Diversify Your Interior Design Community

Systemic Racism

This past week we have seen a lot happening in the racial equality front. What I am worried about is that once the hype has died down, so will white action. We’ll go back to our comfortable, privileged lives, leaving BIPOC to fight this fight mostly alone.

I benefit from a racist system. If you’re white or white-passing, so do you. It’s ingrained and takes a lot of unlearning. We’ll probably never get it perfectly “right” but that’s not the point, the point is to do everything we can to rectify 400+ years of harm. Yes, it may not be our “fault” but we are still active participants in the system that benefits whites and hurts black and brown people especially.

Check out Instagram for more resources I’ve shared about my own anti-racism work as well as people to follow that aren’t in the interiors industry.

Today’s post is focused squarely on BIPOC in the interiors industry and how you can support and even become an ally for them.

Educate Yourself.

You’re here, you’re reading this, but more importantly you should be hearing from black and brown voices particularly:

• 25 Black Interior Designers Speak Frankly About Their Careers, Successes, and Challenges

• Diversity and Design Does It Matter?

• Black Interior Designers Spill on Diversity in the Industry

• How to Stand Up for Inclusion in Design

• You Need to Diversify Your Feed

Seek out BIPOC businesses to support.

Stretch outside your comfort zone and put your money where your values are. I hope that you add a couple of these shops to your sourcing rotation.

1. https://www.reflektiondesign.com/

2. https://www.scentandfire.com/

3. https://tackussanusenegal.com/

4. https://www.evasonaike.com/

5. https://boleroadtextiles.com/

6. https://www.blkmktvintage.com/

7. https://expeditionsubsahara.com/

8. https://malenebarnett.com/

9. https://54kibo.com/

10. http://www.osxnasozi.com/

11. https://shoppeblack.us/

12. https://www.blackpepperpaperie.com/

13. https://www.livvyandneva.com/

14. https://www.sheilabridges.com/shop/

15. https://rayoandhoney.com/

16. https://www.kintsugicandleco.com/

17. https://effortlesscomposition.com/

18. https://www.jungalow.com/

19. https://www.alisandifer.com/

20. https://www.tactilematter.com/

21. https://www.aphrochic.com/shop/

22. https://www.ellegibson.com/

23. https://eighthgeneration.com/

24. https://www.indianpueblostore.com/

25. https://indigoarrows.ca/collections/all

26. https://fivefifths.co/

Follow BIPOC in design and business.

Here are some the people I follow for design and business:

@sgardnerstyle / @keiamcswain / @carmeon_hamilton / @blackinteriordesignersnetwork / @daykarobinson/ @mrserikaward / @leahalexander / @reclaimedkarma / @nicolemcrowder / @dwellbycheryl/ @myleik/ @candacesheppard / @roporterdesign / @myleik / @labellatiffancy / @apt5interiors / @nikimcneil / @tiffanybrooksinteriors / @design.is.life / @stacypiercephotography

Uplift voices of BIPOC.

Their perspectives, opinions, and experiences are just as valid as white people’s. But they don’t receive the same opportunities to share. You can help:

• Question the publications that aren’t featuring projects by BIPOC.

• Make sure that if invited to speak on a podcast, a panel, or conference that there is a diverse range of speakers. Decline the invitation if the organizers aren’t inclusive.

• Look around at your community, if your platforms are very white you know you’re not doing a good job of being inclusive .

• Watch out for cultural appropriation in interior design, we should be uplifting cultures that are not our own, not stealing from them.

Share your favorite interior design industry BIPOC-owned business and people that you support below.