HOME SERIES X MARIAH NIELSON

For design historian and curator Mariah Nielson, home is intrinsically formative and grounding, central to shaping her path from upbringing to the present. Mariah is the director of the JB Blunk Estate and Blunk Space gallery, the custodian to her father’s work, home and legacy, the late American artist JB Blunk. 

Blunk’s practice and life’s work is familiar and playful, known for expanding the material boundaries of wood across art, craft and design; creating large-scale wooden sculptures and his own iconic handbuilt home, the JB Blunk Estate in Inverness, California, or what Mariah calls the Blunk House — her home.

Blunk was a pioneer, with a tactile and elemental philosophy that spanned many media. He elevated and engaged with everyday life as a canvas, the Blunk House a playground of constant evolution. Mariah has taken this further, setting up the Blunk Space gallery as an outlet to share her father’s work in new contexts, carving a path that continues to reconceptualise her father’s work in dialogue with other artists, who are either deeply connected or inspired by Blunk.

After 12 years in London, Mariah moved back home to Inverness, California, where she is currently living while establishing the Blunk Foundation. In this conversation, Mariah shares how she fosters her own creative pursuits, cherished rituals and the deep respect for the handmade that makes her home.

Can you tell me about the place you call home? How do you describe it and your home’s style?

I was born and raised in the Blunk House – it’s the most familiar place to me. Living here feels like inhabiting a sculpture. The home is an amalgamation of my father’s work, pieces he traded with friends, and stones he gathered from local beaches and riverbanks.Over time, new layers have emerged – art and artefacts left by visiting artists, and now, my own contributions. The house is built from salvaged old-growth redwood and smells incredible: toasty, warm, and deeply familiar. It’s a dimly lit space that always brings to mind In Praise of Shadows.

How has Blunk Estate and your family's connection to craft and nature influenced your own path? 

Everything I’ve done (architecture, writing, curating, and now running a gallery) has been shaped by my upbringing and this place. Recently, I began carving stone and have become completely enamored with the material and process. Two years ago, I discovered a stone yard in Desert Hot Springs that changed my life.

I had just moved back from London and was feeling unsteady, and encountering the work, collection, and off-cuts of sculptor Roger Hopkins prompted me to start working with my hands – making furniture and sculpture. My work now responds to the landscape around the Blunk House and continues a dialogue with my father’s practice.

What daily rituals does your home inspire in you?

Inviting visiting artists and guests to choose a favourite mug from the Blunk House cup nook has become a cherished ritual. Tucked into a corner of the kitchen, the nook holds rows of shelves lined with ceramic cups – each one unique, each with a story.

My father used to take afternoon tea breaks, often with friends, collectors, and curators. “Pick a cup,” he would say, and I remember how guests would pause, thoughtfully selecting the one that spoke to them.

How does your father’s legacy influence your creative philosophy?

My father’s resourceful, humble, and intuitive way of working continues to shape my creative philosophy. His life instilled in me a deep respect for the handmade. There’s a quiet singularity to handmade objects – they carry time, care, and the presence of the maker.

Do you have a specific ethos that informs your practice and how you would collect pieces for your home?

I love collecting art and objects through travel. I recently returned from Oaxaca, Mexico, with ceramics, baskets, and textiles from artists’ studios and local markets.

Every object in our home carries a story...a person, a place, a memory...which makes it especially meaningful.

Where do you turn for inspiration?

Stones – on the beach, in the desert. The forms shaped by nature and time are endlessly inspiring.

Do you have a favourite space in the house, and why are you drawn to it?

The dining table is the heart of the home. So many meals have been shared there with friends, family, and visiting artists. The conversations, candles, dishes, and cups. It’s where everything comes together.

My father also used the table as his office, and as a child, it was my drawing studio, covered in paper, pens, and crayons. 

Are there any particular forms or elements in nature outside your home that inspire your work or that you are particularly drawn to?

The ridgeline across from the house is especially inspiring...the silhouette of the ridge and the shifting colours of the dense forest. 

Some objects hold the weight of memory, softened by time and shaped by the hands that have held it. Do you have a most-loved or cherished piece in your home that springs to mind, and would you share the story behind it?

Lately, I’ve been appreciating the front door handle. My father made the door from two slabs of salvaged old-growth redwood and carved the handle from a Bishop pine limb from our land.

It has developed a beautiful, lustrous patina from the many hands that have opened and closed it over time. There’s also a subtle playfulness to it – it’s slightly phallic, which I love. It reflects JB’s sense of humour and instinctive approach to form.

Do you have any exciting projects coming up at Blunk?

I’m excited about our upcoming exhibition at Blunk Space with artist Ian Collings (opens June 6). Ian spent time at the Blunk House and developed a connection to JB’s work, as well as to the paintings of our neighbours, Gordon Onslow Ford and John Anderson. Together, we decided to include works by these three historic artists alongside Ian’s, creating a dialogue across generations. The exhibition has become a conversation between four artists, spanning time and place.

What does home mean to you?

Home is a place where I feel safe and nourished.

And finally, what drew you to your Norlha pieces and how are you using them?

The Norlha blanket is now a part of my morning and evening routines. It’s the first thing I reach for when I wake up to make coffee. I wrap myself in it and start the day. In the evenings, it’s an elegant outer layer I wear while watching the light fade over the Inverness ridge or eating dinner outside.

The shirt is unbelievably soft and effortless. I layer it over slips or long sleeved shirts and it feels both understated and chic. And it’s my favourite colour…brown! 

Thank you to Mariah for opening up her home to us. The blanket featured in this edition of Home Series is the Village Tassel Blanket in Desert. Mariah wears the Tibetan Shirt in Spring Earth. Photography by Rich Stapleton.