Black-Owned Design Businesses to Support in the UK
Image Credit - Carlota Guerrero
Usually, we write blogs about interior design, home decor, and how to incorporate Persian or Oriental rugs into your spaces. However, this week we want to honour Black History Month by shining a spotlight on 4 black-owned design businesses we think you should know about.
One of the most direct and sustainable ways to support the Black community is to shop at Black-owned businesses. Many have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Our mission at Lilla Rugs has always been to promote great style from a diverse array of viewpoints and to celebrate the beauty of design and craftsmanship wherever we find it. As the world opens back up - and if you're anything like us - you might be in the market for some new home accessories. Instead of buying from your usual high-street stores, why not look to Black-owned businesses to deck your home out for Spring?
Within #BlackBritish, there are all sorts of fiercely talented professionals adding glamourous designs and tastes to your home, visual appearance, catered events, and more. Support can take many forms; financial investment, spreading the word, encouraging others to visit the businesses, and sharing the movement on social media.
We have selected 4 black-owned businesses located here in the UK. Featuring designers, decorators, and visual artisans that can add succinct designs to your home. We acknowledge that this list is far from complete. But we will continue to update and add more local businesses moving forward.
CHLOE AINSLEY CREATIVE
Image Credit (left to right) - Chloe Ainsley Creative, Cheerfully Given
Chloe Ainsley is a designer offering modern, eco-friendly stationery and art prints for design-led weddings, creative souls, and interior lovers worldwide.
Based out of Kent, Ainsley’s designs incorporate earthy, minimalist touches with great artistic finishes: wax seals, feathers, or simple string accents elevate save-the-dates or menus to something extra-special. The curated Studio collection has been designed to achieve distinctive, visual delights at each stage of your event journey.
The website communicates her style and approach extremely well; while also being professional and easy to navigate. All printed items are produced in the UK and lovingly packaged using recycled and eco-friendly materials. Head over to my website to view the range.
FREYA BRAMBLE CARTER
Image Credit (left to right) - Vogue, Freya Bramble Carter
London-based ceramicist Freya Bramble-Carter creates contemporary, textured, and tactile pieces inspired by the ethos of beauty and nature. From vases to dishware, her work is functional as it is beautiful.
Though most of her work is sold out, she takes commissions - applying her talent to artisan glazes and handcrafting unique silhouettes. Her limited edition pieces are designed to elevate the details of your home and act as the perfect thoughtful gift.
Freya, who identifies as mixed race, attributes her enduring interest in clay to spending time at her father’s studio. She combines her lifestyle, work, and enjoyment. And tries to live authentically, learning and expanding on a personal level as well as professionally in this art form.
OUR LOVELY GOODS
Image Credit (left to right) - Osmology, Our Lovely Goods
Our Lovely Goods is an Aberdeen-based, family-run business specialising in handcrafted natural wax candles, botanical skincare, and a curated collection of homewares from artisans in Nigeria.
The husband-and-wife team set up their boutique lifestyle brand in 2019, not long after getting married, moving house, and having their first child, Eliana. It has been non-stop ever since. They now hold excellent workshops and host a pop-up residency in Edinburgh, so make sure to keep tabs on their website for future events.
EVA SONAIKE
Image Credit (left to right) - Eva Sonaike, Shoppe Black
Eva Sonaike is a London-based interiors company specialising in luxury home textiles and soft furnishings with a distinctive and vibrant West African aesthetic.
The company’s ethos ‘Bringing Colour to Life’ is reflected in its signature collections of cushions, rugs, fabrics, and furnishings. The brand has become renowned for its striking and distinctive West African aesthetic of vivid colours and bold patterns. Emphasis is placed on hand finishing, distinct designs, and high-quality manufacturing.
Now seen in projects internationally, founder Eva Sonaike started the brand in 2009, celebrating her German and Nigerian origins. With breathtaking colours and a natural gift for infusing culture seamlessly, there is much inspiration to be gathered from her social pages and website.
