The Journal
AphroChic Magazine: Inside Issue No. 1
Welcome to the inaugural issue of AphroChic Magazine. Four years ago we had the honor of being asked to speak at Harvard’s first Black in Design Conference. It was an amazing event gathering hundreds of Black architects, designers, students, professionals and enthusiasts from all over the country.
The History of the Juju Hat
We love designing narrative-driven spaces. Part of creating the narrative is identifying beautiful pieces that have a history to them, and implementing them into the homes that we design. Pieces like the Juju Hat. We fell in love with these Cameroonian hats in the early part of the 21st century. Thick with colorful feathers, these ceremonial hats were reimagined as objet d’art in our residential designs, hanging as a colorful decorative elements on the wall. Yet, while Juju hats are a common sight on the walls of many modern interiors, for the Bamileke people of Western Cameroon they were once a rare thing reserved only for a select few.
Designing A Sensory Experience: The AphroChic Signature Candle
As designers it’s our job to create a sensory experience for our clients, through materiality, color, texture, light, sound and even scents. That’s what inspired the development of the AphroChic Signature Candle. We wanted to leave each of the spaces we designed with a scent that was immediately warm and enveloping.
New Heirlooms: The Inspiration Behind Our Latest Collection
With New Heirlooms, we have taken our unique perspective on modern design and culture in home decor and designed a collection that looks forward to a time where representation is a reflex, not a trend, and diversity is a habit rather than an act. In anticipation of that moment, New Heirlooms offers inheritable pieces that will stay with families for generations to come.
A New Attitude: A Bathroom Stuck In The 80s Gets A Total Makeover
Trends and times, these two complementary forces move just about everything in design. When they work together, everything flows beautifully - the times change, and the trends change with them. As they do, we begin to love new kinds of furniture, reinterpret old patterns and find new ways to use colors. At the same time, the trends that develop, evolve and move on over a certain number of years define an era, one that influences and shapes all the eras that come after it. It’s a great system - when it works. But sometimes things get out of sync. Sometimes a home can get stuck in an era. We’ve all seen it happen - a kitchen that’s frozen in the 60s; a living room that time forgot. When it happens, it can be a challenge to see past the way things have “always” been and envision the space with a new life in the current era. But when you do it, the results are astounding.
Recipe: A Fried Chicken Sandwich with Heat
Chef Rashad Frazier takes us on a culinary journey with his new food concept, Yoshi Jenkins, a fusion of African American and Japanese flavors. His fried chicken sandwich is an elevated take on the dish, featuring a watermelon hot sauce that is inspired by summertime.
Literary Design
At AphroChic, we love to design spaces that are narrative-driven, spaces that tell a story and where all of these various elements come into play. And one of our favorite storytelling accessories is books.
The Culture Of Color: A Philadelphia Home Transformed
Color is defined as "the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light.” Color is a sensation. It is personal. It is reflective. It is transformative. In the home, the right use of color can create an aesthetic. And bringing color home is as simple as starting with a can of paint.
Plating: The Beauty of Enkee Ceramics
Enkee Ceramics is dedicated to making handcrafted pottery that makes each and every meal feel like something magical.
A DESIGN CLASSIC: THE WHITE SOFA
The white sofa is a design classic that has made a statement throughout time. Today's white sofas are relaxed, and family-friendly pieces for the home.
Reset: A Fall Refresh With Sony Life Space UX
In the AphroChic studio, which is part living space, part work space, we continue to look for ways to seamlessly blend technology into our decor in a way that's comfortable and that fits with our aesthetic.
At Home With Delia Kenza and Julio Leitao
Every home tells a story and the Brooklyn brownstone of Delia Kenza and Julio Leitao tells one of culture, artisanship and family.
