Designing with Soul
Celebrating Black History with our local designers.
“What I need is an unlocked door and an honest shot—it’s up to me to throw open the door, run through, and shine! If I fail to do so, the responsibility is mine.”
I’m sad to say there are not more black interior designers here in Richmond. There are 93,300 interior designers in America, roughly 1,900 to 4,600 are Black. That only makes up about 2-5% of the total industry according to American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA). I cannot say why that is, but I know there are some amazing Black interior creatives out there.
One of my all time favorite interior designers, even though he is known more for his artwork is Theaster Gates. He has created some of the most brilliant repurposed spaces, and as with a lot of Black designers out there, he creates spaces with purpose. I find a lot of Black interior design to use vibrant and bold colors. They tend to design with cultural elements in mind and create spaces that adhere to timeless and modern elegance. You get tired of seeing homogenized spaces, sometimes it warms you up a bit to enter a home that has a rich texture and character to it and I feel a lot of Black interior designers portray that aesthetic.
In celebration of Black History month, I wanted to highlight some of our very own Black Interior Designers in Richmond.
Wilson Lee Interiors
Designer Angela Wilson Lee of Wilson Lee Interiors creates innovative and genuine spaces that create synched up vibes from decor to client. She provides award-winning service and full gamut of design options for both residential and commercial sites.
Andre Young Interiors
Andre Young is the owner of Andre Young Interiors here in Richmond. He is famously known for his holiday interiors, but also his use of vibrant colors. It’s all about the details with Andre and he’s got a gift for matching the right elements to compliment a room.
Tiara R Holloway
Founder, Owner, and Designer, Tiara is RVA homegrown and runs Vivacious Interior By Tiara LLC. She also started the RVA Design Group, a non-profit organization for other Interior Designers. Her specialty is creating refreshed spaces intacting historical elements.
Rare Gems Interior Designs
Interior Designer and Owner, ShaVonnie Zimmerman, like many, found her passion in her own home’s project. Her collaborative spirit and hands on experience has taken many rough diamonds into polished-mode.
