Incorporating Culture Into Your Home

There is a beautiful movement happening right now. HillmanTok has ignited a collective desire among people of color to reconnect with Black history in art and design. Whether it’s appreciating art from Black countries across the world or proudly incorporating Black influence into design, the narrative is shifting. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always been the case. Now, we're embracing our stories in new ways—through our homes, our art, and the personal touches we bring to our spaces.

For me, incorporating my culture into my home is deeply personal. It’s not just about decorating—it’s about storytelling, honoring my heritage, and creating a space that speaks to my family's history and values. My gallery wall in our dining room is one of my most intentional design choices, each piece carefully selected to reflect our history, our faith, and our love for one another.

The Story Behind My Gallery Wall

When I envisioned my gallery wall, I knew I wanted a muted, monochromatic palette with neutral hues, but more importantly, I wanted it to reflect my roots. I started with the largest piece—a framed printed fabric from Mali. While it’s the least personal piece in my collection, I loved the aesthetic of it. I love the soft, hand-brushed geometric lines on the linen-textured fabric. Its presence anchors the entire wall, much like the foundation of my cultural heritage.

gallery wall in Dining Room

Next, I wanted to incorporate pieces from my late mother’s wall decor collection. My mother was a devoted Christian and always had one particular framed scripture hung on our wall growing up. Acts 4:12, has traveled with us from home to home—from New York to Boston to New Jersey. When she passed, I inherited it. The simple faded off-white print, framed in a worn red-tone stained wooden frame, holds profound sentimental value. I never truly appreciated it as I do now—it’s a reminder of my mother’s unwavering faith and presence in my life.

But this gallery wall isn’t just about my past—it’s about my entire family. My husband’s contribution comes in the form of a black-and-white silhouette of an old oak tree, reminiscent of the trees near his grandparents’ home. And for my children, I wanted to include something uniquely theirs. My daughter loves creating digital art, so I had her trace and sketch my grandparents’ farmhouse in Haiti on her iPad. I printed it in black and white and placed it in a warm wooden frame. Now, it’s a treasured part of our home.

Le Neg Marron (in Haitian Creole, Nèg Mawon) Photo taken during our travels to The Ogier-Fombrun Museum

One of the most powerful pieces on this wall is a silhouette of Le Neg Marron (in Haitian Creole, Nèg Mawon), a bronze statue of a runaway slave, shackles broken, machete in hand. This powerful symbol represents Haiti’s strength and resilience. In 1804, enslaved Haitians defeated Napoleon’s army, making Haiti the first and only nation founded by a successful slave revolution. At the time, 70% of the enslaved population had been born as free men and women in Africa. The world feared Haiti’s victory, and as a result, it was politically marginalized for centuries. Nèg Mawon stands as a beacon of that struggle—defiant, unafraid, blowing a conch to call others to freedom.

Above Nèg Mawon, I placed an old-world map of the Caribbean. Maybe it’s because both of my parents were born in the Caribbean, or maybe it’s my love for its rhythmic beats, vibrant cultures, and mouth-watering food—but the Caribbean holds a special place in my heart. I’ve visited many islands—Haiti, Barbados, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Croix—and I’m still not done exploring. I intentionally selected a map of the Caribbean before Haiti and the Dominican Republic became separate nations, showing the island of Hispaniola as a whole.

Designing a Space That Reflects You

Your culture and heritage can be expressed in so many ways, and it may look different for everyone. Maybe it's a gallery wall filled with meaningful pieces, a collection of photos from your travels, or souvenirs displayed specially. It could be a beautifully woven tapestry turned into artwork, an heirloom rug passed down through generations, or a personal library showcasing books that have shaped your worldview. Perhaps it's a specific color palette that evokes nostalgia, accent pillows with diverse prints and textures, or even a themed room that tells a unique story. The beauty of design is that it allows us to celebrate our identity in a deeply personal way.

A well-designed space is more than just aesthetically pleasing—it should evoke emotion, create comfort, and spark conversation.

Your home should tell your story. Every piece should reflect who you are, what you value, and the legacy you want to honor. A well-designed space is more than just aesthetically pleasing—it should evoke emotion, create comfort, and spark conversation.

If you’ve ever wanted to incorporate your heritage, faith, or personal history into your home design but weren’t sure where to start, I have a solution for you.

Join the waitlist for my Virtual Design Group Workshop—an intimate 6-week transformative experience with 3 guided virtual sessions where I work closely with a select group to help them bring personality and cultural depth into their homes. In this workshop, I'll guide you on placement, balance, and how to seamlessly blend your heritage into your design. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today!

Q & A: Understanding Color

Understanding color

To better understand color in a space, you must first understand your relationship with color. For me, color has always been part of my surroundings. Being from a Caribbean family of Haitian descent, I have always had a love for color. Whether it was handmade Haitian wooden carvings stained in rich, dark tones or paintings of the Caribbean landscape hung on the walls — color, in my eyes, had a way of adding richness, depth, and life to the simplest things!

Today as an interior designer, I have a deep appreciation for color that goes deeper than what looks beautiful in a space. When dealing with color, I often think about how it makes one feel, think, and behave. I believe that color can evoke emotion and change the perception of a space or thing.

I recently asked a few friends, past clients, and various professionals about their relationship with color and how color affects their lives. I asked questions like, Do you like color? Are you scared of it or drawn to it? What is your favorite color and why? Is your current home decorated with color? The responses fascinated me. I spoke to one person who grew up with collections of art in their home and certain colors bring back memories for them. Most of who I spoke with were not scared or intimidated by it, they actually LOVED color! For some, colors like purple give energy and scream happiness, for others colors like teal gives a sense of calm while others love yellows and reds because it brings joy to life! However, what was interesting to me was that although they loved color and were not scared of it some of them did not decorate with it.

To dive even deeper I went to my friend and color expert Michele Charles Gustafson, BComm, CIC. Michele is a Certified Image Consultant, Color Expert, and International Confidence Coach. I first met Michele on my podcast Coffee n Tea with S & L, and I loved her perspective of color and her explanation of how each of us uses color differently.

Michele Charles Gustafson, BComm, CIC

Sabine: How can color specifically bring out one's personality?

Michele: Color is an element of personal, emotional expression. When done well, color doesn't bring out one's personality; it reflects its truth. Every color has an expression of a character value, aspiration, intent, and action. When one learns to read color in this way, they can match it to their environment from their homes to offices, wardrobes, and personal branding.  

For example, blue isn’t just one blue. Teal, cobalt, cornflower, or cerulean all have distinct values, aspirations, intents, and influences to action. While general color psychology says blue is about trust, the difference in quality and characteristics of a blue will change it from calming trust to persuasive trust to connective trust -- all are different blues.

Sabine: Sometimes colors have the power to affect our mood.  With so many options to choose from, how can we be intentional with our choice of color(s)?

Michele: A big question. Color ALWAYS affects mood. The best way to be intentional is to be aware that color is an art and a science. There is a reason why certain hues draw you in - most people don't know why, though.

The colors that make you feel comforted, at peace, or even powerful have characteristics in common. They are, though you may not be aware, usually fall into groups in your personalized color palette. Once you understand the particular color characteristic in common with the colors that catch your intuition, know that there are more than 30 other complementary hues that can give you new and exciting ways to express yourself. Each color coordinates seamlessly with each other, and all can move between your interior decorating, to your wardrobe, to your mobile phone case -- and with every detail, the expression will feel "like you." 

“We are people. We have things to say with our lives, using color in a personal way can help us express it no matter how blank the canvas, the trends of the day, or the influences around us.”

—Michele Charles Gustafson

Sabine: Do you feel that it's important to balance color with neutrals?

Michele: Neutrals are a must to balance the intensity, activity, and emotional power of any hue, but know, that neutrals carry messages too. Every shade of grey doesn't mean the same thing; every tint of cream doesn't offer the same emotion. Combining hues and neutrals from a complementary color palette adds a fuller range of emotion and intention to any palette combination.

The color psychology of using all neutrals is limited, in my opinion. Even in a modern or minimalist aesthetic, there is always room for some tint, tone, or shade of a hue. We are people. We have things to say with our lives, using color in a personal way can help us express it no matter how blank the canvas, the trends of the day, or the influences around us. 

Michele teaches entrepreneurs, professionals and community-builders to use her Hue and Style® process to turn how they show up into a permanent superpower for personal branding, visibility, and new success. Find her online and socialize with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Share in the comments below your relationship with color.

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