Experience the Power of a Soul-Inspired Space
Brave Heron Studio is a holistic interior design firm based in Northern New Jersey. Specializing in intentional and strategic design methods, we craft environments that reflect your unique style and vision.
We create more than just beautiful spaces—we design environments that inspire, uplift, and transform. Rooted in a deep connection to nature and human-centered design, our work blends artistry and functionality to craft spaces that feel intentional, alive, and uniquely yours.
For small businesses and wellness-focused companies, we specialize in creating well-designed spaces such as medspas, community centers, fitness studios, cafés, and retail environments. Our designs elevate client experiences through seamless flow, cohesive branding integration, calming aesthetics, and art direction that leaves a lasting impression.
For homeowners, we offer personalized interior designs that reflect your story and values. From cozy living rooms to bold kitchen transformations, we help you create spaces that bring harmony, comfort, and emotional connection to your daily life.
At Brave Heron Studio, we bridge the gap between vision and execution by delivering designs that are sustainable, sensory-rich, and strategically aligned with your goals. Our mission is to create spaces where you, your family, or your clients can thrive—because we believe design should transcend aesthetics™.
Let’s bring your vision to life. Schedule a discovery call today and take the first step toward transforming your space into something extraordinary.
Our principle values that inform the way we design and the way we practice:
Kinship: We invite our partners and clients to explore the meaningfulness of, and necessary harmony with, all life forms. We refuse to be separate from the natural world and embrace knowledge that promotes participation in and with our natural environment. Our intention with each project is to use environmentally friendly methods and non-toxic materials and design elements.
We follow indigenous wisdom that places considerable weight on our responsibility for the planet and its resources over our rights to own and use them. You’ll experience this in the selection of non-toxic materials and furnishings and in the celebration of patina and our commitment to integrating non-toxic vintage, and previously loved elements.
We believe in the sustainability philosophy (The Seventh Generation Principle) first introduced by the Haudenosaunee that decisions we make today should result in a sustainable planet seven generations into the future.
Regeneration: We support Ancestor Bell Hook’s affirmation that healing happens in-community. We remember that collective healing begins with recognition, deep listening, and acknowledgment. In our work, we nurture and encourage renewal, regrowth, open-heartedness, wisdom, and slow, intentional action along the path to soulful design solutions. That may look like chemistry checks in the form of introspective questions, deep listening, and playful activations. (all about love by bell hooks, Rooted by Luanda Lunn Haupt, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer)
Integration - We respectfully and intentionally channel ancient and indigenous wisdom, philosophies, and rituals that have long existed and been tested by ancestors. We apply this wisdom along with our intuitive gifts to innovate and craft transformative, balanced solutions that meet the challenges and support the aspirations of the moment. Working with us, you will find that our techniques borrow from various methodologies around wellness, design, and engaging with nature, including traditional interior design methodology, psychology, and neuroscience with esoteric and metaphysics
Enchantment: We envision a world where we are free to push back on the burden of rules for artistry and ideation assigned by culture and systems. Imagination is one of the most precious gifts of the human experience. We fully embrace wonder, awe, imagination, and the mystery of the spiritual aspect that influences creative acts. We aim to consistently question the rules while exploring and envisioning what could be. (Audre Lorde: The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House, and The Enchanted Life by Sharon Blackie)
Mutuality: We lead with love and insist upon creative outcomes that center the collective kinship ecology. At the same time, we support transformation and restoration with the understanding that every living thing and every object on this planet has a life force that must be considered, honored and protected. We advocate justice for those who have been historically oppressed and marginalized. We encourage our clients and partners to commit to the work and unlearning that dismantling such systems requires. (“The role and power of re-patterning in systems change” by The Yunus Centre Griffith and Auckland Co-Design Lab 2022)
Connective Storytelling: We want outcomes deeply rooted in a story that honors cultures, inherited ancient wisdom, belonging, power of place, Spirit, the spirit of the land, myth, and magic. Creativity, curiosity, play, and joy are profoundly generative and provide nourishment for the mind and soul. Like the invisible mycelium of trees, our work weaves these elements together to craft tactile stories. Because we believe that objects are imbued with magic and stories, we are intentional about the selection and placement of objects and elements within built environments.
Wellbeing: We value rest, ease, kindness, alignment, empathy, collaboration, and flow. We refuse to buy into cultural standards that place undue value on productivity and profits over that of holistic health and the intrinsic value of all earth’s living entities. We understand that sustainable productivity requires fallow periods of rest. Our method includes concepts rooted in psychology, neuroscience, manifestation, and metaphysics. (Rest as Resistance by Tricia Hersey and all about love by bell hooks)
Magnetism: We believe that interior spaces can act as conduits between Earth and the cosmos. We recognize that all entities and objects are alive with energy. Energy is mutable. Energy impacts our environments, and our environments impact our being and identity. When we clear and reshape energy channels on both the physical and invisible planes, we can send out a universal invite for flow and alignment.
Alchemy: Our practice is informed by the process of transmutation of the physical environment in tandem with observation and awareness of internal transformation. The built environment often reflects and echos programming, beliefs, habits, desires, etc. In order to shift atmospheres and craft sanctuary spaces that nourish and are sacred, we draw on essential elements, combine, distill, and reimagine.
More Info
NICOLE RIVERS, PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Nicole Rivers is a Seeker, artist, and holistic (integrative) interior designer. she harnesses her creativity and intuition explore the vision and conceptual direction for each project.
as Principal of Brave Heron Studio, she specializes in creating sacred, aligned, sanctuary-focused interiors for Highly sensitive women on the path of healing and expansion and Wellness-focused business. She infuses a unique mix of ancient wisdom technologies, sacred geometry, biophilia, Neuroaesthetics, and sustainability into the design process to create intentional spaces that tell a story and support vitality
Nicole received her Master’s degree in Interior Architecture from the Academy of Art University and completed her undergraduate studies at FIT in NYC.
Within her 10 years of professional interior design experience, she has designed, styled, and managed projects for both residential and commercial projects including successful affiliations with brands like ralph lauren home and calvin klein.
nicole has a 200hr vinyasa yoga teaching certification, is a Certified practitioner in Classical Feng Shui, and has a certificate in healthy materials and sustainable buildings.
Come find me on linkedin!
From Chaos to Sanctuary
Art and creativity have always been my voice—a way to navigate and make sense of a tumultuous world. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, I found solace in imagining new worlds, sketching designs, and crafting garments. I dreamed of being a fashion designer or archaeologist, traveling the world like Carmen Sandiago or Indiana Jones, uncovering beauty and history.
Though my artistic spark was nurtured in middle school art classes and the sanctuary of my Nana’s cozy, mid-century modern home in South Jersey, my confidence faltered as years of emotional neglect took their toll. By the time I was a senior in high school, I no longer believed in my talent or my future.
The next chapter of my life was rocky—marked by self-doubt, misaligned choices, and the numbing pursuit of escape. I earned degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Communication from F.I.T., but it wasn’t until I purchased my first home at age 30, amidst the grief of losing my Nana, that I rediscovered the power of space to heal and inspire.
My condo became a canvas for creativity. Painting, rearranging furniture, and curating vintage treasures reignited my love for design. This newfound passion propelled me into graduate studies in Interior Architecture and the launch of a handcrafted home goods business. Yet, the relentless hustle took its toll on my health, leading to a diagnosis of systemic lupus and other autoimmune conditions.
Forced to pause, I found refuge in the "little blue bungalow" I rented after moving back to my parents' home. This sacred space became my foundation for healing—a place where I reconnected with Spirit and nature, practiced mindfulness, and began to alchemize my pain into purpose.
Today, I’m in remission, embracing the transformative power of holistic interior design. My home reflects who I am: a blend of vintage patina, sustainable design, and intentional energy. It is not just a space but a sanctuary—a supportive environment that nurtures my well-being and aligns with my goals.
Holistic interior design has taught me that our spaces mirror our lives. By consciously crafting environments that heal, inspire, and connect us to the divine and the natural world, we create containers for growth, self-care, and abundance.
This journey fuels my work at Brave Heron Studio, where I help others create sanctuaries that hold them through life’s peaks and valleys, empowering them to heal, expand, and thrive.
Ready to create your sanctuary? book your discovery call.
