Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

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

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

Craig BarrittGetty Images

"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.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"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.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

Go here to see the original:
38 Creatives Talk Being Black in the Design Industryand What Needs to Change - HouseBeautiful.com

All apartment photos byAshok Sinha

Wid Chapmans parents were profound modernists, his father an architect who worked for Marcel Breuer, and his mother an artist who studied with Josef Albers.The career that Widhas built for himself as an architect and interior designerwho specializes in hospitality design is uniquely his own but showcases the influences of his parents. When it came time to design his personal apartment on the Upper East Side, it was his own family who influenced the renovation. Providing space intimate enough for our small immediate family but room for an extended one, the project reconfigures and reshapes extant spaces to defer to the apartments sweeping Central Park views, said Wid, adding that color and materiality were also central tothe project. Ahead, take a full tour of this one-of-a-kind apartment and hear from Wid about his background and career and the specifics of the renovation.

A Bubble chair by Eero Aarnio lends a playful touch; the dining room table is anEero Saarinen

How didyour parentswork and passionsinform your career?

Well, before my father worked for Breuer, he began his career working for another Bauhaus legend, Walter Gropius, at TAC (The Architects Collaborative), in Cambridge, MA. My mother, after studying with Albers, went to work for TAC as their in-house color consultant. Thats where my parents met. So these circumstances informed my whole life, as you can imagine. Later, my parents moved to New York, and my father worked for Breuer (my mother for the architecture firm Perkins and Will).

Architecture permeated my upbringing. My father had a firm in Cambridge, which was a very dynamic place for design at the time. In 1969, the glassy new building, Design Research (DR), opened up on Brattle Street. It was a retail mecca for all that was new and modern in interior design and furniture. I used to love going into Cambridge to both my fathers office and to DR.

My mother later became a painter and art teacher. Albers was indelibly important to her teaching and was strongly reflected in her paintings. In college at RISD, I took the Albers color theory class (taught by another alum). That course opened my eyes to the subtleties of color and their complex relationships with one another.

Now that you have your own firm, how would you describe yourprofessional design style?

I dont think I have a specific style, more a point of view. The final form reveals itself as you synchronize with your client and their goals. We design a lot of restaurants and are guided by cuisine, identity, location, etc. So, while each one might have a different theme, the process we enter into is very consistent. Our process for each design is one of filtering, abstracting a concept that honors the clients intention while bringing creativity and architectural harmony to the project. We really focus on the shaping of space as opposed to demarcating individual rooms. We layer and layer to create distinctive zones and changes in experience that are integrated and seamless.

Would you describe your personal style differently?

Well, personal style implies how and where I live, which is inherently different than designing a restaurant. It also is a place where I live with my wife, a son, and more transiently, older children, and both of our extended families. So, home is a very unique design brief, with very particular needs and functions. The design of our apartment was a rich collaboration with my wife, Shachi.

Your apartment is in a historic Emory Roth building. Did that inform your architecture and design choices when renovating?

Its a fine historic building, but much of the Roth features had been gutted by the renovation of the building in 2006. The apartment plans had been maintained but, in our mind, no longer relevant for modern living. The size and spaces allocated to kitchens and bathrooms felt inadequate, the gathering spaces too formal and too rigid, and the views of the park overly restrictive. We felt the grandeur of the views and the elegance of the building required a complete re-think of the apartments internal design.

The apartment is on the 14th floor

Tell us more about how youdesigned the apartment withits Central Park views in mind.

Following the previous point, we were determined to eliminate most vestiges of the extant layout. The original apartment was broken up into many small rooms. There was no hierarchy. In the process of renovating, we removed all the walls except the exterior and structural columns. In putting back walls, we extensively modeled the negative space along with the positive space. Along the west Central Park side, we created one comprehensive area for kitchen, dining, and living. The east walls of this large space are all shaped and angled to form an embrace of the dramatic views.

Youve mentioned that your family likes to entertain. How did this play into the renovation?

The kitchen, on the south side of this great room, is completely open to the living and dining areas. The south back wall of the kitchen is where many of the typical functions are housed.

A faceted shaped floating island contains the flush cooktop. A higher counter on the dining side disguises the cooking zone from a distance while providing a bar area for drinks and a more casual repast. It also allows for more interaction and collaboration while cooking and preparing food. This whole area is open and spacious and a place we imagined (and it has come to bear) that eight to10 people at a time might be gathered around the island on both sides, cooking, eating, drinking, chatting. At the same time, the entire back wall of the kitchen can be concealed with discreet folding doors that transform this functional area to a flush set of silver-finished oak panels.

At the other end of the room, theres a sculptural wall in the same formal language (and Venetian plaster finish) as the island. The shaped wall embraces a large, custom-made sofa that mirrors the facets of the wall. This area alone has been known to seat15 people at a time. The nearby window seats, taking advantage of the park views, provide for even more seating.

Your home has a lot of pops of bright color.How didyou decide which colors to incorporateand where to use them?

In the living and dining areas, blues are most prevalent in the textiles and the rug. This choice was informed by the sky outside, which has such a strong presence. In terms of wall colors, throughout this space, we selected a quiet tone of snow that would allow the eye to be drawn to the view, the sculptural object, and the art. This color expands into the gallery hall and provides a beautiful backdrop to our art collection. Elsewhere, in the master bedroom and media room, we chose a very deep blue-green. We wanted to create a more intimate, cocooning quality to these spaces. This also creates a different relationship between the wall color and the art on display in these rooms in that the wall color is no longer neutralits an active participant.

Whatis your favorite thing about your home?

The dramatic relationship to the Central Park view. Im equally mesmerized by it when I wake up to it on bright spring mornings as foggy winter ones. We are immersed in nature in all seasons and all times of day. The late spring evenings produce incredible skies with stunning rich and varied dyesboth an intensity and mellowness of light that illuminates and bounces off the angled, shaped wallsincredibly dynamic and captivating.

The winter nights bring out the lamps that light and twinkle along the paths in the park in a magical in a Narnja like way. As you can tell, living here makes you an avid observer of your surroundings, something we have come to cherish, especially during this period of quarantine.

What are your familys favorite things about it?

I think that varies. My son loves the swing chair in the living room. But hes also spends a lot more time now in his own room, studying, reading, and resting. His room is a different deep color of blue that affords him his own cocoon and privacy, something that has become more important to him as he just turned 12!

Are you viewing your apartment differently since the quarantine began? Has it made you realize that youd like to make any changes?

Well, I never would have thought Id be spending so much time, non-stop, in my home. We have truly used the space in all the ways we envisaged and many more. We spoke of the joys of living with a view of the park but the sounds of it have come into a life of their own. The wildlife has exploded, and the usual cacophony of traffic has been replaced by bird song. The apartments spaces were designed to provide endless configurations of use, and in this time of being sequestered, we have enjoyed the variety and playfulness it provides. One of the unexpected challenges weve faced is noise mitigation from three Zoom calls going on at the same time! Its working out okay, but there is no doubt quarantine will produce some valuable learnings for architects to apply to their future projects.

The master bedroom

What brought your familyto the Upper East Side?

It was the proximity to the park. My wife is a Londoner and missed the green spaces she grew up knowing, but she is also a city dweller, so being anywhere outside the city would have been impossible to imagine. As he gets older, having the green space right on our doorstep makes such a difference for my son. The location provides all the benefits of city life while being peaceful, green, and open.

What are your favorite things to do in theneighborhood (post-quarantine)?

Were near the museums, and so in normal times, we enjoy immersing ourselves in all they have to offer. Being next door to Mt. Sinai Hospitalnoteworthy in this pandemichas been both reassuring and humbling to see the dedication of healthcare professionals and volunteers. There is also a discrete enclave of commercial venues along Madison Avenue that give the area a unique charm. It has a clear history, but theres also some welcome transformation occurring.

Wid and his family in the apartment, Courtesy: Wid Chapman

RELATED:

All apartment photos byAshok Sinha

Tags : Wid Chapman

Neighborhoods : Upper East Side

See more here:
My 3000sqft: Architect Wid Chapman renovated his Upper East Side home using color and openness - 6Sqft

Fashion is fast living, but it gives an indication of what is possible if you dedicate a certain amount of time and development, said Belinda Gnther, Mercedess head of color and trim. Furniture needs to survive for a number of years, so from a durability perspective, its interesting to see what is possible there.

Both of these industries are exploring greener fabrics and procedures. Sustainability is definitely a growing trend in the fashion industry, said Rachel Cernansky, the sustainability editor for Vogue Business. Whether its growing at the scale it needs to is another question.

Ms. Cernansky pointed to the increasing use of upcycled polyester and nylon in high-end clothing, though she questioned whether these products were doing enough to stem our insatiable appetite for new objects.

Its problematic because it cant be recycled again, she said.

Ms. Cernansky is more compelled by companies like Tyton BioSciences and Natural Fiber Welding because theyve created the capacity to turn fibers into fibers. This, she said, allows new fabric to be made from the huge amount of clothing in the world that is not being worn, so we dont need to harvest new resources. But for now these companies are small, and scaling their tech will be costly.

Sustainable materials are also finding their way into high-end housewares and dcor. Clients, especially families, really like a lot of these recycled products because they wear well theyre extremely durable, said Young Huh, an interior designer in New York. A lot of these solution-dyed recycled fabrics, because the dye is in the fiber, the colors dont change, so you can bleach them.

These characteristics are also useful in health and hospitality situations, like a Ronald McDonald House that Ms. Huh designed. Ronald McDonald Houses provide apartments for families near hospitals where their children are being treated, and the rooms previously had to be superheated after each stay to sterilize them. That cant be done effectively with some natural fibers, but is possible with Xorel fabrics made from sugar cane by Carnegie Fabrics.

This quality could become even more relevant in the coronavirus pandemic. You can wipe down vegan leather with sanitizer, Ms. Huh said. You cant do that with leather.

See the original post here:
Luxury Cars Go Sustainable From the Inside Out - The New York Times

The Global Interior Design Software Market report consists of the latest discoveries and technological advancements recorded in the industry, along with an analysis of the factors and their effect on the markets future development. The report focuses on the current businesses and the present-day headways, and the future growth prospects for the Interior Design Software market.

This report covers the current COVID-19 effects on the economy. This outbreak has brought along drastic changes in world economic situations. The current scenario of the ever-evolving business sector and present and future appraisal of the effects are covered in the report as well.

The Global Interior Design Software market size will reach XX Million USD by 2027, from XX Million USD in 2019, at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period.

Get FREE Sample Copy with TOC of the Report to understand the structure of the complete [emailprotected] https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/15473

The global Interior Design Software marketreport gives a 360 approach for a holistic understanding of the market scenario. It relies on authentically-sourced information and an industry-wide analysis to predict the future growth of the sector. The study gives a comprehensive assessment of the global Interior Design Software industry, along with market segmentation, product types, applications, and value chain.

The study also delivers accurate insights into the market in the forecast duration and other key facts and figures pertaining to the global Interior Design Software market.

Leading Interior Design Software manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

AutodeskDassault SystemesTrimbleSmartDrawDecolabsRoomtodoSpace Designer 3DPlanner 5DHome Hardware StoresRoomSketcher

The report also inspects the financial standing of the leading companies, which includes gross profit, revenue generation, sales volume, sales revenue, manufacturing cost, individual growth rate, and other financial ratios.

Research Objective:

Our panel of trade analysts has taken immense efforts in doing this group action in order to produce relevant and reliable primary & secondary data regarding the global Interior Design Software market. Also, the report delivers inputs from the trade consultants that will help the key players in saving their time from the internal analysis. Readers of this report are going to be profited with the inferences delivered in the report. The report gives an in-depth and extensive analysis of the Interior Design Software market.

Order Your Copy Now (Customized report delivered as per your specific requirement) @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/15473

Interior Design Software Market has maintained a steady growth rate in the past decade and is predicted to grow at a higher growth rate during the forecast period. The analysis offers an industry-wide evaluation of the market by looking at vital aspects like growth trends, drivers, constraints, opinions of industry experts, facts and figures, historical information, and statistically-backed and trade valid market information to predict the future market growth.

The Global Interior Design Software Market is segmented:

In market segmentation by types of Interior Design Software, the report covers-

Residential SectorNon-Residential Sector

In market segmentation by applications of the Interior Design Software, the report covers the following uses-

ArchitectsEngineersContractors

This Interior Design Software report umbrellas vital elements such as market trends, share, size, and aspects that facilitate the growth of the companies operating in the market to help readers implement profitable strategies to boost the growth of their business. This report also analyses the expansion, market size, key segments, market share, application, key drivers, and restraints.

Get Your Copy at Incredible [emailprotected] https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/15473

Interior Design Software Market Regional Analysis:

Geographically, the Interior Design Software market is segmented across the following regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.

Key Coverage of Report:

Have a query? Ask our Expert @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/customization-form/15473

Key insights of the report:

Access the Entire Report with TOC, Tables and Figures, and details of Prominent [emailprotected] https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/interior-design-software-market

In conclusion, the Global Interior Design Software Market report provides a detailed study of the market by taking into account leading companies, present market status, and historical data to for accurate market estimations, which will serve as an industry-wide database for both the established players and the new entrants in the market.

About Us:Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. Theres more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges.

Contact Us:John WatsonHead of Business Development40 Wall St. 28th floor New York CityNY 10005 United StatesDirect Line: +1-800-819-3052Visit our News Site: http://newssucceed.com

Continued here:
Interior Design Software Market (2020-2027) Report Offers Detailed Insights about Different Players Operating Within The Interior Design Software...

Alexandra Champalimauds career as an interior designer had a dramatic beginning. In 1975, she, her husband and their young son fled Portugal in the wake of the countrys Carnation Revolution. They arrived in Montreal, knowing no one, without jobs or connections. But Champalimaud, who spoke French, began looking for work as a designer. She found it, eventually starting her own small firm, an endeavor that brought her to New York in 1994 to reimagine the Drake Hotel. In the States, a promising career received an injection of rocket fuel.

Alexandra ChampalimaudCourtesy of Champalimaud

Theres nothing like the United States in terms of opportunities, she says. Its extraordinary, the momentum that one can have.

Indeed. Champalimauds eponymous company has designed some of the worlds most iconic hotels, from The Plaza in New York and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles to the recently completed Raffles in Singapore. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Champalimaud shares the story of her meteoric rise and she and her firms CEO, Ed Bakos, discuss how theyre addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 era.

This episode was sponsored by Buildlane and Industry West. Below, listen to the episode and check out a few takeaways from the conversation. If you like what you heard, subscribe to the podcast (free of charge!) to get a new episode every week.

ReinventionWhen Bakos joined the firm seven years ago, he reimagined the companys internal structure. Rather than a collection of siloed teams, he implemented a flat management system, where everyone worked on everything. Rather than see ourselves as a small group thats subdivided, [we came] together around something we called one studio, says Bakos. It was the idea of this creative collective, a workshop mentality. Wed all be involved with making things at all levels.

Champalimaud CEO Ed BakosCourtesy of Champalimaud

The change isnt without its challengesit can be difficult to find the right team members and coordinate the efforts of a large group. But the benefits are many: Champalimaud is more nimble than ever, says Bakos, and able to capitalize on a diverse group of talents (the 50-person staff speaks 14 languages among them).

Zoom is good?Like all other New Yorkbased design firms, Champalimaud has been working from home for months now. There are difficulties, and both Bakos and Champalimaud expressed enthusiasm for a return to in-person design meetings. But the socially distanced era, they say, has changed the dynamic of the firm in positive ways. There is a freedom of expression. There might be others who, in my presence normally in a conference room, they might not want to be quite as involved, says Champalimaud. But when their job is to talk about X, Y and Z of this project, they do so. People feel they have been set free in some ways. They have to be more expressive to get their ideas across. Bakos agrees, adding that theres a benefit to client meetings where the entire staff is able to sit in on Zoom and pick up on nuances that would normally go unheard behind conference room doors.

React, dont overreact In contemplating the effect of the pandemic on her own firm and the industry at large, Champalimaud cautions against overcorrecting. [Its essential] that we take into consideration this incredible point of view, of complete health and wellness for the guest, she says. But its something to be taken in carefully measured steps. Buildings have lobbies and restaurants, and I believe versions of all of that are going to remain forever. Attitudes are changing every day. What we are not lacking is creativity. Common sense will prevail.

Link:
Alexandra Champalimaud on what will (and won't) change in hospitality design - Business of Home

Gale Taylor had never seen a cross on the side of the road.

She never had to place a roadside memorial in her front yard even after her 5-year-old daughter, Penny Jo, was struck by a vehicle on Memorial Day in 1979.

I can see her right now with those long, skinny legs running up the driveway and across the road, Taylor said. I saw the car coming and I knew it was going to happen. When the car hit her, she went up in the air a good 20 feet, and she looked like a rag doll. I thought she was dead.

I never thought about a cross then because I had never seen one on a road, but I thank God every day that she was alive.

Penny Jo Noble Strain, 45, died at 10:02 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, of this year after she crossed the center line on Cunningham Road, hitting an ABF Freight System Inc. tractor trailer head on, according to the accident report. A white cross mysteriously appeared on the same day in the curve where Penny died.

And after her mother searched for the person who placed it there through asking family members and joining a social media group, she finally discovered who put the little white cross at the site of her daughters fatal crash.

Sandra Buck was merely driving down Cunningham Road on the day Penny died to visit friends when she saw a cleaning crew sweeping debris from the wreck.

Knowing her Facebook friend, Penny, had died there, Sandra turned her car around and headed to Roses Discount Store on Herritage Street.

I went to buy a cross. I found one with Christmas flowers on it, and I replaced the flowers with roses, Sandra said. The ground was so hard, but the cleaning crew helped me place it in the ground.

Sandra sent Penny a friend request on Facebook a little over a year ago after she saw pictures of Pennys pug posted on her page and both shared a love for pets.

I found out she died and I was in shock, Sandra said. I didnt know her personally, but I wish I had met her because we would have been close friends.

Sandra read the Free Press article on June 3 regarding Taylors search for the person responsible for the cross and quickly messaged Taylor.

I had to do something, Sandra said. I didnt do it to be a hero. Im just that type of person. I try to do acts of kindness all the the time.

Sandras act of kindness touched Taylor.

Right this minute, when there is so much unrest in America, Sandras act of kindness gives me hope in mankind, Taylor said. That cross means something to me. It represents my childs life and death.

Penny was born on July 28, 1974, on a Sunday morning as Taylor felt a little guilty she wasnt in church but was excited to see her firstborn.

The young mother and her husband, Larry Noble, tried to have a baby for almost a year and Larry had already picked out the name Penny and Taylor added Jo.

She was my first child. I came home, jumping up and down. I was 21 and I was so thrilled, Taylor said. I remember the first time I felt her flutter in my tummy and I laid down on the floor so I could feel it better so I could get all the little flutter feeling that I could because I was so excited.

Taylor eventually gave birth to two more daughters, Amber and Julie.

She held her baby Julie while nearly 3-year-old Amber played in her room as Taylor called 911 on Memorial Day 41 years ago.

Penny was searching for a ball that had rolled across Neuse Road in a curve when she was struck by the vehicle.

I was playing with my Little People house and I knew something had happened, Amber Hoyt said. I got about halfway in the driveway when my mom told me to go back into the house.

The rotary phone cord stretched until it lost its spiral as Taylor spoke to the 911 operator outside her house and watched her daughter lying in the middle of Neuse Road. After speaking to the operator, Taylor ran to the road to see her daughter.

Taylor watched her daughters legs swell, causing her shorts to tighten. Penny broke her pelvis, suffered a concussion, and had internal bleeding.

It seemed like it took forever for the ambulance to get there though. I thought she was going to die before the ambulance ever got there, Taylor said. But when they got there and loaded her up, they didnt turn the siren on. I was in the ambulance with her and I was like, Why dont we have the siren on? My child is dying. I really thought that they knew she was going to die and didnt bother to turn the siren on.

She didnt die.

Penny stayed in the hospital for one month.

I still have flashbacks, Taylor said. It took a long time to recover from that.

Penny graduated from South Lenoir High School in 1992 and took general business classes at Lenoir Community College. Afraid of immunization shots, Penny avoided four-year colleges and chose to take night classes at North Carolina Wesleyan College. She received her masters degree in business at East Carolina University.

She worked at Moen and MasterBrand Cabinets as either a supervisor or a materials manager and went on to become a self-employed interior designer before her death.

She was great with interior design, Taylor said. She could make something out of nothing.

Taylor retired from education after teaching at Kinston High School and Woodington Middle School. She moved to Raleigh seven years ago with her husband, Keith Taylor, to be near her two granddaughters.

She received the call of her daughters death around 11:30 a.m. on March 4.

Her dad called me that morning, and he hasnt called me in 25 years, Taylor said. I knew something terrible was wrong because I dont ever remember him calling me.

Amber was working in Raleigh when her father called her. She walked to her office and began crying.

I fell apart, Amber said. I asked him if he had called my mom and Julie. He had, so I went to see my mom.

Its hard to believe that somebody you love and that was inside of you is dead. And Im never going to see her again on this earth, Taylor said. That part is hard because anything can remind you of her.

Penny was buried in a plot beside her great grandmother at the Deep Run Original Free Will Baptist Church.

Taylor contacted Rice Monuments, Inc. in Kinston for a headstone and spoke with sales manager Lisa Casteen, who worked with Penny at MasterBrand.

I didnt know her but I remembered working with Penny at MasterBrand, Casteen said. I told her I go by the cross every day on my way to work.

Taylor asked her family if they had placed the cross on Cunningham Road but no one had. She then joined the Word of Mouth Kinston Facebook group on May 15 and asked if anyone knew who put the cross there. No one knew.

I got emotional because thats where my baby died and someone cares, Taylor said. I texted Pennys dad and asked my daughters and no one put the cross there. I then joined that group thinking someone on there might know but no one said anything.

Lisa said it could have been the truck driver.

ABF sent a white orchid to Taylor after her daughters death, and she wondered if the truck driver, 50-year-old Mark Shane Donathan, placed the cross on the side of the road.

Taylor now knows who placed the cross in the curve on Cunningham Road.

She now has some peace.

I miss my precious Penny more than there are words in the unabridged dictionary, Taylor said. But, somehow, now my burden has been lightened.

Read the original post:
Mother finds person who placed cross at the site of her daughters fatal crash - Kinston Free Press

Drake, in a Kapital sweatshirt and 1017 ALYX 9SM pants, with Rafauli in the lounge

Remember the chintzy, pimped-out McMansions that were a staple of the long-running MTV series Cribs? The Toronto home of mega recording artist Aubrey Drake Graham is something else altogether. Measuring 50,000-square-feet, with amenities such as an NBA regulation-size indoor basketball court crowned by a 21-square-foot pyramidal skylight, Drakes astonishing domicile certainly qualifies as extravagant. But instead of vast expanses of cheap drywall and mountains of ungainly furniture upholstered with a hot glue gun, stately Drake Manor, as envisioned by Canadian architectural and interior designer Ferris Rafauli, is a marvel of old-world craftsmanship, constructed of limestone, bronze, exotic woods, and other noble materials. Every detail of the sprawling property has been meticulously conceived and executed. And there isnt a Scarface poster in sight.

Dubbed The Embassy, the house takes its cues from traditional Beaux Arts architecture, distilled and slightly abstracted to imbue the classic idiom with a more contemporary spirit. In form, materials, and execution, the structure is a proper 19th-century limestone mansion. But the exterior profiles are more minimal and the lines are a bit cleaner, says Rafauli, who heads his own namesake luxury design/build firm based in Ontario. This isnt stucco, paint, and fake gold. Thats not what Drake wanted, and thats not what I do.

Once youve chosen a certain style, you can dance within that style, the designer observes. Drake insists, Its overwhelming high luxury. That message is delivered through the size of the rooms and the materials and details of the floors and the ceilings. I wanted to make sure people can see the work Ive put in over the years reflected from every vantage point.

The scale of the rooms set the tone for the home experience from the moment one enters the vast entry hall. The epic great room, which soars to 44 feet high, pumps up the volume even further. At one end of the space, a bespoke concert grand piano by the venerable Austrian piano maker Bsendorfer designed in collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and Rafauli sits nestled within a portal defined by floor-to-ceiling panels of macassar ebony set alongside bronze screens fronting more antique beveled mirror. Drakes world completely revolves around music, so he wasnt going to buy just any piano. This prized possession is an authentic marriage of artistry, craft, and quality, Rafauli notes.

In the great room is Lobmeyrs iconic Metropolitan chandelier, originally designed by Hans Harald Rath for the Viennese maker to decorate the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1963. With more than 20,000 pieces of hand-cut Swarovski crystal, the dazzling light sculpture is the second largest installation of its kind in the world. The furnishings, here as throughout the home, were all custom designed by Rafauli in materials that range from dyed ostrich skin and mohair to macassar and bronze.

The bedroom is where I come to decompress from the world at the end of the night and where I open my eyes to seize the day, he says. The bed lets you float, the shower lets you escape and gather your thoughts, and the closet makes you want to talk to yourself while youre getting dressed. As always, God is in the details. The bed and bed base, which weigh roughly one ton and cost more than many peoples entire homes, is from Rafaulis new line for Hstens, called Grand Vividus. The headboard, accented with antique mirror and channel-tufted leather, encompasses a whiskey-and-champagne bar on the reverse side. The nightstands feature mother-of-pearl inlays, and the bedding incorporates an Alexander McQueen hummingbird tapestry from The Rug Company.

10 photos of Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerbergs California Home

See original here:
15 photos of the Toronto mansion of superstar rapper, Drake - Architectural Digest India

Designer Adam Nathaniel Furman has picked out 10 projects that represent the New London Fabulous movement of "designers who resolutely seek out beauty, complexity and joy".

They include works by designers Yinka Ilori, Camille Walala and Morag Myerscough, architect Space Popular and artist Rana Begum, as well as Furman himself.

Other projects are by Lakwena Maciver, Edward Crooks, 2LG Studio and Katrina Russell-Adams.

Furman defined the movement in a live interview with Dezeen last week. He described the style as "design and architecture as a visual and cultural pursuit, which is highly aesthetic, sensual and celebratory of mixed cultures".

The movement is a backlash against the minimalist style that has dominated architectural discourse in the media and schools, Furman said in the interview.

Selecting 10 projects for Dezeen, Furman expanded on his definition of the movement, which has not been coordinated but has arisen out of the context of contemporary London.

"In an age of closing borders, simplistic narratives, and shrinking horizons, there is a new generation of designers who resolutely seek out beauty, complexity and joy in the face of an adverse political and economic climate, who embody the cultural melting pot of London," he said.

"At a time when liberalism, internationalism and multiculturalism values embodied by the city are under sustained attack and vilification they are defined by their total delight in the liberating power of a kind of no-holds-barred aesthetic expression that collectively looks like a huge and extremely colourful 'fuck you' to all those calling time on diversity and the celebration of difference."

Perry Rise by2LG Studio, 2018

London interior-design duo 2LG Studio converted this south-London house into their own home and studio. The four-bedroom home in Forest Hill features a series of bright, pastel-hued rooms as well as areas with bolder colours, such as the sea-green sitting room.

2LG Studio was founded by Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe. The duo describe their work as "simplicity, elegance, functionality and [a] signature use of colour."

How I Started Hanging out with Home by Space Popular, 2018

London duo Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg of Space Popular liberally reference historical forms in their riotously colourful projects, which often exist only in virtual reality.

This is done to ensure virtual environments are full of stylistic references that human users can relate to in cyberspace, which has no inherent form and would otherwise be alienating.

"In that world, style is almost everything," Hellberg told Dezeen in a live interview conducted as part of Virtual Design Festival last month. "Because if you don't have style in a virtual environment, if you don't allow yourself to speak any language that you might need to communicate something, then you'll be extremely limited."

How I Started Hanging Out with Home was an exhibition held at MAGAZIN in Vienna in 2018. In it, the London studio imagined a future where buildings the increasing agency of domestic appliances leads to buildings taking on human features.

Still I Rise by Lakwena Maciver, 2017

London artist Lakwena Maciver paints large-scale murals combining colour, pattern and type, often communicating messages of hope and faith.

Still I Rise is a 2017 mural at the Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA, commissioned as part of citywide project that saw artists paired with local landmarks. Maciver's contribution is inspired by writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou's poem of the same name.

Rosebank Arcade by Edward Crooks, 2019

Whitechapel-based Edward Crooks created a large-scale wall and floor installation to transform Waltham Forest's busiest pedestrian thoroughfare into a colourful artwork.

The piece is designed to appear like a fragment of a grand civic arcade, with arches pained on the walls and a 20-metre-long pattern on the floor.

Happy Street by Yinka Ilori, 2019

Yinka Ilori is a designer who combines colour and pattern based on his heritage. Located at Thessaly Road in Battersea, this was his first installation in the public realm. For the project, the British-Nigerian designerenveloped a railway bridge in his signature motifs.

Designed as part of the 2019 London Festival of Architecture, the permanent installation called Happy Street consists of 56 patterned-enamel panels that line both sides of the road under the bridge.

Temple of Agape by Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan, 2014

DesignersMorag Myerscough and Luke Morgan created the colourful Temple of Agape for the Festival of Love, which took place at London's Southbank Centre.

The structure is adorned with neon signs displaying words relating to love, along with a quote by Martin Luther King Jr that reads, "I have decided to stick with love."

Furman described Myerscoughas "my hero" and said: "She shares her knowledge with younger designers and has really opened up the way for the type of work that we're doing now."

Salt of Palmar hotel by Camille Walala, 2018

French artistCamille Walalahas been based in London since she completed her studio at Brighton University in 2009 and is known for large-scale public installations.

For this project, completed at the boutique Salt of Palmar hotel in Mauritius, Walala combined the bold monochromatic stripes seen in much of her work with sea blues and sunny yellow to complement the island's landscape.

Gateways by Adam Nathaniel Furman, 2017

Furman designed a series of ceramic-clad gateways for this 2017 installation at London Design Festival to showcased the history of Turkish tiles.

The four four-metre-high structures were each clad in a different type of tile employing decorative hand-painted tiles, contemporary flooring tiles, colourful square tiles and bevelled metro tiles.

The tiles were decorated using a "500-year-old technique of hand painting," Furman told Dezeen in a live interview for Virtual Design Festival last month. tiles. "I think, at the time, this was the most photographed installation at the London Design Festival."

Haus by Katrina Russell-Adams, 2020

Southeast London printmaker and visual artist Katrina Russell-Adams abstracted symbols and shapes found on architectural plans to create a pattern pained across the facade of architecture firm BAT Studio.

The artist worked with the founders of BAT Studio to produce several black and yellow relief elements that are included in the installation, which was funded by community arts organisationWood Street Walls.

No. 700 Reflectors by Rana Begum, 2016

Artist Rana Begum creates artworks that incorporate geometric patterns, often inspired by Islamic art and architecture.

As part of the redevelopment of King's Cross she combined 30,000 white, red and orange reflectors to create the 50-metre-long No. 700 Reflectors artwork that stretched the length of Lewis Cubitt Square.

Continue reading here:
Ten projects that represent the colourful New London Fabulous style - Dezeen

Can it really be thatQueerEye(Netflix) is on to its fifth season already? After a brief trip to Japan, the Fab Five have gone back to basics, although any notion that the whole-life-makeover experience they bring to deserving strangers is something basic really does their work a disservice. This is a deep dive into finding out who people are and what they need, and it is always as moving as it is entertaining.

By now, their brand of self-love, self-care, self-improvement and self-acceptance is laser-focused. There is nothing that can surprise the gang except maybe the mid-episode reveal that one participant is the brother of a famous pop star. The only real change here is that the headquarters have moved from Atlanta to Philadelphia. Jonathan Van Ness remains eternally watchable, even when hes simply shouting We love safety! and I love an alley! (That is alley, and not ally, though Im sure he loves both.) Food expert Antoni Porowski even shows up in a T-shirt emblazoned with Nothing irrational about my love for the National, a knowing nod to his seemingly endless supply of band T-shirts. This is a format so good that the five of them know it doesnt need a makeover.

In the opening episode, they meet Noah, a pastor who runs an evangelical church, who is struggling with his identity as a gay man. Through numerous heart-to-hearts, he learns to cook for himself, keep his appearance tidy and, crucially, he gets some major work done on his dilapidated parsonage. Most of the participants in this show need some new furniture and a lick of paint, but in this case, the walls are quite literally crumbling away.

Even though there is a reveal, they resist milking it with any hugely dramatic before-and-after moments, instead showing most of the tweaks as they go along. Still, its narrative of transformation gives it the irresistible appeal of Changing Rooms combined with What Not to Wear, with the added benefit of 20 years of social progression.

But its the life-coaching that ramps up the emotional intensity. Usually thats up to Karamo Brown, whose range of slogan T-shirts rivals Antonis collection of indie band merch (Cry today, smile tomorrow reads one). In the heavyweight opener, though, its mostly left to interior designer Bobby Berk to talk to Noah. When they meet, Berk makes his disdain for the church known. I was pre-warned, which is why I wore my fireproof suit, he jokes, dryly. Regular viewers will know his painful history with organised religion. The pair bond over their experiences of homophobia in the church, and both come to a new understanding about their place in the world. It would take a hard heart to deny the power of conversations as frank as this one. Its a reminder that for all of its positivity, the show is not afraid to ask difficult questions and offer difficult answers.

If this is an accurate portrait of the US, then it is a hopeful one. There is a mobile dog-groomer who is the tallest woman in her family at 6 3, a newly qualified paediatrician who gave birth six weeks before her final medical residency and an earnest teenager fully embracing politics and activism who is in danger of burning out. Ryan is a DJ on the Jersey Shore, at least by night, though by day he is a property manager for the family firm.

The nice thing aboutQueerEyeis that it pushes your feelgood buttons in the way you would largely expect the transformative power of a nice haircut, some carefully chosen and well-fitted clothes, a living space that suits the persons needs is clearly not to be underestimated but it also takes the occasional swerve into the surprising. You might be forgiven for thinking that the advice to Ryan would be to knuckle down, now that he is in his late 30s and wants to find a family, but instead, they encourage him to follow his heart, into the club.

This fifth season arrived with such haste that I checked my Netflix to see if I had finished the fourth. I still had three episodes to go. Five seasons of any show is a lot, in such a short period of time (the first run aired in 2018), but the beauty ofQueerEyeis that its adaptable and could run for years. Perhaps it will. It seems churlish to object to a show as wholesome as this on the grounds that there is too much of it. Its not as if there is an excess of love and understanding in the world. In its most poignant moments, and there are many, this show is compassionate, humanising and completely heartening.

Continued here:
Queer Eye season five review makeover show remains a thing of beauty - The Guardian

On Monday, Wizards of the Coast hit us with the banned and restricted announcement. Fires of Invention and Agent of Treachery have been banned in Standard, while the companions have been nerfed pretty heavily (you now have to pay 3 mana at sorcery speed to put one in your hand). So what do these changes mean? Well, for starters, the power level of the format will go down a lot. The undisputed best deck Lukka Fires has taken a big hit, basically becoming unplayable. Winota, possibly the second best deck, cant really function without Agent. Basically, things will come back to a pre-Ikoria state, which is pretty wild; its almost as if this set didnt exist for Standard purposes. Today, Im going to go over the 5 decks I believe will be at the top of the format moving forward. Ive ordered these from worst to best. Lets get started.

It feels like Temur Adventures always finds a way to be relevant in Standard. This deck didnt improve much with the new set, with its only new cards being Ketria Triome and Adventurous Impulse. After the bans, this might be a sleeper pick because the power level of the format will go down significantly, while Temur Adventures has been basically the same since the deck came into existence. Adventures has always been very solid against Teferi decks, while being playable against aggro thanks to Bonecrusher Giant. The bad matchups have always been decks with Mayhem Devil and Temur Reclamation. Devil took a backseat to Lurrus but, with the companions nerfs, it might be back on the menu. Only time will tell if Temur will end up tier 1, but it might be a good choice for another weekend, if Bant becomes prevalent.

This deck came to existence with Ikorias release, with all the nonland cards in the maindeck belonging to that set. The Lurrus nerf will hit this deck hard; its unclear to me if its supposed to be in the deck. There might be a different variant of this deck, with 3 mana cost cards, where you would omit it completely. Right now, I think Id start with it in my companion slot to see how much worse its gotten. Still, the plan of playing turn 1 Fox, make it a 5/5 and kill your opponent with it hasnt gotten worse. This was the best aggro deck pre-ban and that will probably still be the case in the new world. One interesting card Id like to try out is Reptilian Reflection; this could be a very resilient threat against Shatter the Sky, and it can also finish your opponent out of nowhere, because it has haste.

Good old Bant. We basically go to the version we played before Ikoria hit. Only upgrade is Shark Typhoon over Dream Trawler. In a direct fight of the Sphinx vs the Shark, the latter usually wins so therefore it makes sense to play the powerful enchantment. Other than that, this deck has a great sideboard, which can be adjusted for ones expected metagame. This deck still benefits from the powerhouse of Teferi + Elspeth Conquers Death, and Nissa might become a bit better too, because you will no longer fear it being stolen by Agent of Treachery. This might not be the best deck for week one, because its a reactive one; it might be better to wait before the meta settles a little bit to have a better sense of how to build it. Bant struggles a bit in game one against aggro so you should play carefully and safely, and devote a lot of cards in your sideboard against it.

I already mentioned Mayhem Devil coming back, and this is the shell Id start with. Crokeyz has been championing a similar list for a while, and I like it too. The combination of Citadel + Mayhem Devil can lead to wins out of nowhere. This deck grinds well with Trail, Citadel and Castle Locthwain, while also being strong against aggro thanks to Claim and Devil.

Similar to Bant, this deck has a pretty flexible sideboard with a plethora of options to choose from. There are a reasonable mix of cards, some of them even very dedicated against certain strategies. For example Soul-Guide Lantern is great against the Cycling deck to stop Zenith Flare, and Cindervines shines against Reclamation because of the namesake card. However, Im still a bit worried about the Reclamation matchup. Historically Reclamation has come up ahead against this deck, because your clock isnt super fast, and they will kill you with Explosion before you can grind them down. This might be a big problem, because, well, you probably already guessed that Reclamation is number one on my list.

Fans of Ivan Floch rejoice! Ivan has dominated in the past couple months with this deck and we might well see that trend continue. With no nerfs to this archetype and a sweet addition in Shark Typhoon, this will be the deck to beat on the first week. Not much to talk about here in terms of card specifics. Ivan has already written about this deck, so I recommend checking out his piece (Ivan Flochs Temur Reclamation Deck Guide: Navigating Around Ikoria Standard). One new card Id like to try is Fire Prophecy. Scorching Dragonfire has been getting the nod over the Prophecy, but without Lurrus in the format and Anax no longer seeing much play, it might be better to improve your hand over exiling a creature. With Yorion decks being taken out of the format, I dont see a deck that beats Reclamation easily and Im honestly surprised that it wasnt hit by the banhammer as well. Maybe players can adapt to this deck, but its honestly super versatile with Shark Typhoon providing you an answer to the problematic planeswalkers.

Thats it from me today, do you think I missed anything? Are there any other decks you would deem to be tier 1 in the new format? Let me know in the comments.

Visit link:
5 Decks to Beat in the New Post-Ban Standard MTG Arena Zone - MTG Arena Zone