These Black Designers Are Changing the Design Space

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.

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.”

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.”

“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.”