4 Black Designers on How They Celebrate Their Culture Through Design
Design: David Quarles IV / Photo: Selavie Photography
As February is Black History Month, it's an excellent time to celebrate the incredible Black designers who contribute to the design world all year long.
We are lucky to regularly connect with a wide array of amazing Black designers for in-depth interviews about their work and their stories in our Black Designers series. For Black History Month, we turned a few of our faves and chatted about how their culture not only influences their work, but enhances it.
Here’s what each designer had to say, in their own words.
Meet the Experts
David Quarles, IV is a Memphis-based interior designer, content creator, and jewelry designer.
DuVäl Reynolds is the founder and principal designer of DuVäl Design.
Lauren Ashley is the founder and CEO of Lauren Ashley Experiences
Ashley Ross is the founder and creative director of the Chicago-based design firm, Muse Noir.
Consider a Home’s Function
DuVäl Reynolds (DR): My design sensibilities are shaped by my culture as it relates to function and purpose. Growing up in a home of mixed cultures—African American and Korean—there was such a focus on gatherings, entertaining family, and traditions.
The beauty of home was the warmth it created, the fostered feeling of connectivity and shared experiences.
Prioritize a Safe, Secure Space
Ashley Ross (AR): How someone feels in a space is always going to be more important to me as a designer because of my culture. We live in a society that does not always see us, and one that often diminishes our contributions. So, we make it a point to journey our clients to the intersection of culture and interior wellness.
Our design sensibilities make space for us to stand in the gap when clients arrive home, to rebuild all ideas of self-worth, and connectedness. Something as simple as being seen is paramount to the sheer existence of humanity. Most, if not all, of our clients are going out into the world as less than their whole selves out of necessity, as a survival tactic.
My culture pushes me to focus on safe, seen, and secure interiors before all else.
Use Colors and Textures to Add History and Tradition
Photo: Laura Sumrak / Artwork: 'Me Against the World' by Gee Horton / Design: Muse Noire Interiors
David Quarles, IV (DQIV): On my dad’s side, we’re Dominican, Creole, Irish, and Liberian, and on my mom’s side we are Indigenous American. So, there’s a lot as far as color, texture, and history that goes into the things that I’ve used for curating my home.
Lauren Ashley (LA): By curating spaces that evoke a sense of history, tradition, and cultural pride, I aim to create an immersive experience that resonates with both my clients and their visitors.
Paint on a Beautiful Canvas
DQIV: I like to stick to midcentury modern as a base because of its clean lines and its quality furniture. You have a bit of the natural elements like walnut wood, so it serves as a beautiful canvas for me to later paint on the personality of my history and my ethnicity. That’s how I approach design for both myself and my clients.
Provide a Sense of Belonging
Photo: Markus Wilborn / Design: DuVäl Design
DQIV I like the ask really in-depth questions. Our questionnaire is legit long, but it helps us avoid the back and forth. We really take the lift of worries from our clients and make sure it reflects them in every way, all the way down to their playlist or a song to describe the space.
LA: Representation is one of our company design principles. Informed by my client's cultural background, I prioritize ensuring that [they] see themselves reflected authentically in their living spaces.
This goes beyond mere aesthetics. It encompasses a holistic approach where every element, from paint colors to textures, carries the essence of their culture and heritage. I strive to create spaces that resonate with my clients' identities and provide a sense of belonging.
Add Beauty and Purpose with Art
LA: Cristina Martinez (@sew_trill on Instagram) is a phenomenal artist whose work resonates deeply with me. What inspires me most about her work is her ability to capture the essence of social and cultural movements through her art. "Black Lives Matter" is not just a visually stunning piece; it's a powerful statement that embodies the urgency, passion, and resilience of the movement.
AR: I can run down a roster of artists and photographers whose work speaks to our shared experiences in a way that needs no explanation. There is no culture without art. It is that powerful, and for centuries we’ve decided to value it only after an artist is gone, so we make sure to prioritize it today in our projects.
There’s nothing more captivating than a shared language without words. Reginald Cunningham and his photography, @KidNobal, and Gee Horton’s photorealistic drawings [have all] found a way to tell our stories, cementing moments of cultural reverence.
Pull Inspiration from Icons
Photo: Markus Wilborn / Art: Reginald Cunningham / Design: Muse Noire Interiors
DQIV: I use music because I’m a synesthete and I experience chromesthesia, so I use music to pull the colors. It’s a way for me to capture the mood exactly with this superpower I possess. For instance, I used “It’s My House” by Diana Ross, which I experience as peach, blunt pink, sunshine yellow, and greens. After the colors, I pull in textures so that the space literally feels like the song.
What is Synesthesia?
Synesthetes, or people with synesthesia, experience multiple sense simultaneously. Chromesthesia is associated with hearing sounds and seeing specific colors at the same time.
DR: Incorporating cultural design and references within a home can be achieved with imagery and artwork. One way is by celebrating influential leaders and community game-changers within photography. This can lead to great inspiration when reminded by the many contributions being made by, within, and for the community.
Create Connections to Meaningful Places
DQIV: I like to bring in things from my travels that are reflective of culture—artwork from New Orleans, sincara dolls (literally, dolls “without a face”) from artisans in the Dominican Republic. I also like to bring back little casitas from DR that reflect the colorful homes there. I add these to the base layer and the clean lines that I always use.
LA: My cultural upbringing has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness between people, place, and community. I consider not only the individual needs and preferences of my clients but also the broader cultural context in which they exist.
By fostering [these] connections through design elements that honor local traditions, landscapes, and architecture, I aim to create environments that foster a sense of rootedness.
Look to Incredible Peers and Designers Who Have Paved the Way
DR: Joy Moyler is a huge inspiration as an A-list designer who is not predictable and is so versatile. We make a lot of effort to be flexible and fluid with our design projects and are inspired by designers like her. Sheila Bridges also comes to mind as such a forerunner for our community, embracing the beauty of our heritage and culture.
And of course, Corey Damen Jenkins is making waves all over and is also knocking down doors in the traditional design, which has often been reserved for our counterparts. Honestly, the list could go on and on!
AR: Carmen Nash of Loft and Thought keeps me equal parts inspired and in awe of her stewardship and aesthetics of lost treasures. The woman clearly has an eye but it is her relentless pursuit of the preservation of beautiful things that makes her a BFF in my head. I see her pieces and begin to draft stories in my head about their origins, go see for yourself—@loftandthought and tell her her BFF sent you!
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Read the original article on The Spruce.
