Dubai-based Lebanese interior designer and artist Pierre Abboud.

Nabidad Khan, Features Writer

Dubai-based Lebanese interior designer and artist Pierre Abboud came up with a unique Blizzard Lanterns idea, based on some of the popular characters from the Blizzard franchise. One of the best artists in the Middle East, his work has received a warm welcome and has inspired his fans in the United Arab Emirates.

Pierre Abboud introduced his artistic project Blizzard Lanterns during the Holy month of Ramadan. The art installations featured six exclusive lanterns that represent Blizzard Entertainments blockbuster franchises. Pierres fulfillment always stems from his passion for art and the diversity of medium he uses. These range from sculptures and paintings to installations and interior design.

In an interview with Gulf Today, he talks about his passion and drive to create art.

Here is what he said:

Would you like to share the idea behind the Blizzard Lanterns project?

This project is truly unique. The work of art features six exclusive lanterns that represent six of Blizzard Entertainments key franchises including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, StarCraft, Diablo, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm. Throughout my career as an artist, I took inspiration from many places. I never imagined that gaming would inspire me to create such a cultural crossover. When you look at Blizzard games, you will see that every title has its own identity and magic. Every character has a strong message to deliver. The stories that these titles bring forth really connected with me stories of struggles, finding a place to belong to and doing what is right. Add to that the stunning designs, the deeply built universe, and the lore.... All this inspired me to build a physical bridge to the Middle Eastern culture in the form of lanterns.

Is Blizzard Lanterns your first gaming-inspired project?

Yes, it is my first gaming project, but probably not my last. I enjoyed discovering the wider world of Blizzard characters, learning more about the philosophy of each game, and diving deeper into this imaginary world, yet very real, in its own way.

'Heroes of the storm.'

Tell us something about your passion for art?

I see art in everything I do, in our everyday lives, in creation, in destruction, in happiness and sadness. There is not a moment that I do not think of a new artwork or a project. Art is something that is born in your mind and imagination at first, it then reaches its maturity as you play with it in the planning process. I believe that every creation has its beauty and its purpose, concept. The most important part for me is to see a deeper meaning in what I do. I am very passionate about sustainability, and you can see that by looking at my earlier projects. I worked closely with Masdar City earlier this year on creating the worlds largest mosaic made from recycled materials that made its way into the Guinness World Records. I enjoyed working on this project and it was one of the most rewarding experiences as it supported the sustainability cause, something I find close to my heart. I also enjoy discovering new forms of art and finding my inspiration within new fields, such as gaming.

Have you had formal training in the field? What inspires you?

Different things inspire me. When it comes to different projects and different types of work, I get inspiration that comes with what I do.

In Murals, space becomes my hero, and the painting can radically alter the sensation of spatial proportions creating a three-dimensional and illusionistic feeling.

In Exhibitions & Events, my focus turns around designing innovative, attractive, and functional spaces and installations that appeal to the right target audience and leave the desired impact. In Interior Design, my work revolves around understanding and capturing the psychology, mood, and emotional needs of the client, conceiving an interior that evokes positive feelings and subtle emotional signals. Painting and Sculpting are my ode to love and feelings and a privileged time where I dive into myself and yield to the free expression of what cannot be said in words. In every piece of art, there is a flirt between light and shadow that became a cornerstone and signature of my work.

What kind of material do you use when you make sculptures?

I do not have limitations and I use a mix of different materials when it comes to creating sculptures. For my Blizzard lanterns, I used a mix of metal, wood, glass and plywood.

Would you like to share something about your future projects?

I am always working on something. I am inspired by using recycled material or trash art. I believe there should be no waste out there and everything can be put to better use because there is beauty in everything that surrounds us.

The rest is here:
Gaming franchise lights the way to artistic expression - Gulf Today

A Bolton-based interior designer has partnered up with one of the North West's biggest garden centres.

Allyson Houghton founded her brand Allumi two and a half years ago, selling candles, wax melts, diffusers and wellbeing products.

Her range is now on sale at Bents Garden Centre at Leigh End, Glazebury, which attracts more than a million visitors each year.

The brand forms a part of her company Ideas Interior.

She was approached by Bents after one of the store's buyers smelt one of Allyson's fragrances in a friend's home.

Allyson said: "She loved it, asked where it was from and then contacted me about having the range on sale in the store.

"It was an absolute dream come true.

"Although lockdown has been a difficult time for everyone, my business is mainly online and so I've been kept busy."

All of her handmade products are produced using natural ingredients. During lockdown she even handed out hand-creams to front-line workers.

Allyson said: "When I started out with Allumi, I wanted to create a natural range that could be used safely at home by anyone with allergies and around children and pets.

"I've extended the range over time and am still adding new products.

"I'm proud to say that everything in Allumi is British-made."

See the rest here:
Bolton-based interior designer partners up with Bents Garden Centre - The Bolton News

Unsolved Mysteries

July 1stWho else but the producers of Stranger Things would dare drag the 1980s cult-classic series Unsolved Mysteries into the 21st century? With most hit podcasts and documentary shows concentrating on cold case true crime stories, its only right that the genre originator, Unsolved Mysteries makes a comeback. The show featured gruesome crime cases, paranormal happenings and unexplained phenomena. From introducing its viewers to the chupacabras and the skunk ape to more serious matters like disappearances and violent crime, its appeal was that of a sensationalist tabloid.

Crimewatch may have kindly advised its viewers not to have nightmares whereas Unsolved Mysteries positively encouraged them. Sleep-deprived children everywhere were regularly haunted by the image of Robert Stack staring down the lens, unblinking and unwilling to offer a solution or resolution to any of these terrifying ordeals. Its no surprise that this latest iteration will be without a host as it takes on a more modern documentary-style format but the intention of the series remains the same, appealing to armchair sleuths to help solve these outstanding sometimes outlandish cases.

July 1st

From the creators of Queer Eye comes this emotionally driven series that sees couples who have yet to walk down the aisle achieve the weddings of their dreams. Eight couples from different backgrounds and sexual orientation are aided by a trio of wedding experts who help with the planning of the proposal to the actual ceremony itself. In the tradition of Queer Eye, the show is as much about this team of professionals as it is the participants. Interior designer Jeremiah Brent, fashion designer Thai Nguyen and chef Gabriele Bertaccini all showcase their particular talents and involve themselves in the couples stories, becoming invested in their passions and regularly tearing up as they pull off these idiosyncratic celebrations in record time.

It may feature surprise weddings that take place within a week but Say I Do is the antithesis of the frankly demented, heteronormative car-crash that is Dont Tell the Bride. There are no football themed nuptial monstrosities, exorbitant stag parties or tasteless trips on vomit-inducing roller coasters for these couples. Say I Do is a lush, romantic affair shot in a warm, gauzy haze that encourages its viewers to get swept up in the fantasy rather than consider the less than perfect reality.

July 2nd

The thoughts of a ninja-esque crew of avenging nuns roaming around may fill any ex-Catholic school-goer with a certain type of dread but the cartoonish Warrior Nun concerns itself with more metaphysical issues than some errant typos in the missalettes. Adapted from a comic book of the same name, the story revolves around Ava (Alba Baptista) a feisty 19-year-old who is haunted by dreams of her own death. When she wakes up in a morgue with an artifact embedded in her back it looks as though these night terrors have become a reality. This religious McGuffin is a calling card for the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a team of young nuns who fight demons on Earth to prevent it from being submerged into hell.

Ava must learn to juggle her new found responsibilities as part of this group of powerful women with her ordinary life of boyfriends and parties. For all its dramatic bluster, Warrior Nun is Buffy in a new cute habit. These young gun-slinging, razor-toting nuns may prove to be a guise too far for Irish audiences but their highly stylised battles and weaponised antics should appeal to film fans and Manga devotees alike.

July 8th

This illuminating documentary charts the life and career of flamboyant Puerto Rican astrologer and sometime actorWalter Mercado. Mercado was no twee wooly jumper Russell Grant type; the Liberace of fortune-telling wore a giant bouffant hairdo to match his elaborate garments and extravagant jewels. A true phenomenon, he wowed his audience, reaching over 120 million Latinx viewers who regularly tuned into his readings. With guest appearances from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eugenio Derbez, the documentary seeks to understand Mercados unique appeal, how a gender non-conforming, spiritualist became a permanent fixture on daytime television. With his daily affirmations and inspirational messages he evolved into something more important than just an astrologer, with his concentration on love and positivity, he became a symbol of inclusivity and acceptance within Latin America.

July 10th

The Old Guard is the latest Netflix action movie attempting to capture the streaming success of surprise hit Extraction. Starring Charlize Theron, its a superhero yarn that centres on a warrior Andy (Theron) who is the head of a secret mob of immortal mercenaries who have been covertly protecting the mortal world for centuries. When their abilities are accidentally exposed during an emergency mission, Andy must eradicate those who wish to control, replicate or capitalise on their powers.

July 17th

With The Witcher on hiatus and Game of Thrones becoming a distant memory, Cursed is the newest epic desperate to acquire a slice of the lucrative fantasy fandom. A twist on the Arthurian legend adapted from Frank Millers novel, it tells the story of Nimue played by Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why) a young sorceress who is sent on a quest by her dying mother to deliver an ancient sword to its rightful owner. She teams up with a teenage mercenary named Arthur (Devon Terrell) and together they attempt to locate Merlin and reunite him with Excalibur. In this re-imagining of the myth, it is Nimue who learns to wield this magical sword in the face of invading forces who have destroyed her village and to protect her from the ominous intentions of King Uther Pendragon, Arthurs father.

July 21stBack for a new culinary adventure, this season Street Food is heading to Latin America where it will explore the cuisine of six countries including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. The vibrancy and traditions of the food culture within places like Oaxaca, Salvador and Buenos Aires are delved into as local market stall holders and small restaurateurs explain the history and heritage behind their best known dishes. Created by the team behind the wildly successful Chefs Table series, Street Food is a passionate, authentic look at how food is the common language that binds communities, the moveable feast that is passed down through generations.

July 22ndNamed after the crudely Xeroxed pamphlets that warned about the dangers of New York which were pushed into tourists hands in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fear City is a docu-series about the hold that organised crime had over Manhattan at this time. Its a look at how craven and corrupt the city had become during the 1970s that led to abject poverty for most of its citizens and the arduous task the FBI had of dismantling the five mafia empires who were at the height of their powers during the 1980s.

July 24thThis sequel to the hit teen rom-com sees Noah (Jacob Elordi) and Elle (Joey King) trying out a long distance relationship as Noah heads off to Harvard. Its decision time for the couple as Elle grows close to a new classmate and is distracted by her dreams of going to college with her best friend, Lee as Noah quickly adapts to the freedoms of college life including his budding friendship with the seemingly perfect Chloe. With the original film becoming a sleeper success, due to its almost genteel storytelling, the off-screen romance of its leads and its cross generational appeal (John Hughes muse Molly Ringwald appears as Noahs mother) Netflix will be hoping that its audience is ready to pucker up once more.

July 31st

Season one of this comic-book caper was a runaway success with 45 million viewers streaming the story making it second to Stranger Things as Netflix most watched original series. Created by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance and Gabriel B, The Umbrella Academy is an ambitious dark dramedy that revolves around a dysfunctional family of adopted super-hero misfits who reunite to solve the mystery of their fathers death. Its all star cast, which includes Love/Hates Robert Sheehan and Junos Ellen Page, will return as the Hargreeves siblings endeavour to reunite with each other and figure out the cause of the disruption that gave season one its shocking cliffhanger finale.

Link:
Netflix: 10 of the best new shows and films to watch in July - The Irish Times

If there is one lesson that most legendary entrepreneurs share, it is to "Pursue your dreams, relentlessly." Your success depends on what you do every day, consistently, and not what you do sometimes. Luxury interior decorator, Desiree Busnelli's journey is a close resonation to this lesson.

From being a nurse to a luxury lifestyle, and decor consultant, Desiree's eye for fine luxury and design never left sight. Here's a sneak peek into her journey from traveling around the world for collaborations with renowned designers, and to launching her own company.

Doing what she loves

It certainly was a pursuit of happiness for Desiree Busnelli, as she overcame one challenge after another, but never gave up. Busnelli battled a life-changing stomach surgery in 2007, which left her in a body cast for over four months. Determined to be resilient, she made this a turning point in her life and chose to pursue her dreams of becoming a luxury consultant finally.

As she dived into designing, Desiree already had experience in real estate and knew that this would help her progress. "As children, we were five girls, and I was the oldest daughter. As I grew, I was fascinated with exquisite things. My grandma, Kathleen Leavitt, who also was an interior designer, would take me along to her showroom in Bellevue, Washington. At just ten years old, I was awestruck with the luxury street of dreams, and simple things like elegant, modern bathroom setups. This interest to explore opulence stayed and grew as I traveled more and developed a worldly sense of culture."

Never, say never

If being an entrepreneur is tough, being a woman entrepreneur is double the challenge. Being a 'stay at home mom,' and juggling responsibilities, Desiree made sure to embrace all the roles before her. Working alongside the elite CEO, Emanuele Busnelli, and his team of B&B Italia over the last decade, Desiree was able to nourish her passion for fine aesthetics and charming decor. "After years of persistence, I developed the expertise required for chic and contemporary designing. I strongly believe that nothing happens overnight, and it takes eight to ten years of hard work if you are aiming at becoming the best."

B&B Italia went over to design sophisticated hotels around the world. And soon, Busnelli independently founded the JECHIJO Bespoke Design Company in the suburbs of Milan, Italy.

"If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down and march towards your dreams. It is very important that you enjoy and love what you do every day. I'm a realist, and I constantly ask myself if what I'm doing makes me feel good and if I can do it every day. What keeps me going is to try and make people happy by creating a positive space - either by knocking down dormant walls or by building vibrant new walls.

The world could possibly never get enough of inspiring women like Desiree Busnelli, who have followed their dreams. Despite being a high-end lifestyle consultant, Desiree is rooted and does her best for the community. Through her charitable collaborations with organizations like Miracle Babies, Voss World, and similar, she is a constant source of hope and positivity.

See the original post:
How Interior Decorator Desiree Busnelli's association with B&B Italia prepared her to launch JECHIJO Bespoke Design - International Business Times,...

Youd think, from their matching polka-dot blouses and geometric necklaces, that designer Ghislaine Vias and Interior Design Editor in Chief Cindy Allen had coordinated their outfits for their appearance on Guests and Gusto, the web series hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design over Zoom. But nothe design-world experts (and longtime friends) are just that in-sync. Together in conversation with Khoi Vo, vice president of SCAD Hong Kong, Allen andViasspent an hour earlier today reflecting on their careers and speculating on the future of design, especially at such a crucial moment in time.

I think I found success early on because I was fairly fearless, saidVias, who established her New York-based firm in 1999. When I look at something Ive never done before, I say, Oh my god, thats awesomeIve never done that before! And I think that I genuinely did have a design voice that was different from what was going on in New York City [when I was starting out], she continued. I think there was something about being able to really work from what moved me in my heart that allowed me to put something out there that was different.

Mission accomplished: Ghislaine has an amazing sense of color, said Allen. (Vias'projectsand productsare a testament to that). When the duo first met,Viaswas still a budding designer who had just finished an art-filled townhouse in New York, and Allen had just started at Interior Design. It was the projects photographer who introduced them.I saw something in [Vias], Allen recalled of that first meeting. She really kept growing and growing, and is just an amazing talent. So I think I was right on that score.

Allen also reflected on a pivotal moment in her career, as she related her early experiences at Interior Design to todays events. When something like [COVID-19] happens, it allows you to give yourself a different kind of perspective on life she said. My first issue as Editor in Chief was the September issue, which is always our New York issue. We sent the issue to press, and then 9/11 happened. It changed everything for me, and for the world. I grew up. I found myself really wanting to represent and care for a community.For designers living and working through the COVID-19 pandemic, Allen said, Youre getting experience as a designer just by going through this. Because what a designer does at the end of the day is solve problems.

Later, the topic turned to the future of design, with the spotlight landing largely on the promising next generation of designers. I think that activism is something, especially with young students, thats going to change everything, saidVias. Theres an empowerment of young people I really think [people today] are being more sensitive. Theyre working from a place in their hearts, trying to do the thing that feels good and feels right. I have a designer in my office whos vegan. She and I are going to take a vegan design course together and learn how to show more sensitivity to animals.

Other trends thatViasand Allen predicted included a stronger emphasis on health and wellness and a return to handcrafted decor, objects, and installations. Its like the world stopped and people were like, Oh, right, theres hobbies!Viassaid, noting that less time spent at work or running errands has allowed many people to explore new crafts and talents.Now is such an unusual time, and so unique, she added.You have to put your thinking cap on and do something that really takes this situation, turns it upside-down, so that something positive comes out of this. What are the opportunities right now? What do people need? What are some things weve never designed before?

Continue reading here:
Cindy Allen and Ghislaine Vias Discuss the Future of Design on SCAD Web Series - Interior Design

Its obvious, but nonetheless worth saying: The interior design industry has been built on the talents of gay people. The inventor of the modern professionElsie de Wolfewas a gay woman. Countless iconic decorators have been gay men. Design has long been both a safe haven and a showcase for LGBTQ creativity and enterprise. Anyone will tell you that this was, is, and will continue to be a good industry to be gay in.

That fact obscures a lot of nuance. Forty years ago, you might have seen a lot of gay mens apartments in Architectural Digest, but you wouldnt have read about their boyfriends or partners. And while the design world itself is a welcoming environment, gay designers who step outside the bubble of showrooms in cosmopolitan cities will recognize that intolerance is very much alive.

To celebrate Pride Month, Business of Home spoke with 10 gay men and women from all corners of the design industry to discuss their history, their experiences and their hopes for the future.

OPEN SECRETSWhile the design world has always been a place of acceptance for gay people, it hasnt always celebrated their sexuality alongside their talent. For much of the 20th century, even well into the 1990s, it was tacitly understood that many male decorators were gay, but that fact wasnt always acknowledged in the mediaor even, in some cases, by the clients who hired them.

Jamie Drake, designer: I didnt have a coming-out-of-the-closet moment, particularly; I was in touch with the fact that I was gay since I was very very young. I knew some interior designers and assumed they were gaythere was only one I knew to be straight.

Robert Couturier, designer: Being raised in France, our attitude toward homosexuality is not the puritanical view that America has. It was just the way it wasthere was no question about it. So coming to America was really strange. The refusal of acceptance was something I found really shocking.

Michael Boodro, former editor in chief of Elle Decor and current host of the Chairish podcast: It was the era of confirmed bachelors. It was very much an acknowledged but unspoken thing.

Jamie DrakeBrittany Ambridge

Raymond Schneider, publicist: I was hired right out of Nancy Corzines showroom to work for [designer] Harry Parkin Saunders, and he taught me everything I knew about business. Behind the scenes, everyone knew he liked men, but the way he carried himself would in no way, shape or form allude to his private life.

Couturier: [Several prominent gay designers] got married. And Im not saying because they got married [to women] they didnt have a couples lifeIm not passing any judgment on anyone. It just wasnt acceptable to be gay, especially in society.

Drake: I think [gay designers who married women] probably felt they could socialize in circles with hetero couples easier being a couple with a traditional notion of a wife.

Couturier: I remember the president of Sothebys, Robert Woolley, he was absolutely wonderful. He was outand I mean, he was completely out. He would go to dinner parties and people would ask him, Whos your wife? He would point to his boyfriend and say, This is my boyfriend and my husband and my wife. Hes everything. It was something that very few people did. [Ed. note: Woolleys partner died of AIDS in 1986, Woolley himself died of AIDS in 1996.]

HOW AIDS CHANGED EVERYTHINGThe AIDS crisis devastated gay communities all over the world. The design industry was hit particularly hard, as the epidemic ravaged a generation of talent. One consequence of the pandemic was an upending of the established order: What before had been kept behind closed doors was now pushed out into the open.

Boodro: It was really the AIDS crisis that changed everything. Gay people no longer wanted to be secret. They confronted people: Were here, were queer, get used to it. Because it was really a matter of life and death.

Couturier: You had people in the streets, which was different.

Robert CouturierCourtesy of Robert Couturier

Boodro: People that ostensibly had not come out, or had not come out publiclythose people started dying. I remember Perry Ellis, and Rock Hudson obviously, but it had been happening a lot before that. When people started dying, it really ripped the pretense to shreds.

Drake: When I went to Parsons, I spent my first semester in a dorm. I was assigned two roommates and we became best friends. One was dead at 29 and the other one died six years later. I was the endgame caregiver to both of them, even though both of them had partners. Maybe it was easier if its not your life partnerto try and get through it. I know that was the case for one of them. It was just so wrenching for himit was easier to turn over the intimate care and the making of promises that then were broken that I did it. The promise was: Dont make me die in the hospital. I ended up making the decision he had to go to the hospital. I broke my word, but it was the right decision to make.

I think the blessings and success Ive had are for them as well. They might say, Look at what you did, and look at your apartment, and look at this and look at that. These are things that maybe they would have achieved, but they didnt get the chance.

Boodro: After AIDS, people were no longer willing to hide or pretend. There was this whole controversy around outing peopleit was a huge cultural shift. Suddenly, the pressure was to be out. I know it had a big effect on the design world.

Drake: It created a militancy.

Couturier: I was very close with [AIDS activist] Larry Kramer. I loved Larry Kramer. He was a wonderful person. Everybody always used to say, But hes in your face! And I would reply, Hes saying things to people that they need to hear. And he is right. He was all for outing people. And I said, Well, out peopleits completely OK by me!

There is a point where you dont have to be genteel and polite. Because the more genteel and polite you are, the more people take advantage of you.

PUBLISHING OPENS UPThe world of interior design media reflected the design industry at large: Gay men and women were generally free to be themselves within the industry, and the rooms they published were frequently designed (and lived in) by gay people as well. But it wasnt until the 1990s that what had once been subtext became text.

Boodro: Say a shelter magazine featured a designers home, and it was a gay designer, which many of them were. They would never really show the boyfriend or the partner.

Michael BoodroCourtesy of Hearst Design Group

Sabine Rothman, former editorial market director at Hearst Design Group: I went in very transparently. Im pretty transparent in general, and that was not going to be something I was going to hide. It was an incredibly inclusive environment [at Cond Nast, where Rothmans career began]. I had a lot of mentors and colleagues who openly accepted [my wife] Amy. We were out at parties and events all the time; it just felt very natural and supported.

Boodro: I always felt like [founder and former editor in chief of House Beautiful] Marian McEvoy and [former editor in chief of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest] Margaret Russell didnt get enough attention for the way they were willing to present gay couples. When I worked with Margaret at Elle Decor in the early 90s, she would get a few hateful letters every time she published a house of an acknowledged gay couple. And that wasnt that long ago.

Rothman: In terms of how people name their partners, that has changed, and the way it was covered changed as a result. A lot of that was the result of [the legalization of gay marriage in 2015]. If the term husband or wife isnt available, you dont use it. Whereas once there would have been a discussion about how to cover a same-sex couple in a shelter magazine, now you just do it.

Boodro: Were there instances of people who should have gotten promotions or jobs that they didnt get, and maybe their being gay was a factor? Yes, there were. But it certainly was more open than a lot of fields. And theres been an appreciation for the talents of gay people in these industries for a long time, whether it was acknowledged that they were gay or not.

GAY WOMEN IN DESIGNInterior design in its modern conception was invented by a gay woman: Elsie de Wolfe. Strange, then, that over time the profession came to be associated with gay men. There are, however, many gay women in design, and their visibility in the industry may be on the rise.

Boodro: In the magazine business, there was a lot more openness about gay men than there was about gay women, and thats probably still somewhat the case.

Darla Powell Courtesy of Darla Powell Interiors

Darla Powell, designer: There are some gay women locally here in Miami who are decorators and who have reached out to me. I had another one reach out with some fan mailshe is in Florida as well, shes also gay and getting into interior design. I have a feeling theres probably more than the stereotype would have you believe.

Rothman: I dont know necessarily why gay men have been more visible in the industry than gay women. But I suspect that it has something to do with peoples perceptions about who has taste.

THE CLIENT QUESTIONWithin the industry, tolerance is the norm. But much of a designers career is spent interacting with clients, who bring varying levels of understanding of and comfort and experience with the gay community to the table.

Corey Damen Jenkins, designer: In the industry, its not so much a big deal to be gay, but when youre working in the field, it can be.

Drake: I can only remember one client who felt uncomfortable. My manifestation was gayI had very long hair. Ironically, he was in the hair replacement business. I think there was a discomfort there that I was gay, and the project did not go forward.

Jenkins: I had one client who thought for years I was straight. She had affiliated gay men with being very effeminate, with a limp wrist and a high-pitched, lisped voicea stereotype. We were having dinner with her husband, going over the project. Im not exactly sure how I shared with them that I was gay, but somehow it came out. And they were shocked!

They were deeply religious people, and they were raised not to agree with [being gay] from a scriptural standpoint. When I shared with them that I, too, was raised in a very strictly religious household, and that my family refused to accept me for being gayto this dayit broke their hearts. She said, But youre so nice, youre such a good person, youre always giving back to charity, youre so giving of your time with me and my kids and my family. And yet your family doesnt associate with you? And I said, No, because of something I cannot change.

It kind of shocked her, because we had fallen in love as friends, and as co-workers on this project. By associating with me closely, getting to know me, laughing, literally crying, you knowthe ups and downs of building a large homeit helped her to get to know a gay man without really realizing that she was doing it. It dispelled so many of the misconceptions and prejudices she had held for a very long time.

Corey Damen JenkinsCourtesy of Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates

Eche Martinez, designer: After the Pulse shooting in Orlando, I was really distraught. I happened to have a very quick meeting with a client Id been working with for years the Monday after it happened. I was so upset, and I said, Im sorry Im not as effervescent as I usually am, but this really hit close to home. She connected not only with the severity of it, but she said, I never told you, but when I was growing up, I lived in Orlando; two of my best friends were gay and we used to go to gay clubs. She had been thinking about the same thing over the weekend. I wasnt expecting to hear that, and we really connected. Its not like, Im in the gay bubble, these people are in the straight bubble.

Powell: In the beginning when I was doing social media, I was like, How transparent do I want to be? Do I show pictures of me and [my wife] Natalie on my feed? And once I decided, Screw that, I am who I am, and if they dont like it, they can go pound sand, the clients really started pouring in. I did lose a few followers on Instagram at first, but it skyrocketed when I really started honing in. Now our clients are ideal clients and nobody ever has a problem with it. They know its coming!

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLEIt may be rare to encounter intolerance about ones sexuality in a fabric showroom. But when designers leave the comfort of a famously open-minded industry, things can be differentespecially when projects take them outside of coastal enclaves and liberal-leaning cities.

Drake: The last time I experienced [homophobia] was my first time in Denver, walking down the street in some giant fur coatand they werent coming after me because of PETA. But that was a long time ago.

Powell: In Miami, overall I feel pretty comfortable. When I go up to northern Florida, forget it. People are driving around with rebel flags on their pickup trucks, and Im like, You know what? Maybe my wife and I are just friends here.

Mikel Welch, designer: I went to college in the south, in Atlanta. Theres a joke that if you go outside of the 20-minute circle, youre in Georgia; the rest is Atlanta. When I step outside that bubble and go into a Hancock Fabrics or something like thatyes, in smaller towns, it is not as accepting. Youre going to have a harder time

Not that I would walk in there raising a flag. But my jokey manner that I have, I may not have that going in there. I might tone down myself to make it more palatable to themnot that I should. Its a toning down and being aware of where Im at and how itll be a bit easier.

Rothman: Ive been pretty lucky. Ive been on photo shoots where I really disagree with the homeowner on their politics, but it doesn't necessarily move on to the subject of their thoughts on [gay rights]. Ive never felt uncomfortable. I have been shocked by some peoples politics on economic policy, but I probably shouldnt have been.

Eche MartinezCourtesy of Eche Martinez

Rio Hamilton, designer and marketing expert: [In Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Hamilton has a home], it takes so much explaining! I tell people that Im an interior designer, and I do branding and marketing for other people who are part of that business. Most people say, Oh, you go to Ashley Furniture and buy stuff for people? And I say, Yes, but I would never go to Ashley Furniture.

Couturier: One day, I was flying down to Atlanta; it was 7 oclock in the morning, I was half awake, and this very proper American lady sat next to me and wanted to talk. She was asking questions, which became more and more pointed: Whats your religious background? Where do you come from? I realized I had become the picture of evil, as far as she was concerned. A foreigner, gayand when she asked me what religion I was and I said, Actually, Im Jewish, she looked at me in complete horror.

Welch: I stage for a closet company, so Im typically gone at least 10 days out of each month to set up a showroom. Im in Phoenix, Arizona, or Mobile, Alabama, and every time its different. I do have to tailor my approachin a lot of these red states, they dont understand why a man is in this position. This is a womans job is kind of the undertone that you get.

ADDING RACE TO THE EQUATIONA national conversation about race and inequality has rippled through all corners of American society in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and the design world is no exception. Perhaps for the first time ever, the industry is taking a hard look at something designers of color have long known: gay or straight, racial inequality is still very much alive.

Jenkins: Being Black and gay is a completely different path than being white and gay.

Welch: Im very proud of the design industry, and Ive been happy to see that the design community is listening as a whole on the issue of race. But one thing Id like to see is an exploration about diversity within the LGBTQ community. When I walk through the showrooms, there arent many Black members of our community that are prominent. I do see lots of white gay men, but I really dont see much other than that. I would love for us, as we become more inclusive, to take a look at that. And not not just from a sales role, but in a leadership capacity.

Jenkins: There are all the stereotypes about how gay men are supposed to talk and act. Well, if you want to turn that switch off and act very conservative and have a deep voice and talk about sports, a white gay male can do that. A Black gay male does not have that option. You can be as unstereotypical as you can possibly be, but you will always be Black.

Welch: Racial relations within the gay community are just as bad [as the outside world]. You would think it would be a situation where you have two minority groups, they would feel some sense of camaraderie, but its not the case. And its sad. Once on a dating app, I had someone send me a message that said, No coons. There are some bars in Chicago and Atlanta that will say, No baseball caps, no hoodies and no hip-hop music. Its saying it without saying it. Even with workif there are four Black people together, its a Black business. But if its four white people, its just a business.

Courtesy of Mikel Welch

Martinez: More and more, were starting to realize that even within a very open-minded society like San Francisco, there should be more inclusion. The Black community keeps getting decimated in the Bay Area, especially the queer Black community. Theres definitely lots of room for improvement.

Welch: I have a difficult time doing gay pride interviews. I want my pride to be out there, but because I get doubly discriminated against, I oftentimes dont get excited about it. There are still issues that need to be corrected.

I am a gay man and Im proud of that. The design industry has been very kind to me. Ive been able to make some tremendous strides, but Im kind of at a point now in my career where Ive got to speak out because its not just about me. Ive got to make it easier for the people coming behind me now.

SAFE HAVENThe design industry has always been a welcoming place for gay men and womena place where many find a community that eluded them in other fields.

Boodro: [My being out] was understood but not discussed when I started in publishing. Im sure I thought I was hiding it more than I ever did. But the nice thing about the design world is that within that small world, you didnt have to pretend. Its not like I worked for a private company or even the government, where being gay could cost you your job.

Jenkins: It was pretty much dont ask, dont tell [at the car company where I worked prior to starting my design firm]. This was back in the late 1990s. I was kind of head down, blinders on. I wanted to do my job and go home. [When I started as a residential designer], being gay was much more out in the open.

Martinez: Growing up in Argentina, there was this overlap between your family and your friends from high school. It was never like, OK, five guys are gonna go to a gay bar. When I left Argentina 10 years ago, there was no the gay district or the gay bar. Moving to California, I really made a core group of friends who were gay men for the first time in my life.

Hamilton: In [UC Berkeleys interior design program], it was a relief: It was OK to be openly gay. Out of the classmates I had, maybe 50 percent of them were gay, and we all shared a common interestnot only in men, but in design. My first gay friends were in design school.

Powell: Im really a newbie, but my experience has been so positive. I feel so welcomed and accepted into the design industry.

Schneider: Were in a community that fully encourages us and celebrates us. The last decade, to me, has been the most accepting of all.

WHATS CHANGEDIn some ways, the raw facts havent much changed in 40 years. The design industry was, and is, a place where gay talent is celebrated. What has changed is the explicit celebration of gay identity, and the degree of normalcy.

Boodro: I used to think that you couldnt be a decorator unless you lived on the Upper East Side, had a navy blazer with buttons, and wore a tie all the time. It was a different world.

Schneider: I keep on going back to charities like DIFFA and Alpha Workshops that organized an entire industry. It was always welcoming to gay people, but we weren't running around with rainbow flags. It's really acknowledged nowit's discussed, and its reflected in social media more than it ever was.

Martinez: My experience of being queer back home was just a bunch of guys going out for dinner who happened to sleep with men. I slowly started to read more about it and get the subtleties about what it really means to be queer, or gender nonconforming or nonbinary. Theres definitely a more involved conversation.

Couturier: Young people today are probably equally as fluid as we all were when we were 16 or 17, except now its completely understood and completely normal and no one asks a question. Everybody understands.

Boodro: Young people are just much more open and relaxed about it. Even when you go outside the design worldto all my nieces and nephews, its just a given. Its not an issue. To us it was such an issue, and we fought so hard that sometimes you cant quite believe youve won the battle, and you still want to fight the battle. Sometimes you think, Oh, these kids dont know what we went through, they take it for granted! But thats the way it should be.

Homepage photo: Shutterstock

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Pride: An oral history of being gay in the design industry - Business of Home

The second club, the moody Les Deux Caf, was created in collaboration with the designer Michle Lamy and installed at Mr. Fortunes direction inside an Arts and Crafts bungalow cum crack house, resurrected and transported by truck across a parking lot to a new locale.

And it was at Les Deux Cafe, with its self-aware design quotations from Old Hollywood nightspots like Chasens, Scandia and the Brown Derby, that Mr. Fortune laid the groundwork for what is probably his signal achievement: the design of the Tower Bar, the clubby, walnut-paneled dining establishment that opened in 2007 and quickly became the Hollywood power nexus it remains.

Like so many other newcomers to the land of self-invention, Mr. Fortune adjusted and burnished his biography as he went along. While he would eventually acquire some of the affectations of a swell, he was born Paul Stephen Fortune Fearon on Sept. 5, 1950, in a suburb of Liverpool, England, to Frances (Fortune) Fearon, a telephone operator, and Kevin Fearon, a production manager at a company that supplied Christmas hampers to Harrods.

When he was still a boy, Mr. Fortunes family relocated to a large and ramshackle house in Cheshire, England, within earshot of the lions roar at the Chester Zoo. Pauls natural flair was a driving force in the restoration of Cranwood, as the house was called, his brother, Mark Fearon, said in an email. Mr. Fearon and Mr. Brock are his survivors.

As a youth, Mr. Fortune often dragged his three siblings to country house sales and auctions, Mr. Fearon explained, not only helping his parents furnish Cranwood, but also showing an unwavering conviction about the correctness of his own taste. This was to be an earmark of his design practice and recurring theme in Notes on Dcor, Etc., a 2018 book he wrote that was equal parts portfolio, memoir and how-to.

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Paul Fortune, L.A. Designer to the Stars, Dies at 69 - The New York Times

For a world that celebrates and often steals from global culture and diversity, behind the glossy exterior, the interior design industry is ironically and startlingly uniform. From lists of top-50 UK designers to panel speakers to homes that appear in magazine shoots, those featured are often white.

Not that we really know. The industry doesnt have central statistics on its members (something some campaigners think needs to change). But for those people of colour working in the interior design world, it is blindingly obvious.

This issue, of course, is nothing new. But the shockwaves felt around the world from the urgent focus on Black Lives Matters campaigns have prompted some but by no means all to take a hard look at how the interiors world can work harder to become more diverse and tackle endemic racism at the heart of the industry.

Earlier this month, Yinka Ilori, the designer, creative director and founder of his eponymous studio, wrote a searing post on Instagram damning those in the industry who continue to pretend there isnt a problem. He pointed to the fellow Black and ethnic minority students on his product and furniture design course more than a decade ago, who studied for three years then decided not to pursue a career in interiors because they felt the industry wasnt diverse enough and they wouldnt be accepted.

The 2019 Dulwich Pavilion, titled The Colour Palace, was created by Pricegore architects and designer Yinka Ilori.

More damningly, he wrote about how last year, after unveiling his much-lauded Colour Palace commission in Dulwich, he received an email from a member of the public suggesting that the work would be better assembled in a Lagos shanty town where it might provide some shelter for the starving millions who live there. As Ilori put it: Im not going to sit here and say that racism doesnt exist because it does.

For years, under-represented designers have detailed similar experiences, ones that they still must endure today. Many of us dont feel comfortable, or feel uneasy, voicing it publicly whilst others may not even realise it, says Na Li, a qualified architect and co-founder of London-based design studio Holloway Li. But the world of interior design is currently shaped by the dominant culture of white males and white prestige. You only need to look to the popular top interior designer lists where there is a distinct lack of Black or Asian representation.

Alex Holloway and Na Li of London-based design studio Holloway Li.

Salsabil El-Awaisi, an interior designer and founder of SE Interiors, cites a common complaint: I often walk into a room and Im the only brown person in there. It did make me uncomfortable at the start of my career and it can be very draining. Ive had lots of patronising comments like, Wow, you run your own business, which, in hindsight, I realise are racist; they assume that Im not successful and well-educated, which I am. I feel that I have to work harder and prove myself a bit more, just because Im a person of colour.

Salsabil El-Awaisi is the founder of SE Interiors.

RACHEL COHEN

Meanwhile AlexandriaDauley, founder of Dauley Design and a tutor at KLC School of Design, says shes heard from people of colour predominantly young designers over the last week, who tell of turning up for interviews and being greeted with looks of surprise that they were not what the interviewer expected them to look like, or being told that they dont fit with the image of the brand. Once candidates were placed in jobs, they related experiences of being on probation [for] twice as long as white candidates and then later being passed over for promotion.

El-Awaisi adds that she rarely buys interior design magazines because they do not reflect a diverse range of designers. I find that in one month there might be a few Black or brown people, but it never feels consistent, it feels like a tick-box exercise.

The irony, of course, as Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration, points out, is that with any creative industry, great design grows from perspective and experience, so diversity is the path [by which] to reap benefits.

Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration.

Marianna Wahlsten

She says that by ignoring the wealth of talent out there, there have been missed opportunities. Ive been talking to a woman on Instagram (Laura of @NoFeatureWalls) whose home is full of beautiful William Morris wallpaper. But also, as her grandmother was a member of the Windrush generation and brought with her to England rich Caribbean influences, there is this confluence of expression that is extraordinary. I dont think that that style has been explored and celebrated. Watch this space, as Ogundehin plans to pitch an idea to the V&A for a potential exhibition that would examine the meeting of traditional British and Caribbean styles that exists in many homes around the UK, but is rarely given a platform.

But, while the conversation has moved to the mainstream, it is still not being discussed publicly by all. British Vogue contacted several designers, design schools and industry bodies, and many replied saying that they were not ready to respond to the issue; aside from a smattering of black squares, few big design studios have detailed what changes they intend to make.

Sophie Ashby and her husband Charlie Casely-Hayford, photographed for British Vogue in their home in White City.

Dylan Thomas

Sophie Ashby, creative director of Studio Ashby, is one of the few white studio directors who has made a public statement acknowledging the lack of diversity in her company, but promising to change through sponsored apprenticeships, mentoring and scrutinising her own recruitment strategy. In an honest and thoughtful Instagram post, she concluded: With what power I have, what I need to do is unlock a few doors and ensure the things I do are not transactional or token.

Meanwhile, to combat the lack of media representation, influencers have been using their platforms to amplify Black and minority voices online. Paula Sutton, who has a large, 368k-strong following on her @HillHouseVintage Instagram account, has been tagging fellow Black creators in the interiors world as part of an online challenge to build ourselves up as Black women, while Kate Watson-Smyth has used her @Mad_About_The_House account to showcase Black women and men who run interior design accounts to her 234k-strong audience.

Dauley thinks that there needs to be deeper, industry-wide change. Inspired by the Royal Ballets outreach programme, of which her 12-year-old daughter is a part, over the last few weeks she has reached out to industry bodies, publishers, design schools and studios with the aim of inspiring school students; phase two involves creating a path of paid work experience, apprenticeships and mentoring throughout their careers.She has already had a huge swell of support from prominent industry leads: I dont think Ive slept, she jokes, but now is the time to get people on board.

Two other schemes also hope to address the problem. Design Can, of which Ilori is a board member, is a campaign, tool and active-resource platform calling for an inclusive and representativedesignindustry. Meanwhile Designfor Diversity, which was launched by Rukmini Patel and Kate Watson-Smyth last week, is an initiative for brands, bloggers, designers and stylists to commit visibly to operate diverse businesses via a sticker on their websites. Brands already pledged to participate include Heals, Rockett St George, Pooky and Audenza.

Those hopeful for change dont want to see the conversation brushed back under the carpet. Im sure lots of people want it to move on, so we can go back to talking about pretty things, Ogundehin says. I love talking and reading about pretty things, but I also want change. This cant be the end.

More from British Vogue:

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Interior Design Has A Race Problem And It Needs To Be Addressed - British Vogue

More often than not, maximizing a view means maximizing the windows. But this new colonial home on Christmas Lake, in Shorewood, doesnt give in to prevailing trends. A lot of people with lake homes in Minnesota forego window grids to have wide-open glass, but this family really wanted the authenticity of divided-light window grids, just like youd see on the East Coast, builder John Kraemer says. Even if you obscure the view a little, its worth it. Its authentic.

Divided-light Marvin windows are among dozens of details that make the home feel like its long been part of the landscape. From machine-cut cedar shingle roofing to copper gutters to a black charcoal granite chimney with gable steps, they create a period feel. Even the classic white-painted wood siding does its part, with clapboards closer to 10 inches in width versus todays more common six-inch profile. Its more reminiscent of an older colonial, says architectural designer Jeff Murphy, who worked closely with architect Dan Demeules on the design. Bigger boards are one of those details you might not pick up on immediately, but when you do, you feel something about this housethat it feels really historic.

That impression was important for the owners, who have family connections to Christmas Lake and for years lived in the propertys previous midcentury white colonial home, which their family had outgrown. They wanted a nod to what was there beforetimeless and not over the top, Murphy says. They wanted it to feel like it was there for generations.

To that end, he looked to the previous theme and sketched out a variationan asymmetrical colonial. A lot of people think of colonials and they think of a rigid symmetrical box, he says. But we call this balanced asymmetrywith details and scale that create balance. On the rear exterior, for example, a window-wrapped sunroom anchors one end, a bay bump-out the other.

The design lends itself to a comfortable, less formal feeling, starting with scale. The massing should be kept to a human scaleit shouldnt be very overpowering, Murphy says. Think about walking up to a lot of older houses. Theyre comforting and lower and cozier in terms of rooflines and even interior spaces. In this case, a welcoming front porch and entry vestibule are entirely devoid of dramatic volume. But Murphy and team took pains to prevent a feeling thats in any way cramped. When designing modern-day houses, you have to get a little creative to feel the rewards of taller spaces on the inside, he says. A lot of old houses have lower ceilings, and now people want 10-foot ceilings.

The home, with its comfortable style and scale, borrows much of its sense of space from a linear, open plan that makes the most of natural light and views in every direction, including those toward the lake. Spaces on the main level, in fact, are never more than one room deep.

Architectural details, such as columns and beams, along with furnishings and light fixtures, define the living room, dining room, and kitchen in the open plan, and white oak flooring ensures seamless transitions. The owners wanted a very clean look on the inside, with traditional bones but more of a modern tone in most of the fixtures and furnishings, Murphy says.

Neutral upholstery gets pops of color from pillows and antique rugs, the latter brought from the owners original home. Features like the marble tiles on the fireplace surround feel a little upscale, but the furnishings ensure that when you walk in, it feels like home, says interior designer Kelly Perry, a longtime friend of the owners who collaborated with fellow designer Martha Dayton.

The more casual approach to the floorplan and furnishings also accommodates the owners lifestyle. She [the owner] loves to cook but wanted to make sure she could be cooking with her kids and husband sitting nearby, Perry says.

A two-sided fireplace anchors the entire living/dining/kitchen spaceand departs from an interior primarily painted Benjamin Moore White Dove. Painted a high-gloss Benjamin Moore Black on the living room side, the mantel was probably the trickiest decision we had in the whole house, Dayton says. But it was the right decision, because the owners didnt want the room focused around seeing a TV. It also complements the fireplaces marble surround and visually connects to the kitchen island, which is painted the same color.

Another deep colorBenjamin Moore Hale Navycovers the other side of the fireplace, in the adjacent music room. She [the owner] really wanted a high-gloss blue mantel, but I encouraged her to paint the whole room, including all of the built-in bookcases, blue, Perry says. We went through probably eight blues before landing on this one.

Glass doors flanking the fireplace keep the space visually open while allowing it to be closed off from sound when someone is practicing the piano. That room becomes a really cool backdrop, Murphy says. Looking through the doors and seeing the blue bookcases in the background becomes art in itself.

That same level of thought and attention to detail extends to all corners of the house, top to bottom. Even when you go downstairs, the beams on the basement ceiling have cool bracket details, Kraemer says. A lot of people view the basement as a place to save money, but the owners wanted to do it up right and make it just as special as the rest of the house.

Interior Design: Martha Dayton and Kelly Perry, Martha Dayton Design, 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 370, Mpls., 612-850-9493; marthadaytondesign.com //Architecture: Jeff Murphy and Dan Demeules, Murphy & Co., 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 250, Mpls., 612-470-5511, murphycodesign.com //Builder: John Kraemer, John Kraemer & Sons, 4906 Lincoln Dr., Edina, 952-935-9100, jkandsons.com //Landscape design: Keenan & Sveiven, 15119 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-475-1229, kslandarch.com

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One with the Landscape - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Catiesha Piersons dream to own a juice bar by the time she turned 30 had just come true, when everything stopped.

Pierson signed the lease on a space in Minneapoliss Longfellow neighborhood in March, just a couple of months before her 30th birthday.

Walls still needed to be built and paperwork filled out when the coronavirus effectively shut down Minneapolis. When schools closed, she had to balance starting a business while supervising her 10-year-old sons schoolwork from home. Then, unrest gripped the neighborhood where she lived and worked, after George Floyd was killed by police. The new business, called the Dripping Root, is located at 4002 Minnehaha Av., just 1.4 miles from the fire-damaged Third Precinct.

Everything in this neighborhood has been destroyed, said Pierson. I was super worried. Oh my God, is my business going to end before it starts?

Somehow, her building was left untouched, and now, Pierson is closer than ever to her goal. The Dripping Root is expected to open by August.

I see the Dripping Root as the rose left in the garden to bloom, she said. It stayed there for a reason, because it was needed in the community.

As neighborhood residents emerged each morning after the chaos to clean and rebuild, Pierson became hopeful her business could also help bring the community back together.

I dont know of any black-owned juice bars, she said. I think thats one thing thats going to bring people there of all races, of all cultures. Because there have been times that Ive gone places, and Ive been looked past. I didnt feel welcome there. My money didnt feel welcome there. So to have a place where nobody is going to get looked past, I think thats very important.

Fans and followers of her cold-pressed juices seem to agree. Since Floyds death became a worldwide movement, consumers have been looking for ways to champion black-owned businesses. Pierson has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. A GoFundMe campaign to help her complete construction is close to meeting its $70,000 goal. Artists are contributing murals. The wall and floor tilework are being donated, and Room and Board has offered to provide the furnishings.

Im so happy its coming together, Pierson said. The amount of support Im getting from all over I dont even have words for it. I literally cry at the happiness.

In addition to fruit and vegetable juices, look for very Instagrammable smoothie bowls, chia seed pudding and kombucha on tap when the Dripping Root opens.

A single mom, Piersons road to entrepreneurship was long and winding. She went in and out of a career in collections over a decade, with stints as an interior designer and cosmetologist. She always brought homemade juices with her to work, wherever it was. Colleagues took an interest, and so did followers on social media.

She started selling juice by word of mouth, and explored expanding to farmers markets. But rather than pay to use a kitchen, she decided to launch her own.

Despite the setbacks and delays, amid a pandemic and an uprising, Piersons still meeting her goal of owning a juice bar at 30.

My story is real, she said. I am a black woman. I am a single mom. All odds are literally supposed to be against me. And its happening.

@SharynJackson

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Delayed by pandemic and unrest, new black-owned juice bar coming to south Minneapolis - Minneapolis Star Tribune