As a self-proclaimed dreamer and storyteller, Skylar Marshai creates some of the most beautiful content on social media, much of which goes straight to our mood boards. From fashion and beauty to travel and art, her work spans industries but always has one common thread: culture. No matter what she’s creating, celebrating her Blackness and Our culture is always at the forefront. You’ve likely seen some of the gorgeous imagery she’s created with partner and fellow content creator Temi Ibisanmi. Together, the two have created one dreamy picture after another, showcasing their love for art, fashion, and each other.

@skylarmarshai

Replying to @Jade • Mom/Artist/… Black art collecting Black art. 😏We’ve updated our collection! Be sure to screenshot and support these amazing artists. 🖤 @tolutemi 🤞🏽 Artists featured— * @Cristina Martinez * @damemooreart * @Arnold Butler * Uzo Njoku * @Jordan Blake * @mark clennon * @tayo * @abdmstudio @BLACK FASHION FAIR * Maya Beverly * @Cortney Herron * Noémie-Marguerite * Beoncia Dunn * The Phoenix Palms * Jeremy Mitchell (@xjjmitch) * Agbalaya Abdulahi Opeyemi * @Fritz Von Eric #blackart #blackownedart #blackartcollectors #blackartist #blackartistsoftiktok #collectblackart 🤎

♬ original sound – shah

Their art collection has gone viral on TikTok, and their Brooklyn-based home has been declared a work of art, but it didn’t come together overnight. “Beauty plays a big role in our home, often at the forefront of a lot of the design decisions we make,” says Marshai to Home & Texture. Decorating is about more than just filling a space.

The multi-hyphenate creatives have immersed themselves in each room to curate a home that’s deeply personal and reflective of their eclectic style. “We’ve always aimed to share how our Blackness feels across spaces, to take everyday concepts and elevate them, and to immerse our audience in a world where the content we produce is a blend of strategic design and poetic intention.”

Below, Marshai sits down with Home & Texture to chat about the creativity that fuels their content and how it’s shaped their home.

Home & Texture: How would you describe your home’s aesthetic?

Skylar Marshai: Our home is a blend of a few styles we’ve been drawn to over the years, including dark deco, Japanese warmth, maximalism, and even mid-century modern. When we were curating the pieces for each room, we realized that there truly are no rules. That POV allowed for so much more of our personalities to come through in our decor, so we embraced not limiting ourselves! We’ve found certain recurring elements to tie all of it together, such as richly hued decor, layered textures, and artisanal pieces. Now, it’s become a sanctuary for the eclectic, creative Black soul.

@skylarmarshai

We needed a room just for ~vibes~. Finally finished our library/vinyl room! This is now my favorite room. Art / @Fritz Von Eric Floating book shelves / TEEbooks Record Player / @Crosley Radio ⚡️ Chairs / Wayfair Bookcase + side table / @Urban Outfitters Lamp / Doco Record shelves / Deepcut.co Now spinning stand / @Etsy Acrylic shelves / Liftfad Paint / @Backdrop Rug / @byseanbrown #libraryroomideas #homedecor #homeinspo #vinylroom #librarydecor #apartmentinspo #interiordesign

♬ Love is in the air – noxz

H&T: Fashion, beauty, and travel are a big part of your life. How have they influenced the design of your home?

SM: Temi and I both have a love for architectural layering in fashion and home decor. Not only does it give a look more depth, but it also enhances the feeling. I used to rush to fill a room with items, but now I’ve found that there is more value and beauty in slowly layering a space over time. Sometimes, you don’t find the perfect lamp until you come across it in a thrift shop, or you notice that a specific color has grown on you and needs to be added to a certain wall. We like to adorn our rooms with the same thought and design that we adorn our outfits with. We also like to incorporate different fabrics, patterns, and textures into the rooms in our home, similarly to how we do with the outfits we pull from our closet.

The same goes for our travels. After exploring over 20 countries together, our adventures have been deeply embedded in our home. Each room is like a woven tapestry of design elements picked up along the way—a cozy corner inspired by a riad in Marrakech, a reading nook reminiscent of a library in Lisboa, or a tranquil touch borrowed from an onsen in Kyoto. We’ve never been big into kitschy souvenirs, so we’ve opted instead for an artisanal bowl here or a vinyl from a local artist there. We’ve created these little snapshots of memories and sprinkled them into our home in such a way that it acts as a nod to those experiences while also leaving room for where we might find ourselves next.

H&T: Where else do you draw inspiration from?

SM: Temi and I both come from immigrant households where home was defined as a safe space where family and friends could gather and immediately feel comfortable. When we imagined our home and how it might evolve over time, we decided it needed to be inviting and familiar while also reflecting our passions. It had to be both a sanctuary and a canvas. For example, we knew we wanted chairs you’d want to take a picture of but weren’t too stiff you couldn’t sit comfortably in. Or a bar cart that looked like it was sourced from a different time but that also functioned perfectly for hosting. We also pull a lot from our own cultural backgrounds, with me being Bajan and Temi being Nigerian. Both cultures utilize vibrant, bright colors and natural textures, and we brought that into each room of our home.

@skylarmarshai

We’re just starting to grow our collection but we’re already so happy with it! Artists featured: @Arnold Butler @mark clennon @tayo @abdmstudio @BLACK FASHION FAIR @Jordan Blake @Cristina Martinez Noémie Marguerite @Fritz Von Eric 🖤 #blackart #blackartists #blackprints #homedecor @mangosaresweet

♬ original sound – Skylar Marshai

H&T: How many pieces of artwork do you own?

SM: In total, we own 20 pieces of artwork, and it’s been such a joy to collect each one! When we began collecting art, we knew we only wanted to invest in pieces from Black artists to ensure we were honoring and supporting the creativity of Black artistry. Being storytellers ourselves, having these pieces in our home feels like a continuation of and contribution to the stories we want felt in each room. Since we began, we’ve often sought out pieces that would seamlessly blend in or dramatically stand out based on the design of the room. I joke with Temi that the art we select often tells us which room it wants to go in, and our job is to allow it to do its thing.

The art world can often feel challenging to navigate or even get into, so we aim to break down the walls a bit by encouraging those who want to collect to just do it based on what feels good. Art is intuitive and deeply subjective, especially when being selected for your home. There shouldn’t be rules for what that looks like. We usually lean into more abstract and form-focused pieces with movement or bold color. The dream is to have a home that also feels like a gallery, packed with works that evoke emotion or spark conversation.

@skylarmarshai

Putting our home together room by room. 🖤 @mangosaresweet Details below: Art / Arnold Butler Table / TOV Furniture Chairs / Lulu & Georgia Placemats / Bed Threads Plates / Abask Candles / Ferm Living, Beam Brooklyn Centerpiece / Shellegance Glasses / Soho Home

♬ original sound – Evan The DJ

H&T: What has your creative process been like for decorating your home?

SM: Before we begin, we first decide on how we want the space to feel and what colors and textures can imbue that feeling into it. Then, we’ll identify the pieces that the space needs and what elements of the room can act as an anchor to the initial feeling we identified. Whether it’s the deep, cobalt blue walls of our vinyl room or the cozy, chocolate-brown Sarah Ellison couch in our living room, there’s always a north star to each room that the other pieces we select revolve around. Then, it’s all about layering and slowly building out the space. We try to be mindful of how we, and any guests, will move through the space, interact with it, and feel in it. In any room we design, connectivity and comfort are at the root of it.

H&T: What do you love most about home decor?

SM: I love that the pieces we’ve selected for our space feel like a warm hug, and a lot of that has come from our desire to find home decor that feels like a natural extension of us. Temi and I are two sides of the same coin, which often manifests into great balance in the decor items we choose. I favor form, whereas he favors function. Together it creates a harmony that’s made our space both beautiful and practical. I love pieces with striking shapes, textures, or artistic appeal where his eye is drawn to pieces that add utility and ease to our lives. It’s allowed us to curate a home that reflects both of our sensibilities.