Step Inside: A Photographer’s Flower-Filled L.A. Home

If you asked us to describe the 1940s ranch home of photographer Nicki Sebastian in just three words, they would be: flowers, flowers, everywhere. And we couldn’t be more pleased about it.

Nicki lives in L.A. with her husband, Roni, and their two daughters, Cami and Cece. As it turns out, florals hold a special meaning in her life. After spending six months isolated in the hospital while undergoing cancer treatment, fresh blooms “became a representation of the desire to get back to living a life where I could exist at a slower pace, quite literally stopping to smell the roses, ” Nicki says.

We asked Nicki to tell us more about her cheerful and intentional space, including what it was like to find joy in her surroundings after her harrowing journey.

I majored in visual art and after college, moved to New York City to teach second grade and kindergarten. Eventually I became a professional photographer and haven't looked back. 

Fast forward to 2021. My husband and I had moved to LA, had our second daughter, and felt like we were settling into our West Coast existence. But Covid and cancer had other plans for us. My own life was torn to shreds by an out-of-the-blue leukemia diagnosis. 

Three years later, I'm thrilled to say that I'm still in remission, but also still emotionally recovering from a harrowing experience that changed me (and my entire family) in so many ways. I now focus on surrounding myself with the people I love most, continuing to beautify my surroundings, and capturing the beauty I see with my new perspective and heightened awareness.

I'm a firm believer in collecting and buying what you love and then figuring it all out after the fact. My design process follows the same method—choose pieces that speak to the depths of your heart. The result will be a true reflection of your soul as opposed to some regurgitation of an interior photo you found on Pinterest.

Welcoming, cozy, jovial.

I've always been drawn to florals, but they came to hold special meaning after my time in the hospital undergoing intensive cancer treatment. I was in a sterile bubble without access to the outside world for month-long stretches, and flowers and live plants were completely off-limits.

My longing for fresh blooms heightened during this time, and my friends started posting encouraging images on social media with the hashtag #nicthisinthebud. That imagery became a representation of my fight and the desire to get back to living a life where I could exist at a slower pace.

Schoolhouse is the perfect mix of practical, durable, and aesthetically uplifting, and that's exactly the line I try to toe when choosing pieces for our home.

I particularly love our cheerful laundry room, lined with Schoolhouse's vibrant floral Hygge & West wallpaper and outfitted with a timeless wooden drying rack that brings me so much satisfaction every time I have to hang dry our clothes.

I also love to mix prints and patterns whenever possible, and our folk-inspired bedding and rug is true delight in textile form.