These Black-Owned Home Brands Are Giving Us Major Design Inspiration

The next time you’re looking for something new for your place, don’t hit the checkout button without at least perusing a few Black-owned home decor brands first. Designing everything from wall hangings to delicate glassware to eye-catching furniture, Black creators are innovating in every corner of the home—and at every price point too.

On top of creating wholly unique pieces, many of these brands also work within their respective communities to give back and find inspiration in Black heritage to bring you goods that tell a deeper story. Alongside those squiggly vases and cute desk chairs, you’ll also find vintage area rugs from Morocco and candles inspired by the culture of Harlem.

One such shop is Goodee, a marketplace that curates sustainably made, artisanal pieces from around the world, often from Black creators. “We felt that there were so many extremely skilled and underrepresented ethical makers around the world who desperately needed a platform to connect with an equally committed conscious consumer,” Byron Peart, one of the twin brothers behind the brand, tells Glamour. “The issue isn’t that there is a talent gap in design fields; it is that there are very clear and persistent barriers to entry in access, education, mentoring, [and] career opportunities.”

True industry representation is something that drives and connects many Black-owned home decor bands, and Nicole Gibbons, the founder of Clare, a direct-to-consumer paint company, echoes this sentiment. “It’s important to focus on the community you serve,” she says, “especially in decor and interior design, because everyone wants to live in a beautiful home surrounded by the things they love.”

There are plenty of Black-owned home decor brands to fill every corner of your home, so whether you’re looking for major design inspiration or gifts for everyone on your list, you’ll be sure to find it here. Bookmark these resources and creators for your next project—you never know what treasures you might discover.

What started as a design blog by Justina Blakeney in 2009 has since grown into a full-fledged lifestyle brand and store known as Jungalow, which is also available nationwide at Target. Whether you’re looking for boho designs by Blakeney or unique pieces from artisans around the world, it’s a one-stop shop for eclectic, feel-good decor that spans art prints, throw pillows, vases, living room furniture, tableware, and so much more.

Head to Goodee for ethically made pieces that last a lifetime. The platform carries just about everything—ceramic trays, artful scarves, colorful woven baskets—for interiors and exteriors, and it recently partnered with Nordstrom. Keep an eye out for its terra-cotta plant vessels, which Byron says will be big among nesters this year “to ensure our surroundings always remain connected to nature.”

Lichen is a haven for design nerds. The Queens-based retailer offers an expertly curated mix of its own in-house designs, vintage wares, and up-and-coming brands to know, and it’s all guaranteed to elevate your space.  

Harlem Candle Company is a luxury home and fragrance company inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. Founded by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson in 2014, the brand celebrates the legacy of African American icons like Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes with aromatic soy candles that can “transport you through time and place.”

Raini Home is an extension of Sincerely, Tommy, the Brooklyn-based concept store that sells eclectic women’s clothing and accessories. Consider Raini if you want statement pieces for your home. The brand carries a unique mix of furniture and decorative accents that all have a distinct minimalistic, sculptural feel—and each piece is handmade in a factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Thinking about refreshing the color of your walls? Check out the direct-to-consumer brand Clare, which designer Nicole Gibbons created in order to simplify the process of paint shopping. Her peel-and-stick swatches are mess-free, and a few smart site features make choosing colors more creative and accessible than at traditional home goods stores. Gibbons says the Clare customer is “someone who embraces boldness and color,” with many shoppers gravitating toward moody tones like deep navy and dark green.

Design Dua was founded by lawyer and entrepreneur Coretta Owusu whose dried elephant grass bassinettes are designed in Ghana and produced by West African weavers, supporting local industry and craftsmanship. (Its gorgeous dog beds are produced with the same technique, giving you yet another reason to fill your home with its handwoven goodies.)

Sean Brown’s eponymous line is as tongue-in-cheek as it is design-forward. You’ll find rugs shaped like seminal Black CDs, inflatable chairs, piggy banks shaped like Birkins, bedding printed with slogans, and so much more.

Bored of your traditional terra-cotta planters? Time to visit Palette Pots. The brand, launched by Brooklynite Latrice Thompson and now stocked at Nordstrom, produces pots in vibrant shades like kelly green, sky blue, and blush pink. (Wes Anderson movies played a big role in her color selections.) 

Estelle Colored Glasses is the kind of stuff you lust over on Instagram or Pinterest. The soft pastel stemware and cake stands are hand-blown by glass artisans in Poland, and the brand itself is inspired by founder Stephanie Summerson Hall’s grandmother, who loved antiquing and decorating her table with colorful glassware during Sunday dinners. (If the designs look familiar, there”s a chance you’ve seen them at Anthropologie, West Elm, or Food52.) 

All of Linoto’s luxuriously soft linen sheets are produced at the brand’s workshop in Westchester County, New York, resulting in bedding that’s just as gorgeous as it is durable. Founder Jason Evege, who studied fashion design, started the brand in 2007 to make high-quality linen bedsheets easier to access in the United States—and he might just be the reason why linen has exploded in popularity since then.

Yowie is a Philadelphia-based home and lifestyle boutique founded by Shannon Maldonado. The store is so popular it’s rare to find things in stock on Yowie, but on a good day, you can snag unique housewares, kitchen goods, and trinkets made by independent artists and friends of the brand, including high-end incense and photogenic martini glasses. The vibes are immaculate.

Interior designer Hana Getachew is the founder of Bolé Road Textiles, a home-goods store that sells one-of-a-kind textiles and fabrics (think soft towels, patterned pillow covers, and stitched throws) that are designed in Brooklyn and handwoven in Ethiopia.

Soukie Modern cofounders Kenya Knight and Taib Lotfi merge the worlds of Palm Springs and Marrakech in their selection of vintage rugs and wall art, plus cute contemporary designs. No two secondhand pieces are exactly the same, ensuring you’ll get a truly unique piece for your home.

Candice Luter’s macramé wall hangings are perfect for anyone who wants to add texture to blank walls without having to pull out the paintbrushes. The artist uses natural cotton rope to create abstract designs, and each piece is handmade. You can shop her designs at West Elm or work closely with her on a custom piece via her Etsy shop.

Look to 54kibo for contemporary African design across a variety of items, including ceramics, decorative pillows, and table linens. The 54kibo team says on its website that it sources pieces from “designers leading the next wave of Africa’s creative economy,” and curates unique items that help your home feel anything but cookie-cutter.

Founded and curated by Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, BLK MKT Vintage showcases secondhand gems imbued with Black history and culture. Browsing through the virtual shelves (or the retailer’s Bed-Stuy store), you’ll find curiosities like Shirley Chisholm campaign merch, vintage Jet magazines, hand-carved colon statues, and Do the Right Thing posters.