About | My Site 1

Nicole Baxter

Nicole is an interior designer and construction coach, currently training to become a trauma-informed life coach with the goal of integrating trauma-informed principles into the design process. With over 30 years of experience in design and construction, she brings a unique perspective that blends practical expertise with an understanding of how environments impact emotional well-being. Nicole is the originator of the Neuroaesthetics of Home theory, which laid the foundation for the neuroaesthetics movement within the interior design industry. Her work explores how beauty and environment influence emotional regulation, safety, and connection within the home. Through her practice, she helps individuals and families create spaces that support not just function and beauty, but also resilience and ease in daily life. Nicole guides clients in navigating the complexities of home projects while staying grounded in their emotional needs and values.

She's an an unapologetic introvert with a precocious cat named Luddie, and a deep love for GenX goth music. Whether it's in design or life, her favorite words are: "So I have a crazy idea..."

She is currently finishing her first book: Designing the Emotional Home: Design consciously, live beautifully.

Thought Leadership & Industry Education

Nicole contributes to the design industry through public speaking, panel participation, and the co-development of educational programming focused on the emotional, psychological, and neuroscience-based impact of home.

Future of Design Expo

The Future of Design Expo explores how emerging science, psychology, and social insight are reshaping the way we design — focusing on the evolving relationship between people and the environments they inhabit.

Fall 2025; High Point Market; co-produced with NeuroDesign Academy and Linda Kafka; sponsored by AndMore (in planning and production)

Fall 2024; High Point Market; co-produced with NeuroDesign Academy and Linda Kafka; sponored by AndMore

Design Harmony

Rooted in the Neuroaesthetics of Home theory developed by Nicole, Design Harmony explores the evolutionary origins of beauty through biophilia, fractals, and color theory — revealing how these elements support emotional regulation and well-being.

Design Harmony: Interior Design's Impact on Health and Wellness; co-developed with Visionary Design Marketing and Mike Peterson; online panel (2020)

Design Harmony: Interior Design's Impact on Health and Wellness; co-developed with Visionary Design Marketing and Mike Peterson; Century Furniture; High Point Market (2019)

Design Harmony: Interior Design's Impact on Health and Wellness; co-developed with Visionary Design Marketing and Mike Peterson; TISE/Surfaces; Las Vegas (2019)

Featured speaker: The Emotions of Home; sponsored by AndMore; High Point Market (2025)
Panelist: Crossover Interior Design; Universal Furniture; High Point Market (2023)
Panelist: Solutions to the Online and Retail Invasion; ADAC; Atlanta (2020)
Panelist: (Design Harmony); Stark Carpets; Hollywood, Florida (2018)