At Home with...Nigel Barker

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When famed international photographer and former model Nigel Barker judges Nigel Barker. Photo credit: Marcus Brooks for Nigel Barker LLC aspiring models on America’s Next Top Model you might think that he’s looking for the ultimate in physical perfection. You'd be wrong. Barker has said on the show that he looks for slight imperfections in the models and it’s these flaws that make the models unique and beautiful. It is this same philosophy that Barker and his wife, model Cristen Chin Barker, subscribe to while decorating their Manhattan apartment, which they moved into eight months ago. “Our imperfections in the apartment make a perfect life for us,” says Barker. “The wobbly table that’s not in good shape or the old picture—we have an emotional connection with everything in the room.” The couple has lived in the same West Side neighborhood their entire 15-year marriage. The neighborhood has undergone quite a transition since Nigel Barker’s early days as a photographer. He remembers walking through what was once a tough meat packing district and having to step over carcasses and pass street walkers to enter his studio, which is a converted 40-room warehouse. “I didn’t care,” he says, “it was the only place I could afford at the time.” A sneak peek into the simple, relaxed bedroom of Nigel Barker and his wife. Credit: Studio NB Nigel’s career soon thrived. In addition to his judging duties on America’s Next Top Model, Barker's photo credits have included GQ magazine, People, Pierre Cardin, Nicole Miller, Lands’ End, Fredericks of Hollywood and so many more. He is also a judge on the Miss America Pageant and is executive producer for the VHI project, The Shot, where amateur photographers get the chance to become the next great fashion photographer. He is also active with several charities, including working with The Humane Society of the United States to prevent the Canadian government from the commercial slaughter of baby seals, and traveling to Haiti to raise awareness for the foundation Edeyo, an organization that feeds and educates impoverished children. Today, the meat packing and street walking industries have left the neighborhood, and even though Nigel’s career provides him the income to live anywhere, the Barkers love the neighborhood so much they have decided to plant their family roots. They moved to a bigger apartment in the same neighborhood eight months ago. Nigel Barker’s living room, which overlooks the Hudson River in New York. Credit: Studio NB When he’s not working or needs a much-deserved break, he’s only a short walk away from his studio to home, which overlooks the Hudson River. “In the city, you don’t usually see the sky from your apartment, but this apartment takes my breath away.” Being in close proximity to his apartment, Nigel can leave work when he likes and head home—a perk for the father of three-year-old son, Jack, and two month-old daughter, Jasmine Ines. Each room in the three-bedroom apartment is a snapshot of the couple’s heritage. Barker is of Sri Lankan, Portuguese and British descent. His wife’s background is Chinese, Russian and German. “The

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