Black history month is upon us (ayyyye), Black Panther is out here making me temporarily care about super hero movies (Lupita is my shepherd), and is it just me or have TV choices gotten like 5% blacker in the last year or so? All in all, black and African identity is in an era of positivity, visibility and celebration and I’m just over here sipping champagne and watching folks be great on the internet.
(Shout out to Philip Emeagwali, Nigeria-born engineer and one of the forefathers of said internet.) #themoreyouknow
I digress. This post is supposed to be about expression and the inspiration for it.
Fashion has always been the godmutha of interior trends. If you see it on the runway, you’ll see it in Instagram decor porn in a hot sec. And Target will get it 2 years after that. The relationship between the two worlds makes sense.They come from the same place in us… the spot that likes to see the most interesting parts of ourselves reflected back (cuz most of us are all too intimate with the least interesting parts). There are as many creative perspectives to pull from as there are people. And it’s all just out there to feed us and help us discover what we like and who we are and, ultimately, to celebrate more loudly what makes us up.
So in honor of BHM, I just wanna highlight one of a million sources of inspiration from the culture!
There are few places more rich in inspiration than the (unofficial) world’s most stylish gathering of folks, Afropunk Fest. I’ve collected some trends from last summer’s looks that I was feeling all the way and I’ll show you some ideas for how I might translate some of the overall themes to the language I speak… interiors!
Let’s get it.
First up, African prints (yep. Obviously)
Somehow these waxed and printed textiles manage to look both connected to the past and very right now.
And the colors and patterns are endless.
I prefer a more muted color scheme but the vibe is the same.
Golden metals
I probably don’t need to make a case for gold. It’s literally the gold stan… nope. I’m trying to be better.
Check out these gorgeous gilded pieces.
Metallic accents can really incorporate nicely into so many different decor styles.
Beads
I love some natural woods and a little movement and drama.
The same principles apply to make beads great in decor too!
Shape/ Lines/ Balance/ Proportion
COLOR POPS
I’m not adventurous like this in my wardrobe.
My six year old self would not be impressed.
I think even for those of us with funphobia there’s always room for a little colorful interesting detail or focal point.
white on white
So Fresh. So Clean. Etc…
Looks great on. Looks great in your house. Don’t sleep on white.
Timeless, versatile, happy and uncomplicated.
all black everything
I mean. You get it.
Black is commanding and mysterious and comforting, the color you see while you sleep. It’s my happy place. If anything, I have to chill out with all the black in my house but for right now who wants to sell an organ and go half on this head storage thingy?
whimsy
Admittedly, my style is not whimsical. But I love it for ya’ll.
It was kinda fun to stretch myself and hunt for kinda silly decor in this category. I could see some of these pieces breaking up the monotony of otherwise sophisticated rooms.
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And just for fun, let’s do a little time traveling to revisit a few bold fashion/ decor pairings from the past.
Somebody’s uncle was out here rocking the plaid pants and the taco meat with 100% confidence, as you do.
The best of the 80s honored the high contrast superpowers of black and white. The worst of it honored glass block.
And the 90s embraced bright poppy colors. But I’m pretty sure it’s the 90s again cuz there’s like 3 trends in that left pic that are happening right the hell now. And I’m not mad.
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Just being nosy:
Is your fashion sense coordinated with your decor? Could people pick your house out of a lineup based on your look?
