Black Interior Designers You Need To Know About
Whether you're planning the layout of your future home or current living space, there are always so many outlets you can go to for interior design inspiration. TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are a few of the most popular platforms to get some ideas for your home. They each give you a glimpse of what other people's homes look like and allow you to create your own vision boards to put your ideas together in one place.
It can sometimes be challenging to figure out what you want our space to look like. Deciding on colors, patterns, and accent decor isn't for everyone, but there's a wide range of interior designers who can help. Some focus on maximalism design, filling their homes with bright colors and idiosyncratic furniture pieces, while others prefer minimalism design, sticking to neutral tones and bare furniture. There's something for everyone. MyDomaine talks about the top 30 Black interior designers folks should be following on Instagram for some inspiration.
Brigette Romanek
Self-taught interior designer, Brigette Romanek, is based in Los Angeles, where she started her Romanek Design Studio, helping folks find the right style for their home. She has worked with top celebrities such as Beyonce, Joe Jonas, and Demi Moore. Focusing on creating one-of-a-kind spaces, Romanek strives for bolder pieces. "Never trendy, the spaces must be fresh, functional, aesthetically alive, that will continue to inspire for years to come," she wrote on her website.
Scrolling through her Instagram, you can see how her taste changes and grows from client to client — working with fun, colorful fabrics making the space customizable and personal, creating a better experience for her clients. From her experience with traveling and living in various parts of the world, Romanek's inspirations can be seen through her own work. She's also been on the Architectural Digest's "AD 100" list four times as one of the top designers in the world.
Beth Diana Smith
Leaving the corporate world, Beth Diana Smith decided to launch her own interior design firm. After working for companies like Johnson and Johnson and Viacom, Smith successfully used her project management experience to launch her self-titled business. She also has a Master's degree in Science from Seton Hall University and a degree from the New York School of Interior Design, according to her website.
Smith has an eye for maximalism design and isn't afraid to use it. She focuses on a modern style with lavish finishings and custom furnishings. Her feed is filled with deep purple, blue, and green colors. She designs spaces with gold accents, huge colorful wall art, and vignettes. She can make pieces different from each other work together as if they were made for each other. Her work centers around her clients and helps them discover their own style by creating a space that inspires them and enhances their lifestyle.
Kelly Finley
Former lawyer Kelly Finley decided to start her own interior business, Joy Street Design, in 2011. She received her law degree from Stanford Law School and has an interior design degree from UC Berkeley. Her intention behind starting her own business was simple: everyone deserves to live in a home they love. Joy Street Design is based in Oakland, California, where they provide full services for residential interior design, per her website.
Finley's style centers around vibrant colors and contemporary style. She's bold with colorful fabrics, textures, and decor making every space she designs as personal as possible for her clients. Her Instagram page is filled with gray, green, and blue hues, with a pop of pink and purple in some places. Built-in wall bookshelves seem to be a staple for her designs by the looks of her posts. They create more room to fill with knick-knacks in a smaller space. Finley finds joy in creating and designing for young families bringing their older homes to life.
Justina Blakeney
Founder of Jungalow, Justina Blakeney, assembled a team of eight ladies to take on the interior design world. Blakeney's design style screams wildlife as her inspiration comes from the jungle. "She believes that living energies in the home: the people, the pets, and the plants are what make a house a home," according to her website. Aside from interior design, she is a watercolor artist and creates sketches that have been turned into designs she sells on her website.
Jungalow's profile is curated with an abundance of bright colors ranging from green to yellow, orange, and pink. The various plants sitting on shelves, hanging from the ceiling, or hanging out in the corner of the room bring the space to life. You feel like you're really in the jungle when you look through the posts. Blakeney believes that color has the power to bring joy, that pattern is the spice of design, and that plants are magic, according to her website.
Corey Damen Jenkins
Based in New York City, Corey Damen Jenkins founded his interior design business, Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates, with a mission to help his clients' home be a space that is "classic, livable, and without an expiration," he states on his website. Aside from New York City, he has an office in Detroit, Michigan. Jenkins has made it to Architectural Digest's "AD 100" list along with Elle Decor's A-List naming him one of the top interior designers. His eloquent style is made up of vivid colors with layered patterns.
Jenkin's Instagram feed gives you a look into his modern interior inspiration with neutral tones and colorful accent pieces. He focuses on a classical look where he mixes wooden furnishings with cool based colors such as blue and green, a reflection of his clients. Jenkin actively listens to his clients' needs and asks them numerous questions when he's designing in order to give them the best results. Jenkin told StarkCarpet, "My creative process depends a lot on the client and their comfort zones. The idea is to really make the house and the project that we're developing to look more like the client."