Angela Belt wears many stylish hats, being an interior designer, interior stylist, and writer, working for herself and other brands. And once a year, she adds something else to her design plate: being the self-appointed ambassador of bringing attention to black designers and artists every day of Black History Month in her annual 28 Black Tastemakers series. Her series is empowering in an industry in which designers of color are underrepresented in design publications, TV shows and on social media. Not only is she a fantastic designer with great tips that she shares on many platforms, but she has a strong point of view in more ways than one. This month’s designer spotlight is on Angela, her work and her efforts to show that representation matters.

Q. How did you get started in interior design and when did you realize you belonged in that field?

A. I started working for Room & Board when I was in my early twenties, and I became a visual merchandiser and did store design. I initially thought it was going to be a job that I would have while I was pursuing my art career as an intern at the Studio Museum in Harlem. But, as I learned more about interior design and got on-the-job training through drafting floor plans by hand, installing light fixtures and wall art, and learning how to build a store from the ground up, I fell in love with interior design. Plus, simultaneously during this time I started doing freelance styling work for AphroChic over the years, and those additional opportunities got me lots of exposure to the editorial world.

Q. So much of design, interior design included, is presented online as being white, as in designers and often their clients are white. We know that there are plenty of people of color who own homes, renovate their homes and redesign their homes, just as we know there are people of color who work in the industries to make these home purchases, renovations and redesigns happen. Why do you think there is a lack of this representation online, on TV and in social media?

A. I think a big part of it comes down to who you know, and finding your connections in the industry by attending events, going to trade shows, and reaching out and engaging with people that you admire and you want to learn from. So many people in the private sector get the job because of their qualifications plus having the right connections. Often when I bring up this question in interior design, I am often confronted with the response, “I don’t know where to start or they were unable to find someone of color, who was the right fit for their project.” It was from this constant response that I developed my 28 Black Tastemakers series three years ago. My thinking is, if you don’t know, now you know.

Q. I have so much respect for your annual Black History Month celebration. Thank you so much for introducing me and the rest of the world to black designers and their work. And thank you for getting other people to talk about this issue. I love that you are doing something to help rectify what I see is a dearth of black design in the public sphere. Where did this idea come about, how did you get it started, are there challenges to this process and do you feel it’s being seen and heard?

A. This idea for 28 Black Tastemakers came after working with several publications and feeling somewhat defeated when I would submit pitches for people of color and they just never seemed to be a good fit. I also developed it when I decided to start my own business a few years ago, and I wanted to connect with Black people that I admired, and create my own platform to amplify their stories. I think 28 Black Tastemakers still has a long way to go in where I would like to take this concept offline and make a conference and a place where Black talent can engage with each other and the interior design industry. Right now, I do this entire project by myself and at times it can be tough with a full time job, being a wife and mom, but it is truly a labor of love project to me. I have been happy that, since doing the project, I have been able to create collaborations amongst tastemakers, get more Black home tours featured in Apartment Therapy, HGTV magazine, and I have more plans that I am working on now for the future.

Q. I think we both believe that representation matters. Does your race or culture play into how you design for yourself or others? If so, how?

A. I think being Black and my culture has a big part to do with how I design for myself, but when it comes to my clients I am much more focused on discovering what is their style and figuring out how to translate that into a space.

Q. Generally speaking, who are your design influences and how do they reflect in your work? In addition to the 28 designers and artists you profiled this past February, who else should we check out?

A. I don’t think I’m currently influenced by a particular person, but I am definitely interested in modern African design, and designers re-creating traditional African patterns and giving them a modern twist through new color palettes or by using new technology to create a design. Also, I am influenced by day trips and exploring vintage furniture shops to find new inspiration.

Q. You seem to be at an interesting cross section of the industry, working for or involved with AphroChic, whose work I also really like, Homepolish, and About.com. How did you create these opportunities for yourself and how do you balance being at this cross section?

A. People are always surprised to learn that Jeanine Hays from AphroChic and I are sisters (until you see our photos), so both have an obsession for interior design and have worked together on many interior design projects to highlight Black interior design and culture. I started working with Homepolish after being a part of a panel discussion in California with Orlando Soria. He told me all about Homepolish and the experience. At first it sounded too good to be true, but two years later and I’m still going strong.

Q. You share great design tips and advice online. For people who are struggling with designing their own spaces, what are some tips you have for starting to put together a single space?

A. Plan it out before you get started. I am a firm believer in doing a floor plan, making a checklist, and a mood board before you execute a design. I know implementing the design process is a lot of fun, but without a plan at first, you will be stuck trying to connect random elements together for months or, even worse, years (which is often when I get called in). I designed my entire home in 1 month because I planned it out 6 months in advance of moving in.

Q. What are your favorite spaces to design and why?

A. One of my favorite spaces to design is when I work with a client who likes to collaborate, who isn’t afraid of color. So often I design spaces with white walls, and then color is brought in through the furniture and accessories. But every once in a while I get a client who is willing to go all in. One of my recent projects I am very excited about is a kitchen design with pink, gold and white. It has a sophisticated mid-century look that I think I’ll need to re-design in my own home one day.

Q. What are your tips for anyone trying to get into interior design?

A. Get started now and look for job opportunities that are going to give you on-the-job training. Also, if you have a full-time job and you want to pursue interior design, find a way to fit your dreams into your daily life even if it’s at night. I am constantly juggling a few projects at once, but when you’re starting in interior design, you need to say yes to as many opportunities as possible to get your name out there.

Q. What is next for you in this industry?

A. Well, right now I just started working for Wayfair as a Senior 3d Stylist. So I am now learning how to style room settings in 3d space using 3ds maxx, which I think is truly the next frontier for interior design. Beyond this, my focus is really on growing the Angela Belt brand by wrapping up a lot of my Homepolish projects in the next few months and gearing up for more photo shoots to grow my portfolio.

For more on Angela Belt, follow her on Instagram and check out her house tour on Apartment Therapy to see how she designs for herself and her family. To see the rest of the Designer Spotlight series, click here. Also, if you haven’t subscribed to The 256 Project yet, please do! I have some exciting things coming up that you won’t want to miss.