Abbey Nova's Garden Makeover Made Our Jaws Drop
Plus, the design historian talks about very sexy books, her therapist's best advice, and a marriage-saving bathroom item.
My friend Abbey Nova, a design historian and writer, lives with her husband and two sons in a small town in Connecticut. (Long-time blog readers might remember her wonderful site, Abbey Goes Design Scouting.) She’s one of those people who is so chock-full of funny anecdotes and life observations that you feel warm and buzzy after hanging out. Another bonus? Every time I visit her, she sets out at least two kinds of potato chips. She’s that kind of friend.
Last year, Abbey finished writing a novel (and is now looking for an agent). “It’s solar punk speculative fiction,” she said. “Manhattan was buried under four stories of snow, so New Yorkers, ever resourceful, developed a subterranean city. There are also sled dogs, an AI governor, and adventures outside the city. Sometimes I’m like, how is THIS the novel that I ended up writing? But I love it.”
When asked what inspired her, Abbey points to her Vermont childhood: “My formative memories include overwhelming snow. My dad would open our front door, and you couldn’t get out. My earliest memory is of sitting between my parents in our car, watching the headlights pass over snowy pine trees.”
Below, Abbey shares 12 things that delight her these days…
Recipe: Ina Garten’s lemon cake. You use six to eight lemons! And the recipe makes TWO cakes, which just seems like a win.
Novel: During a stressful few months, I read all of Tessa Bailey’s spicy romances. They are absolutely pornographic, like, so hot it blew my mind. I almost didn’t mention them. Five pepper emojis, you know what I mean? [Ed. note: Tessa Bailey also made this hilarious Taylor/Travis video.]
Music at home: On the French radio station FIP, every song relates to the next — e.g., a song by Blondie, then a song about someone who’s blonde. It’s very enjoyable to try to figure out the connection. My husband’s really good at it.
Pleasures: The sound of wind! Clouds! Finding that perfect rock on a walk!
TV show: Fisk, a fast-paced Australian comedy, reminds me of Tina Fey’s shows. The protagonist’s husband dumps her for an older woman, so she has to take a job at a shady law firm. It’s hysterical and makes me want to go deep on Australian TV.
Jewelry: I love all Clare V.’s charms, especially the croissant. A croissant would definitely be my last meal.
