Celebrating Black architects & designers: 7 black designers to follow on instagram

Madison Bennett
Feb 28, 2021
5 min read

It's no secret that the interior design industry has long had a diversity problem. The American Society of Interior Designers, the oldest, largest, and only multi-disciplinary professional organization for interior designers, reports that less than 2% of their members identify as black. Our home decor reflects so much of our personality and values. So, doesn’t it make sense to look for a diverse set of design perspectives to help shape our aesthetic eye? As the industry continues to attempt to become more inclusive, there's no better time than right now to get to know more black designers and to celebrate their work.

I wanted to conclude my Black History Month series (view my previous posts on Paul R. Williams or Sheila Bridges here) with a way to support diversity in home design industries, so I pulled together a list of my favorite up and coming black interior designers that are a major source of inspiration for me.

1. Black Interior Designer Network

@blackinteriordesignersnetwork

The Black Interior Designer Network is an organization whose mission is to highlight and support designers of color within the interior design industry. BIDN is one of my favorite resources to find new up-and-coming designers, sources of inspiration, and even career opportunities through their online community and Instagram page.

2. Veronica Solomon

@casavilora

Based in Katy, Texas, Veronica Solomon brings over 12 years of expertise to her role as leader of Casa Vilora Interiors design team. Her design style can be summed up as eclectic, classic, bold, whimsical, and yet timeless. Solomon pulls from her Jamaican heritage to create multilayered spaces that mix old with new, and boldly use color, pattern, and texture. In her own words, Solomon describes her design philosophy as "…the belief that a home should tell the story of the people who live there. I believe that everyone deserves great design and incorporating their story into the space they call home is always my goal." Solomon is also devoted to paving the way for future generations of black designers. Audrey Gray of Architectural Digests called her “Interior Designs Motivator in Chief”. She has made it her mission to mentor up-and-coming designers and currently runs an online community of over 3,500 designers.

3. Forbes+Masters

@forbesandmasters

Atlanta-based designers, Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters, both notable designers in their own right, met when their paths overlapped on a project. Each recognized something unique in the other and the two established a professional friendship which eventually led to the founding of their design firm, Forbes+Masters. The firm “specializes in curating the essence of you or your brand into custom-tailored residential and commercial spaces”. Both Monet and Tavia share an affinity for bold, eclectic, and personality-driven designs. In her own words, Monet says, “The common denominator in all our projects is boldness and high texture. A lot of designers subscribe to a certain style because that’s where they are comfortable, but if you’re dealing with different people for every project, a different feel and look should be produced.” As individuals, Tavia and Monet each bring unique strengths to their projects. Tavia utilizes her business background and gift for personal connections to spearhead budgets, meetings, proposal presentations, and client relationships, among other things. While Monet applies her design school background to oversee project logistics, manage contractors, and organize installations, working behind the scenes to make sure everything is in order. She also takes the reigns on renderings and floor plans.

Their impressive list of clients includes ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star Kandi Burruss, NFL players Josh Bynes and Bobby Rainey.

4. Cory Damen Jenkins

@coreydamenjenkins

Corey Damen Jenkins’ success story is made for television. He landed his first project after going door-to-door in Michigan during the recession of 2009 (“I literally knocked on 779 doors in the dead of winter”). Upon posting the completed photos to his website, he was recruited by HGTV, where audiences voted him winner of the network’s design competition series. Jenkins mixes vivid colors with layered patterns to create architecturally inspired spaces that are polished, inventive, and unexpected. Taking cues from the haute couture runway, his projects feature luxurious and refined materials. In his own words, “I would define my design philosophy as new maximalist: a bold, Continental mix of elegance and modernity. My ultimate goal is to ensure that my clients’ homes are always classic, livable, and without an expiration date.” Jenkins has worked with clients hailing from throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and his firm maintains offices in New York City and Detroit, Michigan. His work has graced the front covers of House Beautiful and Traditional Home, and he has appeared as a design expert & host on HGTV’s Showhouse Showdown, Open House TV, and most recently The Rachael Ray Show.

5. Eneia White

@eneiawhiteinteriors

After working for high-end residential and commercial design firms in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New York, Eneia White launched Eneia White Interiors, located in New York City, in 2018. She works largely with residential clients, bringing value to their homes, thinking outside the box, and creating spaces of comfort and respite. Residing and practicing design across the country has given White a unique perspective into how culture, location, and environment shapes the client’s lifestyle and needs. White’s work is driven by the thrill of translating a client's personality into their individual spaces. As she says, "Having the opportunity to create special moments throughout their home, that feel personal and charming, drives me to help them discover what ‘home’ means to them. I'm grateful for the chance to deliver creative solutions while working with some pretty amazing people along the way!"

6. Nicole Gibbons

@nicolegibbonsstyle

Nicole Gibbons, an interior designer, and TV personality, is an expert at crafting elegant designs that somehow still feel approachable. Her entry into the design world tracks back to 2008, when she launched a design blog as a creative outlet to “gush about the things I loved” while working full-time in public relations. Though the blog began as a simple side hobby, it wasn’t long before friends and subscribers were requesting her design eye, and after a decade in PR, she quit to grow the blog and her newly developed design firm, Nicole Gibbons Studio. In 2013 she made her television debut on Home Made Simple, a design show on the OWN Network. When she found through personal experience as a designer that no paint brands were offering an easy or convenient way to shop for paint, she made it her mission to change that. In her own words, “The incumbents who dominate the paint market are 100- to 200-year-old companies who have never changed the way they distribute, create, or market their products. And this is 2018, the consumer landscape has shifted.” She is the CEO and founder of Clare, a user-friendly, innovative, and environmentally conscious paint brand that solves the pain points often associated with paint purchasing.