If you’ve perused our (ever-growing) list of Black-owned businesses to shop, you’ve probably noticed a big chunk of it is dedicated to companies focused on home décor. To help shoppers get an even better sense of those companies’ many wares, I combed through their inventories in search of living-room décor that’s as delightful as it is useful, whether it’s a throw pillow that can instantly revive a tired couch, a patterned runner that adds texture to a table-scape, or a new cool candle to add to your collection. (If you’re looking for more products from Black-owned businesses, check out our guides to the best ceramics, candles, wall art, beauty, skin-care, hair-care and, of course, gifts.)
Goodee, a shop founded by twin brothers Byron and Dexter Peart, sells items made by artisans around the world. (The two were featured in our Steal My Couch story.) It also has its own in-house line of pillows, tote bags, candles, towels, and more. I love this leopard throw pillow Goodee made in collaboration with Italian cooperative Cartiera, which works with migrants and asylum seekers to create its goods. The reversible cushion has a raised leopard print on one side and a solid textured fabric on the other, all made from recycled plastic-bottle caps. The made-in-USA insert is filled with organic-cotton batting and muslin.
At her Philadelphia-based interior-design studio and store, Yowie, founder Shannon Maldonado stocks funky, not-seen-everywhere tchotchkes from vases and candles to bath mats and ceramics, many from Black creators. This limited-edition artwork by Joshua Itiola — multi-hyphenate designer, writer, and, currently, a planner at Vitsoe — is a two-ply screen print on museum board featuring puff ink and printed locally by Du-Good Press. While it comes unframed, Yowie suggests floating it with a thin oak or black frame.
I love the organic lines of this peculiar vase by Homa Studios, a ceramics practice founded by East Orange, New Jersey, native Altarik Banks.
Karen Jai Home, an emporium of décor and other furnishings founded by Dallas-based entrepreneur Janelle Langford, now offers a collection of ready-to-frame wall art. I especially like this three-panel lineup of abstract shapes and lines, which is printed on canvas and available in multiple sizes starting from five by seven inches all the way up to 24 by 36 inches. Frames are not included, so you can put them up however you please.
This cotton mattress is basically a giant floor pillow, making it ideal for anyone who prefers to lounge (or nap) elsewhere than the couch. (Reviewers say it’s also great for kids to play on.) Its hand-dyed indigo cover is filled with kapok, a natural and hypoallergenic fiber. Tensira is based in the Republic of Guinea; its founders Hamidou Diallo (whose mother was an indigo-dye artist) and Tuulia Makinen Diallo work with West African artisans to produce many of its offerings.
Laura Hodges, an interior designer who works in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is also the woman behind Domain, a home-décor shop that sells fair-trade pieces sourced locally and globally. This intricate, handmade ceramic rose is one of them; as for where to put it, I suggest on a bookshelf or even hung on a wall (it comes with a notched keyhole on the underside for easy hanging).
At Brooklyn-based 54kibo, you’ll find an array of contemporary African designs sourced by its founder, Ghana-born Nana Quagraine. This ostrich egg is beaded by hand in Cameroon and represents prosperity and good fortune. It comes perched atop a stand made of brass and bone.
Founded by Atlanta-based LaToya Tucciarone, SustainAble Home Goods offers a curated collection of fair-trade and ethically sourced items from around the globe, including this handcrafted two-in-one game set featuring checkers and tic-tac-toe. The compact box is carved from Indian rosewood and would look nice on a side table without taking up too much space.
This speckled incense holder has an equally eye-catching black-and-white motif. It comes from Black Pepper Paperie Co., a Washington, D.C.-based art and design studio founded by Hadiya Williams, who works in both clay and paper media.
Williams also recently partnered with Lulu & Georgia for an exclusive collection of wall art, pillows, and tabletop textiles.
Maggie Holladay started her Claude Home business on Instagram and sells furniture — both vintage and new — and design objects, like these sculptural candle holders (sold individually) made from travertine.
Atlanta-based artist Rochelle Porter sells a selection of headscarves, activewear, pillow covers, and other home décor in bright patterns and prints that she creates herself. This table runner (made with an organic cotton and linen blend) features a graphic geometric print that would add a bit of dimension to your meals.
Throw a couple sprigs of Pampas grass in this handmade, debossed terra-cotta vase for an effortless, bohemian look. It comes from Bedford-Stuyvesant–based boutique Peace & Riot, a home-décor store founded by interior designer Achuziam Maha-Sanchez and her husband, Lionel Sanchez, to showcase their tastes, inspired by their African and Caribbean heritages.
Bolé Road, founded by Brooklyn-based interior designer Hana Getachew, sells beautiful textiles made by artisans in Ethiopia. This small rug (perfect for the foot of your bed) is handloomed in 100 percent Ethiopian wool with a terraced design that’s inspired by the rises and plateaus of the Bale Mountain Range at sunrise and sunset, according to the website. It’s currently in production, but you can still preorder it.
Here’s a table runner made from denim that would look just as nice on a picnic table (as shown) or in your dining room. It comes from Mi Cocina, a San Francisco–based kitchenware company founded by denim designer Ulrich Simpson.
Los Angeles–based mixed-media artist K’era Morgan sells textiles and notebooks based on her designs. This striking woven throw with a jacquard-weave fabric is made to order (making its price seem pretty reasonable) and finished by hand. Our senior editor Anthony Rotunno bought one after seeing it on this list and can attest it is as big (and striking) in person as it appears in the photo.
The Black Home was founded by interior designer Neffi Walker, whose work has been featured in publications like Elle Decor, Essence, and Domino as well as on Bravo. In addition to design services, Walker sells tableware and candles, like this one with notes of lilac and sandalwood that’s hand-poured in New York City. (Head here for more candles from Black-owned businesses.)
Husband-and-wife interior-design team Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason started AphroChic as a blog. The company has since expanded into a lifestyle brand that publishes an eponymous magazine and sells a collection of home goods, including lamps, rugs, removable wallpaper, and pillows, like this one that’s inspired by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and English florals. The pattern was designed in collaboration with Kim Johnson Studios and celebrates the joy of dance and Black women, a troupe of whom emerge from behind the blooms. The cover is made of an oyster cotton-linen blend and includes a pillow insert.
This hand-painted planter with a free-form blue line comes from xN Studio, a Brooklyn-based lifestyle shop founded by D.C.-area native Nasozi Kakembo. In addition to accents like the planter, xN sells a small collection of fair-trade goods from Uganda, as well as mud cloth and indigo textiles, and furniture that is all made on the East Coast.
Ariene Bethea’s Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio is a Charlotte-based shop that sells both vintage finds and modern pieces, like this globe vase (which is shown as a trio but sold as a single). Each one is hand-painted with abstract lines reminiscent of Jackson Pollock.
Kendal Brown started 228 Grant Street Candle Co. out of his kitchen in 2016. The company now sells candles made with all-natural soy wax, braided cotton wicks, and scented oils, with no other additives or dyes. All of them are hand-poured in Baltimore County, and this sweet-orange-and-morrocan-spice-scented candle comes in one of the brand’s signature apothecary jars.
Jungalow, the home-décor line founded by Justina Blakeney, is known for its colorful, textured pillows, throws, rugs, removable wallpaper, and more. These festive face bookends (sold individually) also happen to be vases, which means your bookshelf will always be abloom with books and botanicals. And for every product purchased, Jungalow, in partnership with Trees for the Future, promises to plant two trees in sub-Saharan Africa.
Veteran interior designer Sheila Bridges’s Harlem Toile wallpaper pattern is iconic for a reason. In addition to the multicolor option shown, it’s available in a range of colors, including yellow, cherry, and white and black.
From the L.A.–based shop Effortless Composition (a home-goods boutique founded by interior stylist Brittany Terry) comes this rustic pitcher with a blooming glaze finish reminiscent of mushrooms. The organic piece would look equally handsome atop a shelf or dining table.
This cotton-chenille throw from Swedish-born designer Johanna Howard sports a bold, Art Deco–inspired design that would make quite a statement when artfully tossed on the back of a sofa. It’s machine washable and available in blue, gray, and a teal color called “peacock,” in addition to the black shown.
On her website, interior designer Marie Burgos curates a collection of modern lighting, furniture, and mirrors (some of which she makes herself), in addition to other small goods, like this candle from the Martinique-based company Ysnay. It comes in a handmade ceramic vessel that would make a beautiful bowl once the wax is gone. The candle itself is made from natural soy and beeswax and has a wood wick.
Another way to dress up a bare wall would be with one of the graphic, text-heavy posters from Don’t Sleep Interiors, an online store started by designer Kori Miller that also sells mugs and pillows. All of the items are inspired by Black culture and thought leaders throughout history; this modern take on a traditional barbershop poster features an African proverb.
Store your knicknacks in this basket peppered with swaths of color from Harlem-based shop Tackussanu Senegal. Started by friends Jasz and Cheikh, it specializes in handmade baskets and other décor made by female artisans from Senegal.
Expedition Subsahara, a St. Charles, Missouri–based store founded by former photographer (and Senegal native) Sofi Seck, also focuses on Senegalese home goods. This vase is handwoven with elephant grass and recycled plastic and could just as easily house dried flowers — or kitchen utensils.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
