Nina Magon’s Enlightened Vision
Written by Robert Leleux
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With her Studio M collection and new book Evoke, the designer is shedding new light on her global style.
Nowhere is Nina’s artistry on better display than in her bespoke kitchens, which are lavishly documented in Evoke, her new book from Monacelli Press. Photo by Julie Soefer.
There’s really nothing that escapes Nina Magon’s all-encompassing design eye. As evidenced in Evoke (her new book from Monacelli Press), this multi-talent seems to draw inspiration from every experience, and especially from fashion and international travel. Though she grew up in Houston, her parents took her globe-trotting from an early age, making yearly summer pilgrimages to India, always by a different route. “One year, we’d stop off in London, the next year it would be Germany or Japan,” she says. “It taught me so much. It changed how I ate, slept, processed the world—and it showed me that there’s always more to see.” It’s an education that formed a designer whose vision seems not to acknowledge boundaries or rules. Though her practice is celebrated for its focus on the “modern-minded” and luxurious, Magon prides herself on providing her diverse roster of clients with the sustainable and customized.
In fact, the bespoke touch is so integral to Magon’s approach that she’s developed a host of rarified collections in order to apply her vision with greater precision. Take, for instance, her partnership with Studio M, the California lighting company that, somehow, always manages to combine the classic with the innovative. Believing that “lighting is the jewelry of a home,” Magon (whose early career focused on fashion) designed each piece of her dynamic Studio M line with jewelry in mind. Her “Contour,” for instance, resembles a pair of earrings, while her “Stratum” is reminiscent of a necklace. “I spent Covid dreaming,” says Magon. “It was my escape, imagining what, for instance, a lighting collection of my design would look like. Then, I discovered Studio M, a family company that managed to bring my ideas to life.” Her first collection with that forward-thinking firm debuted in 2021, and since then, new pieces have followed.
Evoke is filled with Magon’s lively ideas, featured in projects in such far-flung corners of the world as Beaumont, Texas and Abu Dhabi. Her A-game is on display throughout these projects, and her kitchens are particularly strong. Perhaps that’s because she considers the kitchen the most important room in the house. “Think about it,” says Magon, “practically every important decision for you and your family is made in the kitchen. Your schedule, your budget, your future, all these things get determined in the kitchen.” Therefore, she maintains, every kitchen should be unique to its owner, be they “jet-setter or homebody.” “The first thing I always ask my clients is, what’s the purpose of this room? Do you cook? Do you entertain? You begin with those questions, and the design follows. Of course, my dream kitchen is one that you don’t even realize is a kitchen. A room that seamlessly blends into the rest of a home’s décor.” And indeed, Magon’s designs transition between spaces with such agility that it is often difficult to tell where one room ends, and another begins. That’s appropriate for a designer who considers every project a journey, and who often can’t tell where one adventure ends, and another begins…
Think about it, practically every important decision for you and your family is made in the kitchen. Your schedule, your budget, your future, all these things get determined in the kitchen.
The textural design of the linear porcelain backsplash draws the eye into this minimalist East Texas kitchen, in which Marco Zito black leather barstools surround an architectural island that balances matte countertops and high-gloss cabinetry. Photo by Julie Soefer.
Juxtaposing sleek cooking elements with warm woods transforms a minimalist Abu Dhabi kitchen into a gourmand’s dream with plenty of functional prep areas and a streamlined presentation. Photo by Julie Soefer.
Lighting is the final touch of any room. It’s the jewelry of a home.
Black furniture and materials in various finishes from matte to high shine define this fashion-forward kitchen. Photo by Julie Soefer.
Each room should have an element of surprise, an unexpected twist in the story that sends the experience in a beguiling new direction.
A collection of mustard-yellow dining chairs adds a jolt of energy to this otherwise monochromatic eat-in kitchen. Photo by Julie Soefer.
