Tile and Countertop Trends: What to Know and How to Choose

On March 24, Nureed Saeed of Nu Interiors helped us make sense of the multitude of tile and countertop choices on the market today. From design trends to material differences to technology advancements, she and Carla discussed all that is new in tile and countertops.

Nureed Saeed

Nu Interiors is a full-service interior design and remodeling project management resource specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations. Nu Interiors’ owner, Nureed Saeed, envisions spaces that meet her three key design tenets: Form, Function and Comfort. She believes that each space should feel inviting and yet function for the needs of one’s life. She has an amazing mix of high-end taste with “roll-up-your-sleeves” resourcefulness. Nureed believes strongly in honoring each home while blending the modern needs of today’s families. 

Always starting with a blank canvas is not her method. Working responsibly and thoughtfully within a framework of sustainability, through lower demolition planning, low carbon footprint product choices, and a love for repurposing, it’s easy to see how her tag “Old Meets Nu” is in all of her designs. For over 8 years, Nureed has leveraged her natural design sense, project management expertise, and care into bringing her clients a home filled with love and purpose. After only 4 years in business, Nu Interiors was named one of Lux Pad’s top15 Interior Designers in New Jersey. 

Nureed and Nu Interiors have been featured on the cover of Millburn-Short Hills magazine, Design NJ, and Inhabit your Home, amongst other design publications. She has now taken her business across the country and has been successfully managing bases in both New Jersey and California for the last 3 years. Prior to starting her design firm, Nureed spent more than 15 years in the fashion industry in buying, product management, licensing, and brand management, working for notable designers like Ralph Lauren and Kenneth Cole.

In her daily life, Nureed is a mother to eight-year-old twins and a seven-year-old and is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the design industry, and for educating her community and industry on the role of residential segregation in today’s ongoing inequalities in housing, the workplace, and schooling. Nureed is a leader and regular volunteer and believes strongly in giving back. She participates in multiple causes and charities, but most recently became a Steering Committee member of the National Committee to Redress Residential Segregation, working closely with Richard Rothstein, author of “The Color of Law.” Nureed also serves at the President of the Northern California Chapter of the National Kitchens and Bath Association.

State of the Real Estate Market in New Jersey’s NYC Bedroom Communities

Award-winning Coldwell Banker Realtors Carla Labianca and Lisa Danbrot were joined by their managing broker, Michael Pennisi, on March 15 for a timely and informative conversation on the real estate markets in our area. Recent questions posed on SOMa at Home were also be addressed.

How to Use Blinds and Curtains to Decorate Interiors

Host Sarah Gee of Sarah Gee Interiors and her special guest, John Cassidy of Budget Blinds, discussed the latest in window decor and design for your home.

John has been the owner and operator of Budget Blinds South Orange/Maplewood since 2019. His franchise has happily served the townships of South Orange, Maplewood, West Orange, Union, Millburn and Short Hills, along with communities to the east, including the Oranges, Newark, Elizabeth and Linden. He lives in Westfield and has been in the Westfield/Scotch Plains/Fanwood area for 20+ years, along with his wife and two daughters.

Budget Blinds is the leading provider of window coverings in North America and uses an in-home consultation model to review projects with customers onsite and recommend products from a wide selection of vendors known for the highest quality materials and window-covering products.

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Making Sense of Your Steam and Hot Water Heating Systems and Boilers

Our inaugural event, Making Sense of Your Steam and Hot Water Heating Systems and Boilers, was held on Jan. 27, 2022. Johnny Cataneo was our instructor.

Johnny is a 30+ year veteran of the plumbing and heating trade and has specialized in the installation and troubleshooting of residential heating systems since his career began. His many articles and photographs are routinely published in trade journals, and he is widely recognized as an expert in the mechanical industry.

Mr. Cataneo is the instructor at a Manhattan trade school for a “Boilers and Heating Systems” course that is attended by design professionals and trade members seeking to hone their skills in this vast field. Along with his brother, Dave, he has owned and operated a plumbing and heating residential service business in the SoMa area for nearly 20 years.

Please check back here often to see a full list of our upcoming events as we book them. This information will also be available on our Instagram.