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Stylist Kim Ficaro, Designer Todd Nickey on Kitchen Inspiration

What makes for a Pinterest-worthy kitchen? Stylist Kim Ficaro and designer Todd Nickey discuss the drool-inspiring images in their new book
Image may contain Furniture Chair Restaurant Dining Table Table Room Indoors Wood Plate Rack and Architecture

If you're like us, you read through magazines not only for the editorial content (and the recipes, right?!) but also to ogle and admire all the Pinterest-worthy styling and photography. Be it a perfectly set table or an artfully disorganized pantry, we aspire to create these scenes ourselves. Luckily, prop and interior stylist Kim Ficaro and designer Todd Nickey teamed up with photographer Ditte Isager (a Bon Appétit regular) to curate a beautiful portfolio of just those dreamy shots. Inside of The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives, published by Rizzoli, some of the most inspired people in the world share the intimate spaces of their homes, kitchens and dining rooms. When we were done drooling, we picked a few of our favorites and asked Ficaro and Nickey for some insight on why they're so alluring—and why they work.

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  • Image may contain Housing Building Furniture Chair Indoors Couch Room Interior Design Loft and Table
    Ditte Isager
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    Christine Rudolph

    Christine Rudolph is a Danish prop stylist from Copenhagen. She's spent years scouring and collecting from markets all over the world and artfully uses all of her finds in her home. She softens the white-gray palette with warm wooden beams, tables, and chairs. The open loft-like space is made cozy with plush fabrics, hanging objects, and other worn-in pieces. An assortment of light fixtures—modern sconces, vintage crystal chandeliers, and an industrial pendant over the table—define her synergistic mix-and-match style. None of it's the same, but it's all complementary.

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    Andrea Brugi & Samina Langholz

    A woodworker from Montemerano, Italy, Andrea Brugi crafts cutting boards and furniture from the wood of his family's olive grove, which he uses in his own kitchen. Its openness and simplicity make it the perfect space for regular family gatherings and meals, and mismatched lighting fixtures add personality and punctuation to the material flow.

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    Christiane Perrochon & Kaspar von Arx

    An open shelf and server work to display the porcelain collection of Christiane Perrochon's grandmother (who was a porcelain painter in Switzerland), but also provide useful storage. Neutral tones and minimal decor highlight the more embellished pieces and balance the abundance of wares.

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    Douglas Bensadoun

    Bensadoun loves entertaining and—with ample room for everyone to be in while he's cooking—the kitchen is the heart of the house. Like the rest of the house, it flows with his personal style and flair—wood counters, painter stools, and collections of artwork are all an expressive reflection of his style.

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    Mads & Cecilie Norgaard

    The kitchen is a really important part of the Norgaards' house boat, but maximizing storage and function without sacrificing their personal style was key. Ample shelving organizes dishes, and stools provide seating that's easily tucked away. Every space is completely utilized, but personal pieces, like their children's artwork and a papier-mâché horse head, make it uniquely theirs.

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    Athena & Victor Calderone

    The Calderones' kitchen is the perfect balance of rustic and refined. Simple raw beams provide open shelving to keep essentials on display. An assortment of glassware and cutting boards can easily be swapped for platters, bottles, or books.

Assistant editor Joanna Sciarrino has been working with the Bon Appetit editorial and web staffs for the past three years. Good coffee, baked goods, and traveling (often for food) are among her favorite things.
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