black artist — Arren Williams

Today I was happy to wear a mask, have my temperature checked, answer a questionnaire and leave my contact info to shop for lighting for a client. Glad to make these little adjustments to my reality as things start to slowly wake up.

And you know what? That’s fine by me.

Cheers, Arren

What’s cooking, Calgary? Well, apparently Jenelle Erickson and Stephanie Smith of SmithErickson definitely know their way around a fab kitchen design.

This first space is giving me all the wows, especially since its a major reno of a ho-hum 90’s home (I’m imagining a dull beige ‘before’). There’s so much great stuff going on here. Not just the colour palette of white, dove and dark grey, but just about every darned thing.

That second kitchen has all of the classics, with the white on white, shaker panels, hits of black and open shelves. But hello, the mitred tiles giving you the frame around the window? That’s the kind of attention to a simple but special design detail that I love - It takes thought, people!

Okay, so a few folks out there spotted artist Kendra Dandy’s Leopard Coat print in Seana Freeman’s interior, and dropped me a line to say they were longtime fans of Dandy’s work. So, admittedly I have obvs been under a rock!

Yep, you can def call me a new fan of her direct, vibrant and painterly style. But, did you know you can also get her work as wallpaper, too? Check out a couple of my fave florals below, available here through Surface View in the UK. They ship worldwide, so no excuses! With 40 styles on offer, I bet you’ll find one that speaks to you and, as Dandy explains on her Insta, “Getting paid is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Score the rest of her artwork through Society 6.

Image: Watercolour Floral Mural, Orange and Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View — Image: Watercolour Floral Mural, Orange and Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View

Photo: All the Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View — Photo: All the Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View

There are those that can dress a nice table, and then there’s Eric Goujou, the owner of storied tabletop retailer La Tuile à Loup in Paris. For Goujou, the shop’s collection is very much in the vein of that perfect French expression - Art de la table.

With a revolving selection from 30+ French artisans, as well as vintage finds, La Tuile à Loup is a favourite of designers far and wide, and rightly so. You’ll spot Aptware, a classic marbled faience inspired by the coloured soils of Apt, a small town not far from Marseille, as well as painted patterns and splashy, naturalistic designs. Keep an eye out for more loveliness on the store’s Insta, here, which will have you jonesing to host your next dinner party, whenever that might be. Le sigh.

Image: The eye of Tuile à Loup, Eric Goujou

Today, I’m choosing to focus on the good news out of the US, with the Supreme Court finally ruling that the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

And, we’ve been listening to a great Spotify playlist - Transcend - that features transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid artists and is well worth listening to, on repeat.

Cheers, Arren

“Fuck greige,” so says Seana Freeman, who sees the inoffensive non-colour as a cop-out when describing her punchy fuchsia home office. This tint makes a statement, just like Freeman when describing how embracing colour can be a political act,

“People of color have a different relationship with color. Its part of our cultural heritage! Por ejemplo, long before it was trending, black women have been wearing vibrant clothes, nails & hair. Hues like magenta pop against our skin. But often, especially if we are climbing the career ladder, we leave our magenta at home and well... wear greige.”

Read the rest here on Freeman’s Insta, the Geeky Glamohenian, which follows her take on style and the decorating of her art-filled home in North Carolina. Oh, and speaking of art, the standout piece in this shot is Leopard Coat by artist, Kendra Dandy. To see the rest of her space, pop over here to HGTV.

This Toronto home, by architect Tura Cousins Wilson of Ursa architecture and design studio, also embraces colour. This time though, in memory of the architect’s formidable grandmother, Violeta. The Jamaican-born matriarch loved the bright yellow of her country’s flag, so he paid tribute to her with the front porch painted in an eye-popping hue.

While the exterior stays true to its Edwardian roots, inside things are decidedly light, bright, airy and modern. I’m all about that double height living space. Plus, I have to mention the vividly colourful portrait by artist Rajni Perera of Violeta watching the to-ing and fro-ing beneath, all while holding a machete.

And the bathrooms! Sleek and simple, and so smart, with black grout creating a grid pattern with square white tiles. See the rest of Granny’s House here in Ursa’s portfolio.

Tura Cousins Wilson is a founding member of BAIDA, the Black Architects + Interior Designers Association of Canada.

Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Destiny Seymour in an Anishinaabe interior designer who also makes a line of handmade goods for the home called Indigo Arrows. Indigenous pottery and bone tool patterns uncovered in Manitoban archeological digs inspire Seymour’s textile designs, which are printed on linen and made up into cushions, quilts and napkins.

Her Copper Arrows lumbar pillows are a fave of mine, but I totally love the made to order Drum Stools. Upholstered in wool blankets, with tops and tails in maple, the stools come in three sizes. Shop the full Indigo Arrows collection here.

Photo: Copper Arrows pillows and Grandmother Moon Quilts

Little adjustments

Colour is a political statement

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