Working with an interior designer that understands your cultural nuances, background and identity is key. Much of who we are goes into our home’s aesthetic, and interior designers are pivotal when curating a space that is timeless and reflective of ourselves. The interior design industry still lacks diversity, but there are Black designers who are forces and making an impact. These creatives inspire the next generation of Black interior designers through their exceptional designs, leadership and tenacity.

Black men aren’t celebrated enough in the design space, and it’s about time they start receiving their flowers and followers. The five Black men featured below are designers, entrepreneurs, trailblazers and change-makers in the design industry.

Here are five Black men interior designers you should know.

Leyden Lewis

 

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Owner of his eponymous Brooklyn-based firm Leyden Lewis Design Studio, this designer is a force in the industry. Throughout his career, Lewis teaches the next generation of designers at the Parsons School of Design at The New School and the New York School of Interior Design in New York City. Lewis is also a fine artist and has exhibited his work at the Studio Museum in Harlem, NY, and at New York University’s 80WSE.

His design style is rooted in classic modernism and ancient traditions. He is influenced by cultures of the past and present. Lewis is a founding member of the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG), a non-profit helping Black creatives and makers thrive in their fields.

Rayman Boozer

 

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Rayman Boozer is the “go-to designer for color consulting,” according to Time Out Magazine. He founded Apartment 48 Interior Design, a New York City design firm with two decades of work on everything from commercial projects to residential design. He started his firm after a career in sales and merchandising at Bloomingdale’s, Saks and The Conrad Shop. Apartment 48 started off as a boutique where people could come by and purchase items from Boozer’s collection. After getting a lot of press, Boozer turned the boutique into a design firm.

Boozer is passionate about color and has carved out a lane for himself in the interior design industry. His work is a maximalist’s dream.

Corey Damen Jenkins

 

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Corey Damen Jenkins fell in love with interior design at the age of seven. He would spend time drawing and sketching futuristic furniture and detailed rooms. After spending 10 years working in the automotive industry, Jenkins returned to his first love of interior design after getting laid off.

He started his namesake firm, Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates, and has since built a team of contractors and craftsmen. Jenkins gives back to his community through a scholarship and mentorship program in partnership with the New School of Interior Design in New York City.

Hilton Carter

 

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This plant-loving interior designer brings magic to any space he touches. Coining the term “plant stylist,” he currently has over 200 plants in his apartment. In addition to interior design, Carter is a writer and photographer. He has two best-selling books, “Wild at Home” and “Wild Interiors.” You can view his space and design projects in “Wild at Home,” while “Wild Interiors” gives all the inspiration featuring plant-filled homes around the world. He released his newest book, “Living Wild,” on March 28, and features plant care and plant DIYs.

You can find his products at your local Target with a new Hilton Carter collection coming out on April 2.

Mikel Welch

 

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Growing up, Mikel Welch constructed sofas and dining tables with legos for his imaginary house. As an adult, he runs his own New York-based interior design firm, Michel Welch Designs. He’s also a host and design expert on Quibi’s “Murder House Flip,” where he shows viewers how to design luxe spaces on a budget.

Welch also curated V.I.P. green rooms for Oprah Winfrey, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Halle Berry and Steve Harvey.