These Black Designers Are Changing the Design Space

Chicago designer April Gandy and Houston designer Sherrell Neal share some of their most inspirational projects, design tips and their takes on how the design world should evolve.

February 17, 2023

By: Lauren Oster

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Photo By: Cate Black

Photo By: Michael Hunter

Photo By: Cate Black

Photo By: Michael Hunter

Photo By: Cate Black

Photo By: Jason McCoy

Photo By: Laquisha Love

Finding Your Way Into Design? Sherrell Neal’s Door Is Open.

Houston designer Sherrell Neal watched her father nurture his remodeling business as she tended her own passion for interiors, and she developed that passion with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Art Institute of Houston. Her redefined-traditional aesthetic has earned Sherrell Design Studio attention and well-deserved accolades, and she wants to help designers who don’t have a toehold in her world find their way in. “Challenge your ego and connect with others in the industry where you do see your perspective,” she advises. “We are out here, and many of us want to help and mentor. Connect with me, I’m here for it.”

Only one in 40 American interior designers is Black, and that wildly misrepresents this country’s talent pool and identity. Neal sees progress over the past few years, and notes that more of the creative Black community is being celebrated and hired. “Keep building on this progress by placing us in front to represent the design community as trusted leaders and experts in our field,” she says. “Give us speaking engagements that relate to design topics and not just the diversity in design conversations. Thread our range of talent alongside our peers of other races throughout the year, and not just during Black History Month. Ask our non-Black peers to highlight their favorite Black-owned business or design resource. We’re out here creating and selling well-made goods through channels the public has no idea is made by a Black-owned business.”

This design double header begins with her tips and continues with a master class from Chicago designer April Gandy. Fair warning: You’ll want to take notes.

Invest in Traditional Techniques

This bedroom owes its opulence to Neal’s own past as well as her reverence for other makers. “I desired to create an envelope that would contrast against the white-painted furnishings I’d chosen for the space,” she says. “I was inspired by the linings of drawers and cupboards growing up as a child. And instead of wallpaper, I decided on a stencil that would apply directly to the white-painted walls using a contrasting paint color. I love the scale of this pattern against the smaller fabric prints in the room. There’s something special about hand-applied wall decoration that takes me to the past. It’s a technique that screams tradition, which I can appreciate. The bed was a consignment find, which was painted white and dressed in custom bed panels to create a cocoon-like feel.”

Let Function Guide Your Accessory Choices

This thoughtful bedside arrangement sticks the landing of adding character to the room without feeling haphazard. The key to that move? “I like to approach design with intention. So, I ask myself, what would a person need here? The obvious purpose is to use this as a desk, but it also serves as a bedside surface,” Neal says.

This glimpse also spotlights a canny bit of repurposing: The bolster pillow on the bed is a favorite piece of hers. “I’m a textile girl, so incorporating trims and contrast welts is my thing. I repurposed the room’s fabric remnants and added the fun braided trim for playfulness.”

See More Photos: 40 Passementerie Designs that Delight in the Details

Breathe Life Into a Dining Room With Touches of Blue

“I love blue. It’s an inviting universal color that works in any setting,” Neal says. Case in point: This delicate dining room, where tones that evoke a springtime sky pair beautifully with botanical elements. The plaster chandelier she suspended at its center functions as an almost abstract piece of art. “The branch-like design complemented the chinoiserie backdrop without overpowering the room,” she explains. “There’s a fine balance of traditional and modern, which really came together.”

See More Photos: 10 Ways to Decorate With Powder Blue

Take Your Time Tablescaping

If your dining table feels like a patchwork of patterns and provenances, you’re doing something right. Neal is in no rush to develop layered presentations like this one. “I prefer a curated look, instead of piecing together items all from the same place,” she says. “Most of these items were purchased over time and a collected vibe is more appealing to me. There’s no rules. Mix and match as much or as little as you like — and most importantly, buy what you love.”

To Style Shelves, Think About Balance — and Relax

“Styling can seem like solving a difficult math problem. And I can admit, I dread bookshelves,” she says, laughing. “But with all styling, I use a high-low or triangle formula to find balance on each surface. Fortunately, this [home] wasn’t void of small accessories, so there was a lot to work with. Books of different heights and framed pictures are your best friend when decorating shelves. Don’t shy away from collectibles, family portraits and heirlooms to fill the gaps. Just have fun with it.”

See More Photos: 45 Must-Know Tips for Styling Your Built-In Bookshelves

Develop Your Home’s Design With Well-Styled Vignettes

This beautifully curated corner contributes atmosphere that infuses the room surrounding it. “I think vignettes are really underrated in design,” Neal says. “When there is an opportunity to tell a story without seeing the whole room, I live for it. There’s charm to a corner. And although it’s pretty, I wanted this guest suite to feel like a home away from home. It’s a place to touch up your makeup or write postcards to loved ones, while soaking in a great view of the outside.”

See More Photos: Take a Seat: Main Bedroom Sitting Area Ideas

Refinish and Reupholster to Pull Disparate Pieces Together

What makes this elegant assortment work? “It’s simple and very much edited down, but sophisticated,” Neal says. “The dresser was a found vintage Henredon piece I had stripped down and re-finished. I designed new custom hardware that felt appropriate for the style and age of the piece. The chair is an antique I purchased on a buying trip, and [I] had a new velvet cushion made for it to mimic the brass tones throughout the space. I decided on a larger silk pleated lampshade for this buffet lamp to give more body atop this wide dresser where the Frame TV lives and layered in vessels with an unexpected silhouette for fresh flowers. They add a little edge to this feminine arrangement.”

Aim for Eclectic Sources in Every Room

How did Neal put a contemporary spin on old-school elegance in this sitting area? “Just like the dining room space… I gravitate towards the mix. Buying what you love will find its place next to your foundational pieces,” she says. “And as a designer, my own style continues to evolve, but I always find myself choosing similar lines and materials — maybe just applied differently within each project. To keep things fresh and timeless, blend painted finishes with antiques, incorporate layers of decorative lighting, mix fabric patterns and use window treatments to soften hard ceiling lines and windows for that traditional feel.”

Spotlight Pieces With Evocative History

The stunning installation above the mantel is more than a punch of contrast. “This piece is a reproduction of Paule Marrot’s popular archived textiles made by Natural Curiosities,” Neal says. It’s a popular wall accessory in our industry, however, I love what Marrot represents: [She was] a textile designer, painter, and even a car designer for Renault, credited for transforming the company’s predictable postwar image as an automobile maker into using more color and innovative fabric linings. This woman was a total boss. It’s a reminder to myself not to limit my passions as an artist. Be bold and multi-faceted.”

Meet April Gandy

As an interior designer who grew up on the south side of Chicago, April Gandy is well aware of how representation influences how we think about design. “When I was a kid, we could not afford to hire an interior designer. We could barely afford necessities. I never saw anyone doing this kind of work, so it was never on my radar for potential career paths,” she says. “As I got older and interested in home improvement, I would watch HGTV and other [networks] for inspiration, but I never saw anyone that looked like me in this arena.”

“When you don’t see someone that looks like you, especially doing something you consider fun, you think it’s not an option for you,” she continues. “Even when I considered starting my business, I would think to myself, Who is going to take me seriously?” She now coaches aspiring designers-to-be in addition to helming her firm, Alluring Designs Chicago, and she has advice for future colleagues who don’t see themselves represented in the design world. “I tell every client I coach that their value is defined by them, so they must own it,” she says. “In a country where we are still having ‘The first Black…’ in so many arenas, we have to dare to believe that we can be worthy of being the first to do something, too. If you don’t see anything that looks like your perspective, dare to be the first to do it.”

Beauty Is Possible on Any Budget

Gandy was a 23-year-old single parent when she purchased her first property — a 700-square-foot fixer-upper condo — and she learned in transforming it that standout features aren’t synonymous with standout price tags. Case in point: “This bathroom was one of the tightest budgets I’ve ever worked with,” she says. The owners were renovating and staging to sell their home, but they didn’t want to sink a fortune into changes.

“I knew I wanted a black-and-white theme with white walls for this space. The black accent wall started as burnt orange, so I knew it would be a challenge to get it white without adding extra costs (which I did not have in the budget), so I decided to make it a feature,” she says. She chose porcelain tiles that rang in at just $1.20 per square foot for the floor, and she used a garden stool and floating shelves in lieu of adding a pricey recessed niche for storage. That eye-catching artwork? A digital download from Etsy that cost $7. Her clients loved it so much that they brought it along to their new home after Gandy’s clever updates sold this one.

See More Photos: 50 Black and White Bathrooms We Love

Stumbling Blocks Can Be Stepping Stones

Gandy created this crisp, white vanity with kitchen cabinets. “For those looking to make their spaces feel more refined and sophisticated, my best advice is don’t overthink it,” she says. “A lot of times we base our material selections on what is ‘safe.’ Especially in common areas. Taking the leap to put exactly what you want in your space, without fear of judgment, will absolutely bring out some creative ideas.”

Her strict budget on this project energized her — as do curveballs of all kinds. “I love a challenge. Anything that pushes me out of my own comfort appeals to me, because I will undoubtedly learn something new that I can continue to use in future projects. Design is not driven by facts; it's driven by thinking outside the box and being creative with what you have.”

Coordinated (Not Copycat) Fixtures Are Key

When Gandy was able to stretch her wings with more costly fixtures, she made them count. “This project was one of the first projects I landed that had a budget that allowed me to add nicer pieces in the design,” she says. “I wanted to give my client something unique and eye-catching, that would make people wonder how it all worked together. I wanted there to be a good amount of variety with the lighting, rather than selecting a family of lights that were all similar. I wanted it to be so out of the box that people would know my client couldn’t have done this on their own. Each fixture is a totally different style, but everything works together well because of the color palette.”

See More Photos: 30 Luxury, Sophisticated Kitchen Designs

Glamour Should Be Functional, Not Fussy

The biggest luxury in these finished spaces is the spaces themselves. “My clients told me they wanted their rooms to look upscale and magazine worthy,” Gandy recalls. “They gave no other parameters, so I had a lot of freedom in making selections. Knowing this, I wanted to give them spaces that were polished and sophisticated, yet cozy and functional.”

That meant playing with their layout. “We removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open concept. My clients love to entertain, so I wanted their spaces to be cohesive and provide everything needed to host a nice event,” Gandy says. “We included a bar area in the dining room, which is the central location between all three spaces. This allows my clients to serve drinks while being centered in the spaces, making them always feel connected to their guests.”

See More Photos: 33 Dining Room Decorating Ideas You Have to Try

Don’t Be Afraid to Lean Into Personal Picks

This eclectic, yet polished space reflects its client, a husband and father of five young children who’s also a musician and former professional baseball player. His asks? A space to display shoes, a background for video calls and a designated area for his barber to cut his hair(!). Gandy grounded those elements with a black marble fireplace that she carried to the ceiling: “I wanted to transform it into something that would be a stunning feature, since it’s the first thing you see when you walk into the room.” That installation and her paint pick — Behr’s Calligraphy, a deep, serene blue-gray — anchored her design for the room.

Celebrate Character, Especially in New Builds

Gandy has what she calls “bittersweet feelings” about working on new homes like this one. “By the time I’m brought on the project, clients are generally tired of spending a ton of money and feel as though they don’t have to do much in the space since it's brand new. Truthfully, new builds are usually boring, and it takes more than just furniture to really make the space unique.”

That’s when she looked up. “I loved the details on the ceiling in this home, so I wanted to highlight them. I went with the easiest and most cost-effective way to do that by painting them a bold color. That year the Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year was Urbane Bronze. I decided to give it a try in this space, and it was stunning with the current paint colors. It was the perfect contrast to the lighter tones on the floor and walls. It made such a difference in the final look.”

See More Photos: Trend Forecast: 2021 Colors and Palettes of the Year

Monochromatic Spaces Can Still Feel Cozy

Though Gandy filled this living room with polished pearl gray, gleaming metallic accents and cool neutrals, it’s both layered and inviting. “Adding texture to a monochromatic space gives it the interest you need to keep it from becoming boring,” she explains. “Adding wallcoverings, different fabrics and different paint sheens are all things to consider to keep selections interesting. I like to add pieces to spaces that make you want to touch them, such as textured wall coverings or fur throw pillows.”

See More Photos: Living Spaces: Sophisticated Gray Sitting Rooms

Take the Time to Find Accessories in Person

“Decor is typically one of the few things I don’t like to source online,” Gandy says. “I prefer going to stores like HomeGoods or At Home to play with different ideas in store and see what works well before I bring it onsite.”

This well-layered living room demonstrates several of those ideas. “Since I was going for a monochromatic look in this space, I liked the idea of doing all pieces in silver so they would pop against the dark wall,” she says. “I love using books, too; they are so versatile. You can stack them vertically or horizontally, they can be used to add height, and they can create interest themselves. When I source pieces for bookcases, I look for variations in height and width. I like to create levels to add interest.”

See More Photos: 30 Mantel and Bookshelf Decorating Tips

Aim for Precision and Then Get Creative

One lesson from Gandy’s very first fixer-upper still echoes in her projects today. In a word: measure. “I had so many things I purchased that didn’t fit simply because I didn’t measure,” she recalls. “I thought everything was a standard size so when I saw something I thought would be nice, I just bought it without consideration for anything else. My very first sectional had to be hoisted and brought into my tiny condo through my patio doors because I didn’t think about how it would get through the front entry door.”

Now that she’s an established designer, she relishes bringing all that she’s learned to her clients in a way that’s inimitably hers. “I love that you can give the same space to a hundred designers and every single one will be different,” she says. “I love combining what I love with what my clients dream of having. I like to think that no one has fun on projects the way I do. I get to know my clients and provide them with an experience that is professional, yet lighthearted and enjoyable. I want to be invited to their house parties when the project is complete! I tell my clients the process is not supposed to be stressful for them, it’s supposed to be exciting, and I want them to feel that throughout the entire thing.”