Shop Talk 02: Nest out West

I first met Cait Pappas virtually through Instagram and then for coffee IRL. I was so inspired by Cait’s vision for turning builder-grade homes into beautiful and unique spaces that I knew I just had to have her on the Shop Talk Series.

When searching for a home in this saturated age of Instagram and Pinterest, people often want the home to have all the wow factor already baked in. This is not always possible with our budgets - I call this having “champagne taste on a beer budget” - so it takes a certain amount of vision to see through what IS, to what it COULD BE.

Nest Out West started as a way for Cait to document her own renovation journey. Through the power of instagram and her knack for turning builder-grade homes into stylish spaces, Nest Out West is now a fully fledged business, helping Coloradans see what’s possible and bringing their own IG-worthy homes into reality!

Who is the face behind Nest Out West (NOW)?

I’m Cait Pappas, the face behind Nest Out West. My husband Jason should get some credit, too, as he’s the one who brings all of my transformation and DIY ideas to life :)

Tell me a bit about what inspired you to start NOW?

About one month after we moved in to our first home together, my friend Greta came out to visit from Chicago (where we’re from). The house was all white everywhere, no character, vinyl and carpeted floors throughout—totally builder-grade because we didn’t want to spend money on upgrades we knew we could do ourselves, and for less than what the builder was charging.

We were only one month in, yet we had already replaced all of the flooring in the main level with a wood-look laminate floor, installed wood floating shelves in the cubbies next to the fireplace, put up a stained shiplap accent above the fireplace surround and mantel (which we had also built), painted the entire main level, and swapped out the builder-grade lighting for chandeliers I had purchased from Overstock.

Greta was in awe, and she said, “You should start one of those Instagram accounts where you document all of the fixes you guys are doing to make this house pretty!” I immediately thought of all the ways my sisters would make fun of me every time I posted. Not that they’re mean people; that’s just our relationship.

Before Greta was headed back home, I was already thinking about which future projects I could put on “the ‘gram,” even if I didn’t earn any sort of a following, she had a point that it would be a cool way to document what we were doing in that house. When we drove home for Christmas, I had fifteen hours of car-ride through cornfields and wheat plains to brainstorm what I’d call my IG account. I was between “A Place in the Pines,” “Juniper and 70th,” and “Nest Out West.” I sent a mass text to a bunch of friends and family, which sort-of served as my focus group to determine which name I’d choose. It’s now a name that encompasses a three-part brand and small business that I’ve turned into an LLC!

What's your elevator pitch? How do you describe what you do to people you meet for the first time?

I tell people I’m an interior decorator and e-stylist.

I help people see the potential in their bare, builder-grade home so that they can bring character and style to it, earning sweat equity along the way! I also am an ambassador for multiple brands, and a social media influencer who strives to only promote products and brands I actually use and love.

Finally, my home serves as a studio backdrop that can be rented-out for photo shoots. We’ve had everything from engagement sessions and family photos to underwear and furniture catalogues photographed in our home!

How does your process work with your clients - describe what people can expect when working with you?

My interior decorating and e-styling process is pretty straightforward: Once we’ve squared away all the details and I know exactly which space(s) the client needs me to work on, I’ll ask the client to send me photos of the chosen space from multiple angles, a sketched-out floorpan, and a brief video walk-through. I’ll also ask the client to share his or her Pinterest boards with me so I can identify style trends among all of the pins he or she is drawn to.

Next, I build the room using a program called RoomSketcher Pro, incorporating the measurements and photos from the client so it looks as close to the real thing as possible. I decorate in the program while building an online purchasing guide, where I include links to recommended purchases, what they cost, and notes on where and how to style them.

I also include detailed instructions for any DIY project I recommend. In the end, I export a series of HD renderings that show the client what his or her space(s) could look like after implementing my decorating plan.

They client then has four weeks to ask me an unlimited number of questions to ensure he or she is able to successfully execute the plan, as his or her own time and budget allow.

What are some of the most interesting new home products out there on the market?

I’m really loving LED rod and circle lighting! I’m honestly torn between this and this for our new living room.

The über modern design of each would complement the traditional feel of some of the other decor we’re planning to incorporate, giving the space a nice balance between the two decorating styles.

West Elm also has the light rod style available in other options, so you could get it as a floor lamp, for example.

What advice would you give to people who are looking for a home but maybe can't quite afford their "Pinterest/IG-worthy" home just yet? I like to call this shopping for champagne on a beer budget :)

Someone actually reached out to me recently via DM on Instagram about this! She and her husband were shopping for an older home that they could slowly grow into and fix-up while they lived in it, and she wanted to know which traits she should be looking for.

My response was to ignore wall coverings (paint and wallpaper), ignore light fixtures (chandeliers, pendant lights, sconces, etc.), and ignore flooring and counter surfaces, as that can all be replaced for a mega-huge difference!

Look for window placement and size, as well as ceiling height, as those are things that are more difficult and more costly to change. If the home has the right amount of space and enough windows that let in some nice daylight, you can change-out all the rest of the aesthetics over time to make it your Pinterest/IG-worthy home! Use Overstock, Wayfair, Houzz, and hardware stores such as Lowes and Home Depot to source new light fixtures, flooring, and countertops.

Never buy anything full-price (practice your patience)! Also, lightening up your overall home’s paint to a nice shade of white does wonders (Sherwin Williams Snowbound or Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace are good options)!

What's one of your favorite, cheap and easy, but full of impact transformation tricks?

Paint something black! You would paint your doors black if you have white walls, or paint a statement wall black (black textured wallpaper is nice, too!).

If that’s too scary for you, then start small by pulling in some black statement pieces such as a modern armchair, a floor lamp with a black shade, or a gallery wall with modern black frames to add drama and contrast.

Crystal Ball for a minute. What trends in interior decorating/design in Colorado do you see happening in 2019 and beyond?

I think wallpaper is only going to continue to grow in popularity, blush and mustard as accent colors will become staples, and continuing to bring the outdoors in through the incorporation of plants in interior decor will stick around for a while.

What has been the biggest challenge in starting NEST OUT WEST?

For me, the biggest challenge in starting Nest Out West was having the confidence to put every corner of my home out there for anyone on Instagram and Pinterest to see.

As I mentioned earlier, I was also worried about how my family would think of me (I didn’t want them to think I was being all, “Look at me! My home is so great! I’m so awesome!” because that’s not me).

I also struggled with pricing my services according to the value I was providing clients and the amount of time I was spending on these projects. At first, I was working for less than minimum wage when I did the math, but I was afraid that if I charged more, people would be like, “Who does this girl think she is?!”

It wasn’t until my siblings started sharing my successes (interviews with national blogs, shared images on 1M+ accounts, etc.) on their own social media accounts and my clients started telling me I should charge more that I finally had the confidence to own what I was doing as not just a hobby, but as a small business.

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the fact that I started this business while I was teaching seventh grade English full time. It was slower at first (approximately one client per month), but I still worked a lot of 19-hour days and spent many weekends in coffee shops trying to make sure my lessons plans were awesome, my students’ work was all graded, and my clients had all the answers they needed from me.

To be able to tell people I’m a business owner feels pretty awesome, and having 36 happy clients in the past 24 months while going through IVF and having an adorable little red-headed baby boy feels incredible.

I’m also proud of my choice in husband, as he is my biggest fan! He’s always talking about where to take the Nest Out West brand next, he comes to my local clients’ homes to work on projects (when he’s not swamped with work I’m giving him at our own house), and when he gets home from work at night, he goes into full-on dad mode so I can open up my laptop and get some uninterrupted time to catch up.

Switching gear now for a rapid fire round of questions:

Currently reading?

Lol(!!)

I’m ashamed to say it, but I’m not currently reading anything. Between the baby, our home renovations, and my clients, I don’t have time to read for pleasure (I’d rather stare off into the clouds to give my brain a break hahaha). I do read a lot of newsletters and blog posts that arrive in my inbox when I have time.

Next Vacation?

We’re originally from the Midwest (anyone heard of Crystal Lake, IL?), so whenever we do travel, it’s usually to go to some family event back in Illinois or Wisconsin, leaving us with not a lot of extra time to travel for pleasure. We don’t mind it though! Colorado doesn’t have the lakes we grew up with, so whenever we travel home over the summer, we usually spend most of our time on friend’s boats on Crystal Lake or on my parents’ boat in Lake Geneva, WI. It feels vacationy enough :)

Don't leave home without?

A few things: My phone, obvi. The diaper bag haha. My Invisalign retainer case for when I want to eat something, lol. A lightweight rain jacket because this is Colorado and you never know when a five-minute storm will roll in.

Favorite Denver restaurant?

There are SOOOO MANY that I love!! This is the toughest question of them all! I’ll tell you what I’m craving right now since there are too many favorites to name: The 42nd Street Pasta at Trattoria Stella (salivating as I think about it).

Podcast or Netflix recommendation?

“Dead to Me” on Netflix!! It’s so good!! There’s drama, humor, suspense, romance—everything!

How can people get in touch with you for a consultation?

Follow me on IG @nest.out.west Email hello@nestoutwest.co (not .com) and say hi! Let me know what you’re hoping to work on, and maybe send me a few pics :)