I am excited to announce the follow up to the Diversity in Design series. Design in Color is my new labor of love a blog the chronicles designers of color and their spaces. Also please enjoy the new e-book which is a collection of the posts from the blog.
Thank you for following the Diversity In Design series, it has been an amazing journey. The video is my personal thanks and an announcement about the future of Diversity In Design. To all of you designers out there consider submitting your work if you have an extensive portfolio to theAfrican American Design Archive, or the Latino Design Archive, or the History Makers Archive. At the very least bookmark those sites so that when you do have work to show you can be a part of the legacy of designers of color.
As a product designer I spend a lot of time going to tradeshows, trend forecasts, meetups and networking events and always notice the lack of diversity in the room. For the last few years I have spoken to other designers and even bloggers about why nobody ever does a designer of color spotlight atleast during the month of February. I decided over a week ago to fill the void myself. My inspiration came most recently from following Wayne Sutton and his #28 Days Of Diversity: People Impacting Social Media blog. I have connected and learned about fellow colleagues in social media that I was unfamiliar with and hope to offer the same benefit by introducing you to a few brilliant creatives in the world of design. Sure we are jumping into the beauty of a new month, but history of people of color is happening daily. So lets continue into March, celebrating the color of design.
Day 28: Meet Henry Mitchell
Henry is a Brooklyn based interior architect, celebrated by New York Magazine as one of New York’s 100 “best” interior designers. He started his career at Jack Travis Architects and launched his design firm Henry Mitchell Interior Architecture in 1995. His work has since been featured in national publications, coffee tables books as well as on Oprah where he showed off his 750 sq ft home and design solutions for living in a small space. Henry’s approach to design is modern with classic design touches. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Henry in one of the beautiful homes that he designed for a mutual friend, and his attention to detail and ability to bring out the personality of the homeowner is amazing. The home he designed will be in the upcoming design issue of NY Magazine. Henry is currently revamping his website and can be reached at info@hmia.net
As a product designer I spend a lot of time going to tradeshows, trend forecasts, meetups and networking events and always notice the lack of diversity in the room. For the last few years I have spoken to other designers and even bloggers about why nobody ever does a designer of color spotlight atleast during the month of February. I decided over a week ago to fill the void myself. My inspiration came most recently from following Wayne Sutton and his #28 Days Of Diversity: People Impacting Social Media blog. I have connected and learned about fellow colleagues in social media that I was unfamiliar with and hope to offer the same benefit by introducing you to a few brilliant creatives in the world of design. Sure we are jumping into the beauty of a new month, but history of people of color is happening daily. So lets continue into March, celebrating the color of design.
Day 27: Meet Leydon Lewis
Leydon Lewis, the founder and creative director of Leydon Lewis Design Studio in Brooklyn is a triple threat. Not only is Leydon an interior designer but also a fine artist and furniture designer. Leydon was one of the designers who participated in the first African American showhouse “Harlem United Show House” in 1998 and hasn’t stopped. He designed a space in the 1999 Kips Bay Showhouse as well as countless projects that include luxury residences, public corridors and model apartments. As a fine artist he exhibited in the Harlemworld: Metropolis and Metaphor show at the Studio Museum. Leydon also designs custom cabinetry and built-ins as well as as one of a kind sculptural furnishings. Leydons’ work is classic and quite modern with punches of color that pay homage to his Trinidadian heritage. To learn more about Leydon and to check out his beautiful portfolio of work visit his website.
As a product designer I spend a lot of time going to tradeshows, trend forecasts, meetups and networking events and always notice the lack of diversity in the room. For the last few years I have spoken to other designers and even bloggers about why nobody ever does a designer of color spotlight atleast during the month of February. I decided over a week ago to fill the void myself. My inspiration came most recently from following Wayne Sutton and his #28 Days Of Diversity: People Impacting Social Media blog. I have connected and learned about fellow colleagues in social media that I was unfamiliar with and hope to offer the same benefit by introducing you to a few brilliant creatives in the world of design. Sure we are jumping into the beauty of a new month, but history of people of color is happening daily. So lets continue into March, celebrating the color of design.
Day 26: Meet Kim Myles
Kim Myles an interior designer and HGTV show host came under my radar after winning reality design series, HGTV’s Design Star. I followed that season to see how my fellow New Yorker and former hairdresser would combine color texture and personality to win the judges over. Her smile is infectious and her design ideas were amazing and aspirational. Kim’s key is color she always surprises you with her selections that at times may seem unthinkable but always work in the space. She also has a knack for playing with textures and layering that add depth and a bit of bohemian rhapsody (if you will) to her spaces. Her show Myles of Style updates spaces that have very little character or color and breathes life into them without breaking the bank, offering up ideas that we can use in our spaces as well. The show airs on Firdays at 4/3c and for those who would like to play catch up you can see past shows here. To learn more about Kim check out both her HGTV site and personal site.
As a product designer I spend a lot of time going to tradeshows, trend forecasts, meetups and networking events and always notice the lack of diversity in the room. For the last few years I have spoken to other designers and even bloggers about why nobody ever does a designer of color spotlight atleast during the month of February. I decided over a week ago to fill the void myself. My inspiration came most recently from following Wayne Sutton and his #28 Days Of Diversity: People Impacting Social Media blog. I have connected and learned about fellow colleagues in social media that I was unfamiliar with and hope to offer the same benefit by introducing you to a few brilliant creatives in the world of design. Sure we are jumping into the beauty of a new month, but history of people of color is happening daily. So lets continue into March, celebrating the color of design.
Day 24: Meet Aline Matsika
Aline is a NY based interior designer and former owner of Concept Ethnic, a Paris based design boutique. I heard of Aline from friends based in Paris that had told me about her moving to the states and opening up shop in NY. Her shop was based in Soho until about a year and a half ago when she closed. Aline continues her design career in interiors creating contemporary spaces with both French and African inspiration. She has a way of blending Kuba cloth into almost any design style in an effortless and modern way. She covers pillows to French settees and chairs creating timeless and stylish accents. Her reupholstering of antique French furniture in Kuba cloth or raffia from Senegal is inspiring as well as her ability to infuse ethnic artificats into her rooms. Aline makes it easy to see how easy you can blend African textiles and accents into any room. To see more from Aline check out her portfolio on her website.