Its obvious, but nonetheless worth saying: The interior design industry has been built on the talents of gay people. The inventor of the modern professionElsie de Wolfewas a gay woman. Countless iconic decorators have been gay men. Design has long been both a safe haven and a showcase for LGBTQ creativity and enterprise. Anyone will tell you that this was, is, and will continue to be a good industry to be gay in.

That fact obscures a lot of nuance. Forty years ago, you might have seen a lot of gay mens apartments in Architectural Digest, but you wouldnt have read about their boyfriends or partners. And while the design world itself is a welcoming environment, gay designers who step outside the bubble of showrooms in cosmopolitan cities will recognize that intolerance is very much alive.

To celebrate Pride Month, Business of Home spoke with 10 gay men and women from all corners of the design industry to discuss their history, their experiences and their hopes for the future.

OPEN SECRETSWhile the design world has always been a place of acceptance for gay people, it hasnt always celebrated their sexuality alongside their talent. For much of the 20th century, even well into the 1990s, it was tacitly understood that many male decorators were gay, but that fact wasnt always acknowledged in the mediaor even, in some cases, by the clients who hired them.

Jamie Drake, designer: I didnt have a coming-out-of-the-closet moment, particularly; I was in touch with the fact that I was gay since I was very very young. I knew some interior designers and assumed they were gaythere was only one I knew to be straight.

Robert Couturier, designer: Being raised in France, our attitude toward homosexuality is not the puritanical view that America has. It was just the way it wasthere was no question about it. So coming to America was really strange. The refusal of acceptance was something I found really shocking.

Michael Boodro, former editor in chief of Elle Decor and current host of the Chairish podcast: It was the era of confirmed bachelors. It was very much an acknowledged but unspoken thing.

Jamie DrakeBrittany Ambridge

Raymond Schneider, publicist: I was hired right out of Nancy Corzines showroom to work for [designer] Harry Parkin Saunders, and he taught me everything I knew about business. Behind the scenes, everyone knew he liked men, but the way he carried himself would in no way, shape or form allude to his private life.

Couturier: [Several prominent gay designers] got married. And Im not saying because they got married [to women] they didnt have a couples lifeIm not passing any judgment on anyone. It just wasnt acceptable to be gay, especially in society.

Drake: I think [gay designers who married women] probably felt they could socialize in circles with hetero couples easier being a couple with a traditional notion of a wife.

Couturier: I remember the president of Sothebys, Robert Woolley, he was absolutely wonderful. He was outand I mean, he was completely out. He would go to dinner parties and people would ask him, Whos your wife? He would point to his boyfriend and say, This is my boyfriend and my husband and my wife. Hes everything. It was something that very few people did. [Ed. note: Woolleys partner died of AIDS in 1986, Woolley himself died of AIDS in 1996.]

HOW AIDS CHANGED EVERYTHINGThe AIDS crisis devastated gay communities all over the world. The design industry was hit particularly hard, as the epidemic ravaged a generation of talent. One consequence of the pandemic was an upending of the established order: What before had been kept behind closed doors was now pushed out into the open.

Boodro: It was really the AIDS crisis that changed everything. Gay people no longer wanted to be secret. They confronted people: Were here, were queer, get used to it. Because it was really a matter of life and death.

Couturier: You had people in the streets, which was different.

Robert CouturierCourtesy of Robert Couturier

Boodro: People that ostensibly had not come out, or had not come out publiclythose people started dying. I remember Perry Ellis, and Rock Hudson obviously, but it had been happening a lot before that. When people started dying, it really ripped the pretense to shreds.

Drake: When I went to Parsons, I spent my first semester in a dorm. I was assigned two roommates and we became best friends. One was dead at 29 and the other one died six years later. I was the endgame caregiver to both of them, even though both of them had partners. Maybe it was easier if its not your life partnerto try and get through it. I know that was the case for one of them. It was just so wrenching for himit was easier to turn over the intimate care and the making of promises that then were broken that I did it. The promise was: Dont make me die in the hospital. I ended up making the decision he had to go to the hospital. I broke my word, but it was the right decision to make.

I think the blessings and success Ive had are for them as well. They might say, Look at what you did, and look at your apartment, and look at this and look at that. These are things that maybe they would have achieved, but they didnt get the chance.

Boodro: After AIDS, people were no longer willing to hide or pretend. There was this whole controversy around outing peopleit was a huge cultural shift. Suddenly, the pressure was to be out. I know it had a big effect on the design world.

Drake: It created a militancy.

Couturier: I was very close with [AIDS activist] Larry Kramer. I loved Larry Kramer. He was a wonderful person. Everybody always used to say, But hes in your face! And I would reply, Hes saying things to people that they need to hear. And he is right. He was all for outing people. And I said, Well, out peopleits completely OK by me!

There is a point where you dont have to be genteel and polite. Because the more genteel and polite you are, the more people take advantage of you.

PUBLISHING OPENS UPThe world of interior design media reflected the design industry at large: Gay men and women were generally free to be themselves within the industry, and the rooms they published were frequently designed (and lived in) by gay people as well. But it wasnt until the 1990s that what had once been subtext became text.

Boodro: Say a shelter magazine featured a designers home, and it was a gay designer, which many of them were. They would never really show the boyfriend or the partner.

Michael BoodroCourtesy of Hearst Design Group

Sabine Rothman, former editorial market director at Hearst Design Group: I went in very transparently. Im pretty transparent in general, and that was not going to be something I was going to hide. It was an incredibly inclusive environment [at Cond Nast, where Rothmans career began]. I had a lot of mentors and colleagues who openly accepted [my wife] Amy. We were out at parties and events all the time; it just felt very natural and supported.

Boodro: I always felt like [founder and former editor in chief of House Beautiful] Marian McEvoy and [former editor in chief of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest] Margaret Russell didnt get enough attention for the way they were willing to present gay couples. When I worked with Margaret at Elle Decor in the early 90s, she would get a few hateful letters every time she published a house of an acknowledged gay couple. And that wasnt that long ago.

Rothman: In terms of how people name their partners, that has changed, and the way it was covered changed as a result. A lot of that was the result of [the legalization of gay marriage in 2015]. If the term husband or wife isnt available, you dont use it. Whereas once there would have been a discussion about how to cover a same-sex couple in a shelter magazine, now you just do it.

Boodro: Were there instances of people who should have gotten promotions or jobs that they didnt get, and maybe their being gay was a factor? Yes, there were. But it certainly was more open than a lot of fields. And theres been an appreciation for the talents of gay people in these industries for a long time, whether it was acknowledged that they were gay or not.

GAY WOMEN IN DESIGNInterior design in its modern conception was invented by a gay woman: Elsie de Wolfe. Strange, then, that over time the profession came to be associated with gay men. There are, however, many gay women in design, and their visibility in the industry may be on the rise.

Boodro: In the magazine business, there was a lot more openness about gay men than there was about gay women, and thats probably still somewhat the case.

Darla Powell Courtesy of Darla Powell Interiors

Darla Powell, designer: There are some gay women locally here in Miami who are decorators and who have reached out to me. I had another one reach out with some fan mailshe is in Florida as well, shes also gay and getting into interior design. I have a feeling theres probably more than the stereotype would have you believe.

Rothman: I dont know necessarily why gay men have been more visible in the industry than gay women. But I suspect that it has something to do with peoples perceptions about who has taste.

THE CLIENT QUESTIONWithin the industry, tolerance is the norm. But much of a designers career is spent interacting with clients, who bring varying levels of understanding of and comfort and experience with the gay community to the table.

Corey Damen Jenkins, designer: In the industry, its not so much a big deal to be gay, but when youre working in the field, it can be.

Drake: I can only remember one client who felt uncomfortable. My manifestation was gayI had very long hair. Ironically, he was in the hair replacement business. I think there was a discomfort there that I was gay, and the project did not go forward.

Jenkins: I had one client who thought for years I was straight. She had affiliated gay men with being very effeminate, with a limp wrist and a high-pitched, lisped voicea stereotype. We were having dinner with her husband, going over the project. Im not exactly sure how I shared with them that I was gay, but somehow it came out. And they were shocked!

They were deeply religious people, and they were raised not to agree with [being gay] from a scriptural standpoint. When I shared with them that I, too, was raised in a very strictly religious household, and that my family refused to accept me for being gayto this dayit broke their hearts. She said, But youre so nice, youre such a good person, youre always giving back to charity, youre so giving of your time with me and my kids and my family. And yet your family doesnt associate with you? And I said, No, because of something I cannot change.

It kind of shocked her, because we had fallen in love as friends, and as co-workers on this project. By associating with me closely, getting to know me, laughing, literally crying, you knowthe ups and downs of building a large homeit helped her to get to know a gay man without really realizing that she was doing it. It dispelled so many of the misconceptions and prejudices she had held for a very long time.

Corey Damen JenkinsCourtesy of Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates

Eche Martinez, designer: After the Pulse shooting in Orlando, I was really distraught. I happened to have a very quick meeting with a client Id been working with for years the Monday after it happened. I was so upset, and I said, Im sorry Im not as effervescent as I usually am, but this really hit close to home. She connected not only with the severity of it, but she said, I never told you, but when I was growing up, I lived in Orlando; two of my best friends were gay and we used to go to gay clubs. She had been thinking about the same thing over the weekend. I wasnt expecting to hear that, and we really connected. Its not like, Im in the gay bubble, these people are in the straight bubble.

Powell: In the beginning when I was doing social media, I was like, How transparent do I want to be? Do I show pictures of me and [my wife] Natalie on my feed? And once I decided, Screw that, I am who I am, and if they dont like it, they can go pound sand, the clients really started pouring in. I did lose a few followers on Instagram at first, but it skyrocketed when I really started honing in. Now our clients are ideal clients and nobody ever has a problem with it. They know its coming!

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLEIt may be rare to encounter intolerance about ones sexuality in a fabric showroom. But when designers leave the comfort of a famously open-minded industry, things can be differentespecially when projects take them outside of coastal enclaves and liberal-leaning cities.

Drake: The last time I experienced [homophobia] was my first time in Denver, walking down the street in some giant fur coatand they werent coming after me because of PETA. But that was a long time ago.

Powell: In Miami, overall I feel pretty comfortable. When I go up to northern Florida, forget it. People are driving around with rebel flags on their pickup trucks, and Im like, You know what? Maybe my wife and I are just friends here.

Mikel Welch, designer: I went to college in the south, in Atlanta. Theres a joke that if you go outside of the 20-minute circle, youre in Georgia; the rest is Atlanta. When I step outside that bubble and go into a Hancock Fabrics or something like thatyes, in smaller towns, it is not as accepting. Youre going to have a harder time

Not that I would walk in there raising a flag. But my jokey manner that I have, I may not have that going in there. I might tone down myself to make it more palatable to themnot that I should. Its a toning down and being aware of where Im at and how itll be a bit easier.

Rothman: Ive been pretty lucky. Ive been on photo shoots where I really disagree with the homeowner on their politics, but it doesn't necessarily move on to the subject of their thoughts on [gay rights]. Ive never felt uncomfortable. I have been shocked by some peoples politics on economic policy, but I probably shouldnt have been.

Eche MartinezCourtesy of Eche Martinez

Rio Hamilton, designer and marketing expert: [In Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Hamilton has a home], it takes so much explaining! I tell people that Im an interior designer, and I do branding and marketing for other people who are part of that business. Most people say, Oh, you go to Ashley Furniture and buy stuff for people? And I say, Yes, but I would never go to Ashley Furniture.

Couturier: One day, I was flying down to Atlanta; it was 7 oclock in the morning, I was half awake, and this very proper American lady sat next to me and wanted to talk. She was asking questions, which became more and more pointed: Whats your religious background? Where do you come from? I realized I had become the picture of evil, as far as she was concerned. A foreigner, gayand when she asked me what religion I was and I said, Actually, Im Jewish, she looked at me in complete horror.

Welch: I stage for a closet company, so Im typically gone at least 10 days out of each month to set up a showroom. Im in Phoenix, Arizona, or Mobile, Alabama, and every time its different. I do have to tailor my approachin a lot of these red states, they dont understand why a man is in this position. This is a womans job is kind of the undertone that you get.

ADDING RACE TO THE EQUATIONA national conversation about race and inequality has rippled through all corners of American society in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and the design world is no exception. Perhaps for the first time ever, the industry is taking a hard look at something designers of color have long known: gay or straight, racial inequality is still very much alive.

Jenkins: Being Black and gay is a completely different path than being white and gay.

Welch: Im very proud of the design industry, and Ive been happy to see that the design community is listening as a whole on the issue of race. But one thing Id like to see is an exploration about diversity within the LGBTQ community. When I walk through the showrooms, there arent many Black members of our community that are prominent. I do see lots of white gay men, but I really dont see much other than that. I would love for us, as we become more inclusive, to take a look at that. And not not just from a sales role, but in a leadership capacity.

Jenkins: There are all the stereotypes about how gay men are supposed to talk and act. Well, if you want to turn that switch off and act very conservative and have a deep voice and talk about sports, a white gay male can do that. A Black gay male does not have that option. You can be as unstereotypical as you can possibly be, but you will always be Black.

Welch: Racial relations within the gay community are just as bad [as the outside world]. You would think it would be a situation where you have two minority groups, they would feel some sense of camaraderie, but its not the case. And its sad. Once on a dating app, I had someone send me a message that said, No coons. There are some bars in Chicago and Atlanta that will say, No baseball caps, no hoodies and no hip-hop music. Its saying it without saying it. Even with workif there are four Black people together, its a Black business. But if its four white people, its just a business.

Courtesy of Mikel Welch

Martinez: More and more, were starting to realize that even within a very open-minded society like San Francisco, there should be more inclusion. The Black community keeps getting decimated in the Bay Area, especially the queer Black community. Theres definitely lots of room for improvement.

Welch: I have a difficult time doing gay pride interviews. I want my pride to be out there, but because I get doubly discriminated against, I oftentimes dont get excited about it. There are still issues that need to be corrected.

I am a gay man and Im proud of that. The design industry has been very kind to me. Ive been able to make some tremendous strides, but Im kind of at a point now in my career where Ive got to speak out because its not just about me. Ive got to make it easier for the people coming behind me now.

SAFE HAVENThe design industry has always been a welcoming place for gay men and womena place where many find a community that eluded them in other fields.

Boodro: [My being out] was understood but not discussed when I started in publishing. Im sure I thought I was hiding it more than I ever did. But the nice thing about the design world is that within that small world, you didnt have to pretend. Its not like I worked for a private company or even the government, where being gay could cost you your job.

Jenkins: It was pretty much dont ask, dont tell [at the car company where I worked prior to starting my design firm]. This was back in the late 1990s. I was kind of head down, blinders on. I wanted to do my job and go home. [When I started as a residential designer], being gay was much more out in the open.

Martinez: Growing up in Argentina, there was this overlap between your family and your friends from high school. It was never like, OK, five guys are gonna go to a gay bar. When I left Argentina 10 years ago, there was no the gay district or the gay bar. Moving to California, I really made a core group of friends who were gay men for the first time in my life.

Hamilton: In [UC Berkeleys interior design program], it was a relief: It was OK to be openly gay. Out of the classmates I had, maybe 50 percent of them were gay, and we all shared a common interestnot only in men, but in design. My first gay friends were in design school.

Powell: Im really a newbie, but my experience has been so positive. I feel so welcomed and accepted into the design industry.

Schneider: Were in a community that fully encourages us and celebrates us. The last decade, to me, has been the most accepting of all.

WHATS CHANGEDIn some ways, the raw facts havent much changed in 40 years. The design industry was, and is, a place where gay talent is celebrated. What has changed is the explicit celebration of gay identity, and the degree of normalcy.

Boodro: I used to think that you couldnt be a decorator unless you lived on the Upper East Side, had a navy blazer with buttons, and wore a tie all the time. It was a different world.

Schneider: I keep on going back to charities like DIFFA and Alpha Workshops that organized an entire industry. It was always welcoming to gay people, but we weren't running around with rainbow flags. It's really acknowledged nowit's discussed, and its reflected in social media more than it ever was.

Martinez: My experience of being queer back home was just a bunch of guys going out for dinner who happened to sleep with men. I slowly started to read more about it and get the subtleties about what it really means to be queer, or gender nonconforming or nonbinary. Theres definitely a more involved conversation.

Couturier: Young people today are probably equally as fluid as we all were when we were 16 or 17, except now its completely understood and completely normal and no one asks a question. Everybody understands.

Boodro: Young people are just much more open and relaxed about it. Even when you go outside the design worldto all my nieces and nephews, its just a given. Its not an issue. To us it was such an issue, and we fought so hard that sometimes you cant quite believe youve won the battle, and you still want to fight the battle. Sometimes you think, Oh, these kids dont know what we went through, they take it for granted! But thats the way it should be.

Homepage photo: Shutterstock

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Pride: An oral history of being gay in the design industry - Business of Home

The second club, the moody Les Deux Caf, was created in collaboration with the designer Michle Lamy and installed at Mr. Fortunes direction inside an Arts and Crafts bungalow cum crack house, resurrected and transported by truck across a parking lot to a new locale.

And it was at Les Deux Cafe, with its self-aware design quotations from Old Hollywood nightspots like Chasens, Scandia and the Brown Derby, that Mr. Fortune laid the groundwork for what is probably his signal achievement: the design of the Tower Bar, the clubby, walnut-paneled dining establishment that opened in 2007 and quickly became the Hollywood power nexus it remains.

Like so many other newcomers to the land of self-invention, Mr. Fortune adjusted and burnished his biography as he went along. While he would eventually acquire some of the affectations of a swell, he was born Paul Stephen Fortune Fearon on Sept. 5, 1950, in a suburb of Liverpool, England, to Frances (Fortune) Fearon, a telephone operator, and Kevin Fearon, a production manager at a company that supplied Christmas hampers to Harrods.

When he was still a boy, Mr. Fortunes family relocated to a large and ramshackle house in Cheshire, England, within earshot of the lions roar at the Chester Zoo. Pauls natural flair was a driving force in the restoration of Cranwood, as the house was called, his brother, Mark Fearon, said in an email. Mr. Fearon and Mr. Brock are his survivors.

As a youth, Mr. Fortune often dragged his three siblings to country house sales and auctions, Mr. Fearon explained, not only helping his parents furnish Cranwood, but also showing an unwavering conviction about the correctness of his own taste. This was to be an earmark of his design practice and recurring theme in Notes on Dcor, Etc., a 2018 book he wrote that was equal parts portfolio, memoir and how-to.

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Paul Fortune, L.A. Designer to the Stars, Dies at 69 - The New York Times

For a world that celebrates and often steals from global culture and diversity, behind the glossy exterior, the interior design industry is ironically and startlingly uniform. From lists of top-50 UK designers to panel speakers to homes that appear in magazine shoots, those featured are often white.

Not that we really know. The industry doesnt have central statistics on its members (something some campaigners think needs to change). But for those people of colour working in the interior design world, it is blindingly obvious.

This issue, of course, is nothing new. But the shockwaves felt around the world from the urgent focus on Black Lives Matters campaigns have prompted some but by no means all to take a hard look at how the interiors world can work harder to become more diverse and tackle endemic racism at the heart of the industry.

Earlier this month, Yinka Ilori, the designer, creative director and founder of his eponymous studio, wrote a searing post on Instagram damning those in the industry who continue to pretend there isnt a problem. He pointed to the fellow Black and ethnic minority students on his product and furniture design course more than a decade ago, who studied for three years then decided not to pursue a career in interiors because they felt the industry wasnt diverse enough and they wouldnt be accepted.

The 2019 Dulwich Pavilion, titled The Colour Palace, was created by Pricegore architects and designer Yinka Ilori.

More damningly, he wrote about how last year, after unveiling his much-lauded Colour Palace commission in Dulwich, he received an email from a member of the public suggesting that the work would be better assembled in a Lagos shanty town where it might provide some shelter for the starving millions who live there. As Ilori put it: Im not going to sit here and say that racism doesnt exist because it does.

For years, under-represented designers have detailed similar experiences, ones that they still must endure today. Many of us dont feel comfortable, or feel uneasy, voicing it publicly whilst others may not even realise it, says Na Li, a qualified architect and co-founder of London-based design studio Holloway Li. But the world of interior design is currently shaped by the dominant culture of white males and white prestige. You only need to look to the popular top interior designer lists where there is a distinct lack of Black or Asian representation.

Alex Holloway and Na Li of London-based design studio Holloway Li.

Salsabil El-Awaisi, an interior designer and founder of SE Interiors, cites a common complaint: I often walk into a room and Im the only brown person in there. It did make me uncomfortable at the start of my career and it can be very draining. Ive had lots of patronising comments like, Wow, you run your own business, which, in hindsight, I realise are racist; they assume that Im not successful and well-educated, which I am. I feel that I have to work harder and prove myself a bit more, just because Im a person of colour.

Salsabil El-Awaisi is the founder of SE Interiors.

RACHEL COHEN

Meanwhile AlexandriaDauley, founder of Dauley Design and a tutor at KLC School of Design, says shes heard from people of colour predominantly young designers over the last week, who tell of turning up for interviews and being greeted with looks of surprise that they were not what the interviewer expected them to look like, or being told that they dont fit with the image of the brand. Once candidates were placed in jobs, they related experiences of being on probation [for] twice as long as white candidates and then later being passed over for promotion.

El-Awaisi adds that she rarely buys interior design magazines because they do not reflect a diverse range of designers. I find that in one month there might be a few Black or brown people, but it never feels consistent, it feels like a tick-box exercise.

The irony, of course, as Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration, points out, is that with any creative industry, great design grows from perspective and experience, so diversity is the path [by which] to reap benefits.

Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration.

Marianna Wahlsten

She says that by ignoring the wealth of talent out there, there have been missed opportunities. Ive been talking to a woman on Instagram (Laura of @NoFeatureWalls) whose home is full of beautiful William Morris wallpaper. But also, as her grandmother was a member of the Windrush generation and brought with her to England rich Caribbean influences, there is this confluence of expression that is extraordinary. I dont think that that style has been explored and celebrated. Watch this space, as Ogundehin plans to pitch an idea to the V&A for a potential exhibition that would examine the meeting of traditional British and Caribbean styles that exists in many homes around the UK, but is rarely given a platform.

But, while the conversation has moved to the mainstream, it is still not being discussed publicly by all. British Vogue contacted several designers, design schools and industry bodies, and many replied saying that they were not ready to respond to the issue; aside from a smattering of black squares, few big design studios have detailed what changes they intend to make.

Sophie Ashby and her husband Charlie Casely-Hayford, photographed for British Vogue in their home in White City.

Dylan Thomas

Sophie Ashby, creative director of Studio Ashby, is one of the few white studio directors who has made a public statement acknowledging the lack of diversity in her company, but promising to change through sponsored apprenticeships, mentoring and scrutinising her own recruitment strategy. In an honest and thoughtful Instagram post, she concluded: With what power I have, what I need to do is unlock a few doors and ensure the things I do are not transactional or token.

Meanwhile, to combat the lack of media representation, influencers have been using their platforms to amplify Black and minority voices online. Paula Sutton, who has a large, 368k-strong following on her @HillHouseVintage Instagram account, has been tagging fellow Black creators in the interiors world as part of an online challenge to build ourselves up as Black women, while Kate Watson-Smyth has used her @Mad_About_The_House account to showcase Black women and men who run interior design accounts to her 234k-strong audience.

Dauley thinks that there needs to be deeper, industry-wide change. Inspired by the Royal Ballets outreach programme, of which her 12-year-old daughter is a part, over the last few weeks she has reached out to industry bodies, publishers, design schools and studios with the aim of inspiring school students; phase two involves creating a path of paid work experience, apprenticeships and mentoring throughout their careers.She has already had a huge swell of support from prominent industry leads: I dont think Ive slept, she jokes, but now is the time to get people on board.

Two other schemes also hope to address the problem. Design Can, of which Ilori is a board member, is a campaign, tool and active-resource platform calling for an inclusive and representativedesignindustry. Meanwhile Designfor Diversity, which was launched by Rukmini Patel and Kate Watson-Smyth last week, is an initiative for brands, bloggers, designers and stylists to commit visibly to operate diverse businesses via a sticker on their websites. Brands already pledged to participate include Heals, Rockett St George, Pooky and Audenza.

Those hopeful for change dont want to see the conversation brushed back under the carpet. Im sure lots of people want it to move on, so we can go back to talking about pretty things, Ogundehin says. I love talking and reading about pretty things, but I also want change. This cant be the end.

More from British Vogue:

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Interior Design Has A Race Problem And It Needs To Be Addressed - British Vogue

More often than not, maximizing a view means maximizing the windows. But this new colonial home on Christmas Lake, in Shorewood, doesnt give in to prevailing trends. A lot of people with lake homes in Minnesota forego window grids to have wide-open glass, but this family really wanted the authenticity of divided-light window grids, just like youd see on the East Coast, builder John Kraemer says. Even if you obscure the view a little, its worth it. Its authentic.

Divided-light Marvin windows are among dozens of details that make the home feel like its long been part of the landscape. From machine-cut cedar shingle roofing to copper gutters to a black charcoal granite chimney with gable steps, they create a period feel. Even the classic white-painted wood siding does its part, with clapboards closer to 10 inches in width versus todays more common six-inch profile. Its more reminiscent of an older colonial, says architectural designer Jeff Murphy, who worked closely with architect Dan Demeules on the design. Bigger boards are one of those details you might not pick up on immediately, but when you do, you feel something about this housethat it feels really historic.

That impression was important for the owners, who have family connections to Christmas Lake and for years lived in the propertys previous midcentury white colonial home, which their family had outgrown. They wanted a nod to what was there beforetimeless and not over the top, Murphy says. They wanted it to feel like it was there for generations.

To that end, he looked to the previous theme and sketched out a variationan asymmetrical colonial. A lot of people think of colonials and they think of a rigid symmetrical box, he says. But we call this balanced asymmetrywith details and scale that create balance. On the rear exterior, for example, a window-wrapped sunroom anchors one end, a bay bump-out the other.

The design lends itself to a comfortable, less formal feeling, starting with scale. The massing should be kept to a human scaleit shouldnt be very overpowering, Murphy says. Think about walking up to a lot of older houses. Theyre comforting and lower and cozier in terms of rooflines and even interior spaces. In this case, a welcoming front porch and entry vestibule are entirely devoid of dramatic volume. But Murphy and team took pains to prevent a feeling thats in any way cramped. When designing modern-day houses, you have to get a little creative to feel the rewards of taller spaces on the inside, he says. A lot of old houses have lower ceilings, and now people want 10-foot ceilings.

The home, with its comfortable style and scale, borrows much of its sense of space from a linear, open plan that makes the most of natural light and views in every direction, including those toward the lake. Spaces on the main level, in fact, are never more than one room deep.

Architectural details, such as columns and beams, along with furnishings and light fixtures, define the living room, dining room, and kitchen in the open plan, and white oak flooring ensures seamless transitions. The owners wanted a very clean look on the inside, with traditional bones but more of a modern tone in most of the fixtures and furnishings, Murphy says.

Neutral upholstery gets pops of color from pillows and antique rugs, the latter brought from the owners original home. Features like the marble tiles on the fireplace surround feel a little upscale, but the furnishings ensure that when you walk in, it feels like home, says interior designer Kelly Perry, a longtime friend of the owners who collaborated with fellow designer Martha Dayton.

The more casual approach to the floorplan and furnishings also accommodates the owners lifestyle. She [the owner] loves to cook but wanted to make sure she could be cooking with her kids and husband sitting nearby, Perry says.

A two-sided fireplace anchors the entire living/dining/kitchen spaceand departs from an interior primarily painted Benjamin Moore White Dove. Painted a high-gloss Benjamin Moore Black on the living room side, the mantel was probably the trickiest decision we had in the whole house, Dayton says. But it was the right decision, because the owners didnt want the room focused around seeing a TV. It also complements the fireplaces marble surround and visually connects to the kitchen island, which is painted the same color.

Another deep colorBenjamin Moore Hale Navycovers the other side of the fireplace, in the adjacent music room. She [the owner] really wanted a high-gloss blue mantel, but I encouraged her to paint the whole room, including all of the built-in bookcases, blue, Perry says. We went through probably eight blues before landing on this one.

Glass doors flanking the fireplace keep the space visually open while allowing it to be closed off from sound when someone is practicing the piano. That room becomes a really cool backdrop, Murphy says. Looking through the doors and seeing the blue bookcases in the background becomes art in itself.

That same level of thought and attention to detail extends to all corners of the house, top to bottom. Even when you go downstairs, the beams on the basement ceiling have cool bracket details, Kraemer says. A lot of people view the basement as a place to save money, but the owners wanted to do it up right and make it just as special as the rest of the house.

Interior Design: Martha Dayton and Kelly Perry, Martha Dayton Design, 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 370, Mpls., 612-850-9493; marthadaytondesign.com //Architecture: Jeff Murphy and Dan Demeules, Murphy & Co., 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 250, Mpls., 612-470-5511, murphycodesign.com //Builder: John Kraemer, John Kraemer & Sons, 4906 Lincoln Dr., Edina, 952-935-9100, jkandsons.com //Landscape design: Keenan & Sveiven, 15119 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-475-1229, kslandarch.com

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One with the Landscape - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Catiesha Piersons dream to own a juice bar by the time she turned 30 had just come true, when everything stopped.

Pierson signed the lease on a space in Minneapoliss Longfellow neighborhood in March, just a couple of months before her 30th birthday.

Walls still needed to be built and paperwork filled out when the coronavirus effectively shut down Minneapolis. When schools closed, she had to balance starting a business while supervising her 10-year-old sons schoolwork from home. Then, unrest gripped the neighborhood where she lived and worked, after George Floyd was killed by police. The new business, called the Dripping Root, is located at 4002 Minnehaha Av., just 1.4 miles from the fire-damaged Third Precinct.

Everything in this neighborhood has been destroyed, said Pierson. I was super worried. Oh my God, is my business going to end before it starts?

Somehow, her building was left untouched, and now, Pierson is closer than ever to her goal. The Dripping Root is expected to open by August.

I see the Dripping Root as the rose left in the garden to bloom, she said. It stayed there for a reason, because it was needed in the community.

As neighborhood residents emerged each morning after the chaos to clean and rebuild, Pierson became hopeful her business could also help bring the community back together.

I dont know of any black-owned juice bars, she said. I think thats one thing thats going to bring people there of all races, of all cultures. Because there have been times that Ive gone places, and Ive been looked past. I didnt feel welcome there. My money didnt feel welcome there. So to have a place where nobody is going to get looked past, I think thats very important.

Fans and followers of her cold-pressed juices seem to agree. Since Floyds death became a worldwide movement, consumers have been looking for ways to champion black-owned businesses. Pierson has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. A GoFundMe campaign to help her complete construction is close to meeting its $70,000 goal. Artists are contributing murals. The wall and floor tilework are being donated, and Room and Board has offered to provide the furnishings.

Im so happy its coming together, Pierson said. The amount of support Im getting from all over I dont even have words for it. I literally cry at the happiness.

In addition to fruit and vegetable juices, look for very Instagrammable smoothie bowls, chia seed pudding and kombucha on tap when the Dripping Root opens.

A single mom, Piersons road to entrepreneurship was long and winding. She went in and out of a career in collections over a decade, with stints as an interior designer and cosmetologist. She always brought homemade juices with her to work, wherever it was. Colleagues took an interest, and so did followers on social media.

She started selling juice by word of mouth, and explored expanding to farmers markets. But rather than pay to use a kitchen, she decided to launch her own.

Despite the setbacks and delays, amid a pandemic and an uprising, Piersons still meeting her goal of owning a juice bar at 30.

My story is real, she said. I am a black woman. I am a single mom. All odds are literally supposed to be against me. And its happening.

@SharynJackson

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Delayed by pandemic and unrest, new black-owned juice bar coming to south Minneapolis - Minneapolis Star Tribune

New Brand Updates Reflect the Company's Mission to Bring Trendy, Affordable Furniture to Consumers across the Hawaiian Islands and United States

KAPOLEI, Hawaii - June 29, 2020 - For those who live on the Hawaiian Islands, affordability of a wide range of goods coming from the US mainland is a pervasive concern. And when it comes to trendy furniture options, high inflation rates and import costs can quash homeowners design dreams.

Enter Valyou. The Kapolei and Honolulu based retailer is an online furniture store leading the style and price revolution for residents on the Hawaiian Islands. Founders Efi Bisk and Shaul Rappaport set out on a mission to silence the long-held excuse that Hawaiians must suffer through paying higher prices for furniture and household decor options compared to their counterparts on the US mainland. And since the brand first launched in 2018, the response has been overwhelming, especially from young homeowners, renters, and interior designers looking for trendy design styles at fair prices.

With its stock on the rise as its popularity grows, Valyou has now updated its website and refreshed its brand look and vision as it looks to the future.

In its current product lineup, Valyou features furniture for living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms; home dcor products; and services such as home staging and interior design. All of Valyous pieces are designer-inspired, boasting higher quality and style than pieces at comparable price points found at big box retailers. A number of the brands products have garnered rave reviews, including the Valbed 2.0, a sofa bed lauded by consumers for its sleek look, high quality construction, and unparalleled comfort.

In terms of services, Valyous home staging and interior design services have also received high marks from consumers. Valyou currently partners with some of the premier names in home design and interior design on the islands to help bring clients design dreams to life.

So, what does the future hold for this fast-growing brand? While its online showroom has been its main platform for doing business, Valyou is now looking not only to expand the options offered in its online showroom but also to opening more brick-and-mortar storefronts across Hawaii, including the opening of a showroom in Honolulu in July 2020. Additional plans include partnering with other designer furniture brands to sell at a more affordable cost through Valyou and exploring distribution deals with Wayfair and Amazon.

At Valyou, we are committed to staying ahead of the ever-changing furniture market and interior design trends to offer residents of the Hawaiian Islands and United States beautiful pieces they can be proud to feature in their homes, all at an affordable price, said Efi Bisk, Co-founder of Valyou Furniture. Weve experienced incredible success thanks to so many Hawaiians that love our designs and the quality we offer. To our surprise, the high demand for our products and services has given us the opportunity to expand our efforts Nationwide, so we can continue to meet the design needs of our new customers while giving them exciting new furniture and dcor options, as well as interior design services, all delivered with the same excellent customer service and quality they have come to expect.

To learn more about Valyou and to shop their online showroom of quality, affordable furniture products, visit https://valyoufurniture.com/.

About Valyou

Valyou is leading the affordable furniture revolution for residents across the Hawaiian Islands and the United States. With its wide selection of living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture; home dcor items; and interior design services, Valyou is committed to a no-compromise approach in providing high-quality furniture at reasonable prices.

To learn more, visit https://valyoufurniture.com/.

For more information about Valyou or for media inquiries, please contact Eddie Castillo: (214) 537-7642, eddie@valyoufurniture.com

Media ContactCompany Name: ValyouContact Person: Eddie CastilloEmail: Send EmailPhone: (214) 537-7642Country: United StatesWebsite: https://valyoufurniture.com/

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Valyou Hits the Refresh Button to Keep Up with Growing Demands of Customer Base - Press Release - Digital Journal

Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.

Age: 51

Occupation: Designer.

Instagram: @jamesdieter

Hometown: Evansville, IN.

Studio location: Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Describe what you make: I make light fixtures. I think of them as sculptural in nature, using a vernacular thats developed through experimentation and invention, resulting in something beautiful. The collection is all technically unique, with proprietary connections and pretty much all parts made in-house. The fixtures range from sconce form to chandeliers, including pendants and hanging tower configurations.

The most important thing youve designed to date: My first lighting fixture after deciding to rebrand from my original lighting company, which was dform. That brand is made of textural patterned laser-cut wood veneer as light fixtures and screens. Moving away from wood, pina was the transitional design from dform to James Dieter, and represented a material departure but a structural familiarity. While this form had potential, I really wanted to go further and began working on a series of tetrahedron-based designs. The first of these was mobi. Maybe thats the most emphatic shiftmaybe its the most important. Mobi brough my ideas toward the tetrahedron form and chain structure, which many of the designs have somehow iterated from.

Describe the problem your work solves: I think about this all the time and can only conclude that Im creating problems rather than solving them. Or rather, creating puzzles in order to solve them. I enjoy the kinds of technical challenges that I create from abstract or visual ideas, and the need to find a way of bringing them into production. The work may fit into a designers composition of an interior, but my own interest is more in the process of invention, of finding a visual idea thats interesting to me and that, in order to execute it, begins a series of questions. The vision and the design decisionsmy responses to those questionsmutually change each other. Making something thats interesting as an object and a system, hopefully with the ability to surprise visually, is the goal. And these technical stumbling blocks are what make it interesting. Of course this process doesnt solve any real problems for anyone and I recognize its a privilege to be able to chase dreams. I think of the phrase useless beauty, if ones willing to accept the beauty part.

Describe the project you are working on now: Theres a current project with the metal fixture I look forward to seeing finished. Its an installation for a stairwell that spans three floors and spreads across three walls. Its the best possible installation I could ask for with the fixture, where its unusual geometry can really define the space. A single one is interesting, but seeing them arranged in groups, triplets, is really satisfying and Im very happy to have the opportunity.

A new or forthcoming project we should know about: In the studio, the next thing that Im interested in doing is more work with porcelain. I incorporated it into designs a season ago and hand-make the parts on-site. Ill be doing more with the porcelain, making a range of pieces that will be used in multiplessome conical, some flat. Im currently exploring those now and learning a lot about what will work. I expect to introduce some new work toward the end of the year.

This season in particular, were really proud of guston, which just received an NYCxDESIGN award for best lighting in the chandelier category. And just a couple weeks ago, we launched two pieces with Sight Unseen for their Offsite Online digital exhibition. I was happy to see their promotion put on pause in an effort to listen and give space to Black Lives Matter content. This is our first year showing with them and I feel good about itI want to be aligned with other design entities and institutions that are focused, if even for the first time, on this sort of awareness. Actually, Im conscious of my inclusion in this Designer of the Day series without it being alongside many designers of color. Should someone else perhaps be here? I pose that as a challenge to both of us.

What you absolutely must have in your studio: Periods of relative quiet. Colleagues nearby who will critique. Also a cashew and Spanish corn nut mix Im always running out of.

What you do when youre not working: My preferred recreation is swimming, but thats out of the picture right now as pools are all closed because of the pandemic. These days, I wander around a fairly small patch, just observing what the city is like and how its spirit has changed, or is coping. In reality, I spend most of my time at work, or at least in the studio. I may not be getting much done, but thats where I am.

Sources of creative envy: Ronan Bouroullec, whose work I see regularly on Instagram, and also the exuberantly prolific Jaime Hayon. The sensibility of Rei Kawakubos approach to form I find to be genius. Kinetic sculptors Jean Tinguely and Arthur Ganson. Richard Diebenkorn was another big influence. I spent years frustrated by my inability to be Richard Diebenkorn.

The distraction you want to eliminate: Streaming video is one but attempts have so far not succeeded. And theres no good segue but joking aside, the current occupant of the White House is a distraction I pray will be removed in November. Were facing so many problems that are compounded by incompetence. Id also say right now, its clear that a certain part of the populationthe white part that includes myselfhold a lot of inherent biases that need to be examined and addressed. Im moved by the state of the country and sincerely hope that strides will be made toward equality. That desire along with so many other concerns, the environment particularly, are endangered or hindered by bad governance. But on the hopeful side, this distraction from a chance at saving our future can be changed by voting in November.

Concrete or marble? Concrete.

High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.

Remember or forget? Im most prone to forgetting, but not happy about it.

Aliens or ghosts? The Netflix algorithm would say aliens.

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Designer of the Day: James Dieter - Surface Magazine

Over the past five years, direct-to-consumer brands that specialize in sustainable and organic bedding have become major players in retail. But companies like Boll & Branch, Buffy and Parachute have all approached product design with a back-to-basics idea, starting with just a handful of solid colorways. Adah Chan, the founder of the recently launched sustainable bedding company Baea, is doing the reverse: using a contemporary design ethos to inform an environmentally friendly product.

Adah ChanCourtesy of Baea

Before founding Baea, which is based in Hong Kong and London, Chan worked in product development at luxury textile company WestPoint Home. At the time, the brand held the license for Ralph Lauren Home, in addition to major retailers such as Bloomingdales and J.C. Penny. I was able to really learn how things were made, says Chan. But I also saw that bedding design hasnt changed much in decades. It hasnt evolved with contemporary interior design. Theres so much interesting design that hasnt been translated into the bedding thats on the market.

Chan left that position to help open an outpost of Designers Guild in Shanghai. In her native Hong Kong, Chan's mother owns a high-end home store that stocks European linen brands like Christian Fischbacher and Yves Delorme. I knew early on that I wanted to start a business like my mother, but I honestly didnt imagine it would be so close to home, she says.

While living in London in 2017, Chan was introduced to Catherine Reeves, a London-based textile designer who would become Baeas creative director. The pair shared a vision for a line of bedding that would encompass both high-end aesthetics and sustainable production. They started the design process in 2018 and began meeting with manufacturers last year.

Pillows and bedding from Baeas debut lineCourtesy of Baea

The Rocks bedding in Bronze from Baeas Collection lineCourtesy of Baea

Left: Pillows and bedding from Baeas debut line Courtesy of Baea | Right: The Rocks bedding in Bronze from Baeas Collection line Courtesy of Baea

Baea launched in February with two linesEssentials, starting at $99, and the higher-end Collection, which goes up to $760. While Essentials is more basic, featuring linens with a simple hemstitch or double row of embroidery in contrasting colors, Collection is inspired by nature and features three designs (Rocks, Meadow and Wild Meadow) in hand-finished embroidery. Our vision is to bring nature inside in a very modern way, says Chan. We wanted to take these natural forms, like the irregular shapes of rocks or tall grass blowing in the wind, and interpret them in a way that felt clean and contemporary. While each pattern is stocked in just two colorways, Baea offers a complimentary made-to-order service that includes custom color matching and tailored sizing. In hopes of courting designers, they also offer trade pricing. In the United Kingdom, Baea is already working with interior design firms Joyce Wang Studio and Millier London on creating bespoke linens for residential projects.

The brand uses Global Organic Textile Standardcertified cotton to produce their linens, which are woven in factories in Italy and Portugal, with the embroidery finished in the Philippines. Baea is intent on avoiding plastic, so the buttons on its duvets are made from vegetable ivory, which comes from the nuts of the tagua palm tree. We considered using mother-of-pearl, Chan says. But it just felt old-fashioned and not in line with the look we wanted to achieve. All of Baeas goods are packaged in reusable fabric pouches, and Chan is working on sourcing natural dyes for the embroidery threads, something she hopes to accomplish for next years collections.

The buttons on Baeas duvets are plant-based.Courtesy of Baea

Chan knows that bedding is a crowded field, especially in the United States, but she feels that the quality of Baeas product and the emphasis on design will set the brand apart to the discerning consumer. Were not trying to sell 20,000 sets of sheets a year, she says. Were not that company. Shes more interested in having her company be a sustainable alternative to a luxury brand like, say, Frette, than to compete with a company like Brooklinen. When it comes to a potential brick-and-mortar retail presence, Chan is trying to think outside of the obvious. Especially in New York and Los Angeles, we know there are a lot of options for shops that stock bedding, so were hoping that we could partner with a store that hasnt offered [full lines of] bedding in the past[a specialty retailer] like Roman and Williams Guild.

While bedding startups like Boll & Branch and Parachute have begun to expand into more all-encompassing home brands, adding mattresses and bath linens to their offerings, Chan hopes to stay centered on bedding. I do think of Baea as a lifestyle brand, but bedding will always be the canvas where our designs start, she says. Were focused on creating products that last and telling a story through our designs.

Homepage photo: Courtesy of Baea

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This brand is putting a luxury spin on sustainable bedding - Business of Home

According to the 2019 Design Census, which tracks the demographics and specializations of designers, only 3% of surveyed designers are black. That extends to the home furnishings and interior design industry. A young organization called the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) seeks to highlight the work of lesser-known artists, makers, and designers in this industry.

The Guild offers a comprehensive directory for those looking to hire or commission one of their members for a project. If youre in the market for an interior designer or artist, this list is a great place to start looking for creatives at the top of their field. (If youre just looking to support the artistic community during a period when many artists and designers arent getting much work, you can donate directly to the BADG to help with the work of cultivating the next generation of black creatives.) Here are seven Guild members, whose work you should know.

Whitney J Decor

This New Orleans-based designer is known for creating warm, cozy spaces that mix southern charm with striking colors and patterns. There are often African-inspired details in the mix.

Eneia White Interiors

This Queens-based interior designer is known for creating spaces that are relaxing but full of personality. She designed this room for a sneakerhead, creating brackets on the wall for a rotating array of colorful kicks.

Me and General

This Brooklyn-based firm is founded by General Judd, who began his career as part of the Blue Man group. His interior design studio is based on storytelling: He likes to incorporate aspects of the neighborhood with the homeowners lifestyle to create a complete narrative.

Bailey Li

New Jersey-based designer Alicia Bailey is known for her bold, maximalist interiors. She favors layering textures and colors to create fantastic wonderlands.

Marie Burgos Design

This New York-based interior decorator and product designer is proficient in the art of feng shui. Her furniture often uses lush materials, like velvet and silks, while her porcelain ceramics give the illusion that they are made from clouds or cotton wool.

Nikki Lugh Design

This California-based design firm made up of three black designers, including founder Nikki Lugh, has a philosophy of turning homes into sacred spaces that promote healing, restoration, and calm. Part of how the team achieves this mission is by designing with all five senses in mind. They also dont shy away from using bold colors and patterns, including topaz-colored sofas in this sorority room.

BAUGHaus Design

Headquartered in Savanna-la-mar, Jamaica, BAUGHaus Design Studio creates handmade ceramics, lighting, furniture, and soft goods. Many of the pieces are inspired by Caribbean culture.

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7 black interior designers to know - Fast Company

What does skin color have to do with making great art? Absolutely nothing. Yet for years, Black artists and designers have struggled to get eyes on their work, been passed over for opportunities, and made to feel like there isn't a spot for them at the table. Associations like the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) and Black Interior Designers Network (BIDN) have been tasked with promoting Black creatives and fostering a sense of community when the larger design industry didn't. As recent protests stemming from the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and more at the hands of police have led the country to reckon with its systemic racism, many in the design community have spoken out about how this racism exists thereand what many white allies don't understand.

In an effort to promote better understanding, we asked over 30 Black designers to share their experiences, feelings, and thoughts on the current state of the design world. Here's what they had to say.

Note: Responses have been condensed for clarity; emphasis added.

"Being successful in the high-end design sector is a tricky world to navigate. Ive always wanted to be judged for my work, and not the color of my skin. Mentors told me that if my business has a more well-rounded appearance, it will be more palatable to all audiences. This often has meant hiring a larger ratio of non-Black employees, so not to scare off potential clients or companies that wanted to work with me, but may feel that my brand is for 'Blacks only.' Obviously, as a Black man, this narrative is very frustrating. If a designer of color has all Black employees, the company is deemed a Black business and hence, not diverse. On the flip side of that, a designer who isnt of color can have a business with no Black representation and no one says anything. Thats the default. At times it can feel like an uphill battle."

"I participate in several designers show houses, and have had some rough encounters. More than once show house attendees have casually asked me where the restroom is making the assumption that I was an employee rather than one of the designers. Recently, I participated in a very well-known event in NYC where I designed a vignette, and a donor came up to me to ask for another glass of champagne. All of these things bottled up in one are extremely frustrating, but as Black designers, weve been taught to continue to smile, be gracious and keep it to yourself if you want to be successful and not end up on a blacklist. Even writing this right now its scary because I feel like that could potentially happen."A 2020 Next Wave designer, Mikel Welch is also a TV star; he is current co-host of Murder House Flip on Quibi, and former host of Trading Spaces. But before his TV debut, Welch was advertising his design services on Craigslist, charging clients less than a piece of furniture.

Sheila Bridges

Patrick McMullanGetty Images

"I would like people to know that I have passionately worked in the design industry for the past thirty years, but my tenure has not always been easy. I hope that my design work has inspired your readers (regardless of race) but more importantly, I believe my work has helped to open the doors for other Black designers who saw me on your pages early on and decided that they too, could become an interior designer and that perhaps, things might be easier for them. For me, it is an important legacy to leave behind."

Based in Harlem and the Hudson Valley, Sheila Bridges has been named Americas Best Interior Designer by CNN and Time Magazine. She's designed residences and offices for many prominent public figures, including former President Bill Clinton and his staff. Her design firm, Sheila Bridges Design, has also completed projects at Columbia University and Princeton University. She's also the designer of the iconic Harlem Toile print, which reworks traditional French toile by swapping out 1700s motifs and incorporating illustrations of Black America.

"Ive known my whole life I have to be twice as good to be recognized for my accomplishments and have access to opportunity. My career in design has been no different. Every Black designer has to be twice as good. But, you are asking the wrong question. The problem isnt lack of awareness about the experiences and added burdens of being a Black person in this industry. We are all blue in the face from telling you. The problem is White people know and dont have the will to really change it. The question you should ask: What are they doing to remake the structure they created into an actual level playing field vs. simply nipping at the edges? Id love to see that article."

Courtney McLeod, a New Orleans native, is the founder of Right Meets Left Interior Design, a full-service studio located in New York City. Her studio's name stems from her colorful style, driven by travel (the right) plus a background in finance (the left).

Corey Damen Jenkins

"I don't consider myself a 'Black designer.' I'm an interior designer,period I just happen to be African American. However, over the years,my firm has received hate mail, threatening voicemails, and notto mention what's been written on social media. Most of my industrycolleagues never imagine dealing with that...because they don't have to.Yet, I have to grin and bear it."

Corey Damen Jenkins is a nationally acclaimed interior designer from Detroit. After winning HGTV's Showhouse Showdown in 2011 with his Old World Italian farmhouse design, he has made a name for himself with his bold, vibrant, and inventive style, which often takes cues from fashion. He's been featured as a guest design expert on The Rachael Ray Show and Open House TV, as well as on the cover of numerous design magazines, including House Beautiful.

Gail Davis

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"You are taught from an early age as a person of color that you have to know everything about everybody, but no one wants to know anything about us. So in order to have a conversation with you, I need to make you feel at ease and talk about things that you like, that are in your world, so that you will pay attention to me and have a conversation with me. When Black women speak out we are thought to be aggressive, having a chip on our shoulder, when we just want to have a dialogue, to help our white friends understand."

Gail Davis is the owner of New Jersey-based design firm, Gail Davis Designs, and host of the Design Perspectives with Gail M Davis podcast.

"My immediate thought is the Toni Morrison quote: 'In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.' In America, you rarely hear white designers being referred to as a White designer. Sometimes, I feel there is this perception of otherness or that being a Black designer automatically places me in a subculture."

"Yes, I am an American designer of primarily African descent, but it does not mean my work or the projects I do for all of my clients (whose tastes range), only speak to the African or African-American aesthetic or experience. If I design a home for a client with incorporated examples of Black expressive styles or African art and furniture, it is often labeled as too ethnic.' But then turn around and laud the work of white designers who have been inspired by African, African-American, or other indigenous cultures, and call it 'global chic?' Oh, and please dont call inspiration derived from indigenous peoples 'exotic'. While being African-American is distinct, it is also extremely influential on American and global worldwide culture."

Keita Turner runs her full-service design firm, Keita Turner Design, in New York City. Her background in fashion and interior design have also led to her stylish vintage and contemporary pillow collection, Livvy & Neva, which you can shop here.

"Ive seen everything from the bad behavior of design showrooms to publications and design buildings excluding Black people as if we didnt exist within the industry. Last year I collaborated with another designer on behalf of the Black Artists + Designers Guild and we practically built a house complete with a living room, dining room, office, outdoor space, foyer, and a sitting area within the Javits Center in NYC and we were placed in the back right next to the loading dock. What Ive learned is that nothing has changed regardless of the year or the career, the only thing that has changed is me and how [I] handle those situations."

"My thoughts on being a Black designer are simply that we hold the same (or better) credentials, talent, and skill as our white counterparts but we know that we have to be 10 times better and work 20 times harder to garner the same opportunities. My question would be: why arent schools, magazines, brands, companies, and trade shows being asked how they're working with Black designers to reverse the historical exclusion? And what is their action plan in both the short and long term?"

Beth Diana Smith spent over a decade working in corporate accounting and finance before finding her true passion in design. Today she runs a full-service firm in New Jersey called Beth Diana Smith Interior Design, where she creates bold, layered interiors.

Gary GershoffGetty Images

"As a Black designer, I stand out in a very culturally homogenous industry. I often feel Im judged on an uneven scale, [as in] my work must be extraordinary just to be perceived as adequate. Every time I attend a new industry event I must once again justify why Im in the room. Its frustrating, but there can also be opportunity in standing out. Great design grows from a lifetime of unique experiences and perspective, of which I have an abundance. The clients who recognize this design reality will often seek me out because they want to tell a different story."

Rayman Boozer is the CEO and principal designer at Apartment 48, an NYC-based design firm. Boozer has been dubbed 'the go-to designer for color consulting,' by Time Out New York. His work has been featured featured in House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and more.

Marie Burgos

"It is important to me to send a positive message. As a Black designer I want to be recognized for my work and not shown as a victimized professional because of the color of my skin. I am a mix of white, Black, and Indian genes with a French and Caribbean culture, living in America. The talent and richness of artists and designers in my diaspora is endless. I am blessed with creativity and proud to showcase my design work...My furniture collection is inspired by my colorful Caribbean culture which you can notice in the use of colorful rich finishes on the upholstery collection."

Marie Burgos is an interior and product designer born and raised in Paris; however, her family comes from the island of Martinique. Today, she works in both Los Angeles and New York creating designs that nod to French architecture and Caribbean culture.

In many, many instances I have been the only person of color on panels at industry conferences, at events/dinners etc. In instances where I have spoken up about this and requested a more diverse cast of speakers on panels or partnerships or models or event attendees, I have been met with defensiveness and dismissiveness. I have been the target of repeated micro-aggressions, from very frequent 'hair touching' at industry events, to comments like 'well you probably didn't have to pay for college.' I have had so many experiences like this. It's very draining. And this is my experience as a Black woman with light skin which comes with its own set of privileges. It can be much harder for women with darker skin. Colorism is very real. The whole industry needs a major wake-up call and needs to make WAY more efforts to hire Black creatives, executives and influencers as to start to effectuate some much needed change.

Justina Blakeney is a designer, artist, and New York Times bestselling author. Blakeney first captivated the industry with her blog, Jungalow, which grew into a lifestyle brand. She has also designed collections for the likes of Anthropologie and Target and has a furniture line through Selamat.

"As a Black female visual artist, my work may not always be considered beautiful or even be considered because of the narrative in my work. My work is often ignored even in its truths. However, when it is, it is acknowledged and considered it is highlighted and cherished."

Lisa Whittington is a Georgia-based multidisciplinary artist. She earned her doctorate at the University of Georgia and started teaching courses such as Feminists Arts, Giants of the Arts, and Visual and Media Literacy across several universities. She has given a TED talk entitled What Does Art Want With You? and most recently was awarded "Best in Show" for her painting "Under A Soprano Sky" at the Atlanta Airport.

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"I'm African American and my business partner is of Middle Eastern descent. We realized in our first meeting, that it would be best to have ourselves represented in a way that would not waste our time or potential client's time who would not be interested in working with women of color. The thing is, there are many more people who will want to work with you for who you are, and what you bring to the table than not. It's been my experience that clients are far more embracing than that first client who tried to run me off of the road because she 'thought I was a neighborhood housekeeper' when I was trying to find her (unnumbered) home."

"There are developing opportunities for us that were non-existent when I first started. Change needs to continue. Diversity and Inclusion are not just punchy buzzwords to put on a company's website; they are the future for a world that fully reflects our beautiful differences and outstanding contributions."

Barri Branker is the co-founder of Beyond the Box Interiors, a full-service interior design firm located in Frederick, MD and Alexandria, VA., which she runs with her business partner, Lanna Ali-Hassan.

"I never received racism until I entered the housing industry, designing model homes for builders in the late 80s. It was an industry of all white people and no people of color. It took lots of marketing to break into. I hired an African American marketing director. When she made [phone] calls, builders had no idea what we were. As soon as we met in person. their mouths would drop open. Some tried to be nice and give us an opportunity to bid jobs and make a presentation, [but] we knew they would never hire us. I had to seek guidance and help from successful business owners.... I wanted to know what we doing wrong. Some advice was very frank, such as get rid of the Black marketing director and get a white girl out front. I was so close to going out of business and really needed a good job. My marketing director and I drove to Las Vegas to market to builders. I told her to stay in the hotel as I went out because my skin color was a little lighter. I felt bad, but at the time, we had to eat."

Lisa Turner is the founder of Beverly Hills-based design firm Interior Obsession. She reckons that she could write a book filled with all the experiences she's faced as a Black woman in the design industry.

"It's been eye opening how little I see minorities in the industry. I've only met 1 African-American architect in person after 10 years of being in the industry, and have not met any engineers, landscape designers or contractors either. My community doesn't see the design industry as an option. The design industry needs to take our work seriously and highlight [Black] designers who are making strides at the same level as others. If we're seen more, opportunities will open up."

Next Wave designer Linda Hayslett's fast-paced career started in the fashion and entertainment industry. Fast forward almost two decades and she moved from Nw York to Los Angeles and opened her firm, LH. Designs. Her work has been featured in Elle Decor, Rue, Apartment Therapy, California Home + Design, MyDomaine and more.

"For a long time I desired to be apart of this community that honestly didn't look like me or represented me. I don't think Black designers/creatives are looking for a handout or desire inclusion out of meeting a quota or showing some sign of good faith. It's time that we admit that the rich culture of the Black experience has been left out of our beloved design community. I am hoping once and for all that the work speaks for itself and that diversity can truly be respected and celebrated."

Kesha Franklin is the founder of design firm Halden Interiors. She is a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumna and has been named Designer to Watch by the Black Interior Designers Network. Her work has been featured in Elle Decor, Dwell Magazine, NBCs Open House, AD PRO, Business of Home, ARRAY Magazine and more.

"Ive always felt that I've needed to "over-achieve" to be noticed and accepted as a peer in the interior design industry. When I turn the pages in major magazines, I know that my designs and experience meet the standards, even though I may not be in them. Ill really never know if the color of my skin would have made a difference in how I've been perceived getting a luxury design project, or how much support Ive gotten on my product line that's the conundrum. I just know to strive for excellence. If I fall, I get back up and keep going, because I love what I do, and that I know my work can benefit others. Thats how resilient I am."

Linda Allen is a Las Vegas-based designer and lighting expert who runs Linda Allen Designs and Live Anywhere Lighting. Throughout her career, she has worked on numerous high-profile projects like designing story-themed light fixtures for Tokyo Disney Seas and Disneys California Adventure, as well as working on Magic Johnsons offices.

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"The first time I ever saw a Black architect, I was in my 3rd or 4th year of the BArch program at Arizona State University, back in 1973 or so. I hated him. Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the West side in the Black community, afforded me no opportunity to meet or know anyone who looked like me, [or] wanted to be an environmental designer. Needless to say, in design school I struggled, needlessly. Children need to see faces that look like their own in positions of authority, protection and in the making and maintaining of the communities they live and grow. Both our society in general and this profession have a long way to go."

Jack Travis is an adjunct professor at the Pratt Institute and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He has worked on several residential interiors projects for clients such as Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, and John Saunders. He has also worked with commercial and retail clients like Giorgio Armani SPA, Cashmere Cashmere of New York, as well as the Sbarro family of the famed pizza parlors.

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"As a designer having visibility is invaluable. Publicity can create more opportunity. Having windows to platforms, I believe is not only beneficial to me, but also exposes others to different design perspectives and makes conversation about design more powerful and enriching. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to be featured in publications, but there is also a need and more room for Black designers to be featured and invited to participate in a wider variety and greater number of publications and events. Like I always say, good design is good design, [but] we can do better."

Delia Kenza is a Brooklyn-based interior designer and current co-host of Quibi's Barkitecture. Kenza's passion for design was heavily influenced by her grandmother, a seamstress, who "was elegant in everything she did, everything she wore, and in how she lived." Kenza's work has been featured in New York Magazine and Brownstoner, as well as on HGTV and Open House New York.

"I spent my whole life appreciating fabrics and wallpapers from other cultures, yet I didnt recognize myself in them. I thought it was the norm, until one day I decided it wasnt OK. Our art matters and should be appreciated. It should be an option in home decor, aligned with Chinoiseries, Toile de Jouy, etc. I invite you to get out of the norm and experience what has been there for a long time. Invite it into your space, appreciate its value and its originality, and you will discover us and also yourself."

Valrie Louis is the founder of Yal & Valrie, a design company named after herself and her teenage daughter, and inspired and run by women in Haiti. The company creates fabrics, wallpapers and home accessories that feature notable women throughout historyfrom African queens to Haitian resistance fighters and American protesters.

"Spending the first half of my career working within higher end residential firms has shaped the type of furniture and vendors I'm accustomed to sourcing from for projects. But as I went out on my own, without the backing of a large or well known name, representatives and showrooms often assumed I didn't have clients that could afford their line. They would steer me into a 'more affordable' segment of their offerings or go as far as to not respond to inquiries at all. I would push through with a smile and confirm that I'm capable of shopping within a higher price range, and that my clients are depending on me to bring them quality textiles and goods. Sourcing furniture and materials is one of my favorite parts of the design process, but the added stress of working with vendors and showrooms sometimes puts a damper on my creativity. I look forward to the days, when I don't have to fight as much to 'give' them my business."

Eneia White is an interior designer from Queens, New York and owns her own firm, Eneia White Interiors. In addition to her (life size) design work, she also enjoys building and collecting dollhouses you can check out her dollhouse for our Dollhouse Beautiful series here.

"Early on in my career I was fortunate enough to work with designers who valued my contributions and took the time to encourage my growth and development despite the color of my skin. However, it was outside the office where I was too often mistaken for a delivery guy, asked to use the service entrance, or given surprised looks when presenting my portfolio. Black designers belong in the same spaces as our white counterparts and our views and perspectives should be sought after and celebrated in the same manner. This is why organizations like BADG are so important. BADG has created a platform to highlight our contributions to the design community. Although I have made great strides in this industry it has not come without some level of prejudice, both subtle and overt."

Byron Risdon is the owner of Byron Risdon LLC, a full-service interior design boutique firm in Washington, D.C., that offers residential and commercial services. Risdon claims his style stems from his love of travel and the interiors he has seen around the world.

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"My experience as a designer in this industry is often a conflicting one. Having a diverse clientele, I've seen the financial gap between white households and households of color. Black clients often have significantly less to spend on their homes than their white counterparts, even while holding the same education levels and positions. It is startling to see the vastly different lifestyles amongst such strikingly similar backgrounds. When Black people manage to accumulate wealth, they are often the target of unfair practices that aim to take it away from them. My experience in this industry have made me acutely aware of the vastly different lifestyles and financial inequity that fuels the racial divide in this country."

Tamu Rasheba Green is the owner of Lux Pad Interiors in New York City, a solutions-based design firm.

"I want people to know that Black interior designers bring a plethora of diverse experiences and points of view to projects that the mainstream design community has often discounted. There has been a prevailing belief that Black interior designers only create Black or 'ethnic' designs. Yet Black interior designers are educated in the same design schools as their Caucasian colleagues. I have found that when given the chance to design from my point of view, a well traveled and experienced African American designer, the design community has benefited."

Sheryl McLean is the president and founder of full-service design firm, McLean and Tircuit LLC. She has worked on contemporary residences, multi-family housing (included senior living establishments), as well as professional and medical offices.

"The Black designers and artists I know arent looking for handoutswere beyond talented. We simply will no longer accept having those talents ignored based on systemic racism or bias. Our white counterparts have more access and are granted better opportunities. That truth does and has applied to every position, in every industry, throughout history. Weve earned our space. Black people have been finding ways to survive and thrive, with proverbial 'knees on our necks' since our arrival."

Michel Smith Boyd is an interior designer and star of the hit Bravo show, Buying it Blind. His Atlanta-based firm, Michel Smith Boyd Interiors, is known for Michels signature, sumptuous style, which has been featured in Elle Dcor, Traditional Home, Vogue, Veranda, Ebony, The Washington Post, and more.

"I came into the interior design industry at a time when digital mediums, like podcasts, webinars, blogs, and Facebook Groups really opened up this world to new designers. I was able to simply search online to get what I needed to build and grow my business. I'm so grateful for organizations like the Black Artists + Designers Guild. Their online directory of Black artisans gives publications and other industry leaders similar access to search online to find new talent to feature to grow the industry."

Alana Frailey is the owner of Houston-based full service firm, Alana Frailey Interior Design and an active member of the BAD Guild.

"My experience in the industry has been a good one overall, but I do wish that there was a more diverse representation of designers in the public realm though. When I first started studying design, I rarely saw any designers of color in magazines, at trade shows or as speakers at trade events. Once I started looking more deeply, I was happily surprised to find that there are, in fact, many very talented designers of color and many organizations such as BADG that are doing a lot to further the opportunities and visibility of our work. I think its important not only for the general public to see our work but also for young people of color to see opportunities for themselves and to see that this is an industry that would embrace them."

Next Wave designer Laura Hodges is passionate about travel and sustainability. She is the owner of Laura Hodges Studio, as well as Domain, her brick-and-mortar store in Baltimore, which sells locally-sourced, handmade items that will help shoppers incorporate the type of collected look shown in her interiors.

"As a young industrial designer interested in creating modern African furniture, I lacked the connections and financial support to produce the style and quality I wanted. Frustrated, I exited the industry. Fast forward to 2018, when, enabled by social media, like-minded creatives gathered to form the Black Artists + Designers Guild. Supported by this network, I have recently restarted my furniture design work again. There are still very steep challenges remaining and popular shelter media has not expressed interest in the type of work that I doalthough I typically receive interview or information requests either during Black History Month or for specific diversity events. It's important to see Black designers represented instead of Eurocentric designers displaying works copied or borrowed from Black cultures."

Jomo Tariku is a Kenyan-born, Virginia-based Ethiopian furniture designer and founder of Jomo Furniture, which sells sculptural, wooden pieces inspired by African heritage.

"I live and work in TriBeCa and have on occasion been mistaken for either cleaning staff or a nanny whilst visiting job sites (to the extent of once being handed a baby). But always I have to somehow maintain my professionalism so as not to perpetuate the stereotype and simply get the work done. Ive had to compromise on negotiating rates in the past; I felt at times that people often dont see my worth as equal with white designers. When I express myself and demand high standards, Ive been told Im being aggressive or difficult, because people so easily default to the angry Black woman stereotype in a way theyd never do with a white designer, who'd just has 'high standards.'"

Nina Barnieh-Blair is the Principal and Creative Director of NinaBDesign in New York City, where she creates warm, modern interiors.

"I worked for a design studio where I was the only person of color for most of my time there. Certain statements were said to me like 'try to tone down your sassy for this meeting' or 'go be mean to that vendor and see if they will refund some money on that order.' I would constantly downplay what was being said to me or joke it off to fit in with a team that really didnt understand me and my unique personality as a Black woman. It disappointed and hurt me the most when I was told that I was 'intimidating and threatening.' My personality does not even come close to fitting that descriptionas a Black woman professional I have high standards and want the best in quality and service just like anyone else. I dont understand why that gives me a label of aggressive or intimidating."

Kiyonda Powell is the Principal Designer at Kiyonda Powell Design Studio, a boutique decor studio based in Washington D.C.

"Do white designers have to question whether putting a picture of themselves on the 'About' page of their website will impact their business negatively? Or if showcasing their work at a trade show will negatively impact their business because they are showing that they are Black? The answer is a resounding NO. Questions like these and countless others plague people of color in every industry, not just design."

Raymond Barberousse runs Miami-based design studio Studio PGRB with his wife Priti Gandhi.

"I will say the overwhelming issue is the lack of representation. There are incredible Black designers out there and I frequently see the industry rinse and repeat a select few or not include us at all. That narrative is exhausting in itself to not see people that look like my myself put on platforms to show their work."

Tiffany Thompson is the founder of Duett Interiors, a full-service residential design firm in Portland, Oregon.

"Its been pretty lonely being a Black interior designer in New York. For years I only knew of one other Black designer and we only found each other because I was frequently mistaken for her at industry events and functions. At those industry events, there were no Black panelists, no product spotlights on other Black artisans, and there weren't very many of us in attendance. But when the Black Artist and Designers Guild was founded, I was no longer alone in navigating my business through a very affluent and largely homogeneous market. There is still a LOT of work to do, but we're moving in the right direction."

Danielle Fennoy is the founder of NYC-based design firm, Revamp, and is a former House Beautiful Next Wave designer. Fennoy is known for her warm, modern spaces that don't lack color. She's been seen on HGTV shows Bang For Your Buck and My Favorite Place.

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"The list of The Best Black... can't just be during Black History Month. This is tokenism. Don't get me wrong, these lists are important in helping manufacturers and news outlets find and discover Black talent, but we also need to be on lists that aren't exclusively for Black people."

Ariene Bethea is the founder of Dressing Room Interiors Studio, a vintage home furnishings boutique in North Carolina.

Nicole White is the president and principal designer of Nicole White Designs, based in Florida.

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"I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design, as well as a Master of Science in Interior Architecture & Research. But I find that as a Black interior designer, I am working harder in every single aspect of my business in order to be seen. I dont mind the work, because design is my passion, and it benefits my clients. However, I dont find that the same opportunities, (show houses, panel discussions, etc.) come as regularly or easily as they do to my white counterparts. And its not to say that they arent talented, because they are, and I am tremendously inspired by a lot of them. However I have something great to contribute as well. But its hard to do so when you're not only refused a seat at the table, but excluded from the party all together."

Nile Johnson was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, and is the Principal of Nile Johnson Interior Design. His work has been featured on HGTV as well as in national and local publications.

"I believe good design is universal. I believe different and diverse perspectives are necessary and should be showcased. It gives me great pleasure to be able to share my perspective of Jamaican culture in a tangible form. I love when it connects with people all over the world and brings joy to their lives. Although there are several challenges making your own products in Jamaica, such as lack of necessary support and framework for manufacturing and e-commerce; my overall experience has been a worthwhile and rewarding one."

Dana M. Baugh is the owner of Jamacia-based BAUGHaus Design Studio. The studio is known for its hand-made ceramics, lighting, furniture and home goods designed with a Caribbean twist. You can shop BAUGHaus here.

"As an artist who makes art regarding the Black experience with Black imagery, my work is always labeled as political or targeted to a Black audience. I've always found that curious. I had a teacher tell me in art school that I would only be a success in the art world if I painted about my Black experience. I couldn't image what other experience I could paint from. As if my experiences aren't universal."

Karen J. Revis is a New York City-based artist and owner of Karen J. Revis Studio. She is well known for her abstract monoprints, REVISionary Prints.

"Our experience has been that although we know there are many talented designers of color in this industry, we feel we have been largely overlooked and unsupported, due to the obvious lack of representation in shelter publications and other media formats. It appears that the industry has historically embraced homogeneity over diversity and inclusivity, and that this lack of representation has made it difficult to gain exposure to a broader clientele. Because we absolutely love what we do... we are optimistic for change!"

Longtime friends Leslie Rinehardt and Marvin Miller run Rinehardt | Miller & Co, a construction management and design firm located in New Jersey.

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38 Creatives Talk Being Black in the Design Industryand What Needs to Change - HouseBeautiful.com