your favorite drinks because I discovered it, I think like two years ago, and I'm like, "what piece of heaven is this?"

Right, right. And that's one of those things that's like, a luxury like something that's not a necessity. But, you know, we get to do things that are different. We get to experience things that weren't part of our normal, everyday experience as a child. And to me, that's luxury. I mean, yes, there's uber luxury. And we can go to but just a little things in life can be a luxury and can be appreciated beyond just your normal.

Yeah. So San Pellegrino aside, there is a quote by Dr. Jean Boleyn that I share with all guests. And it is when you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy, care enough about yourself to make room for in your life.

amen.

So let me ask you, what nourishes your soul so much that you absolutely create space for it?

So I love my time at the spa. Because I'm a tomboy, and because I ran track, and, you know, jogging. I call it joggal-ling while I walk the dog. Like, I'll walk, jog, and weights like I'm my body is often sore. And so my bi-weekly, twice a month massage is something that I keep on my schedule. And yeah, it's just time away for me. Time to let my brain shut off. I often fall asleep so I get an 80 minute, instead of a 50 minute so I can experience some of it awake. But yeah, that has really been something for the past maybe four years now. That is a high priority for me. Of course, I had to take a break during COVID but finally found someone who was comfortable to come into our home and give us massages. And yeah, for me that that's definitely one of the physical things that I'd love to do.

Oh, that's great. Anything else on your list that you absolutely create space for?

I absolutely create space for my morning meditation. So as I wake up, I wake up to Christian music, praise and worship. I slowly get myself together out of the bed, brush my teeth, do that routine, and then start my workout and bump it up to like the truth which is Christian hip hop music and workout to that. So I find that I I do so much better when I've had enough rest and I've started my day off with the adrenaline rush and as well as the spiritual lifting.

That sounds like a great way to start the morning. And once again, you are scheduling and booking in that time.

33:59

If you look on my calendar right now you would see a time block for longevity and prayer and then my day starts. You will see self care Saturdays blocked out on my calendar. Yes, all of these things are made space for and if it's not on my calendar, it's likely not gonna get done.

That is so true. Well, before we end today how can listeners either work with you or find you online?

Yeah, so I am on most social media platforms Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, at Nikki Klugh Design. N-I-K-K I K-L-U-G-H design. D-E-S-I-G-N.

Wonderful, and I'll go ahead and link those in the show notes. Well, Nikki, thank you so much for joining us today on Joyfully Black. It has been such a treat speaking with you.

Likewise. Thank you so much for having me, Joy!