Designer Spotlight: The Nappy Bohemian
I think this Q&A with Tiffannie White might be my favorite Designer Spotlight entry to date. You may know her more as The Nappy Bohemian. If you don’t know her at all, now you will and you will love her. Tiffannie talks about art and interior design as self-care, being Black in the industry, what it has meant to her to be raised by strong Black women, and the juggle of working full-time at industry darling Fireclay Tile while also working for herself and raising two children.
Q. First, can you tell us about yourself? Where did you grow up, what did you want to be when you grew up, and what about your younger self informs your life now?
A. Hey girl hey!!
I’m Tiffannie, the creator behind @thenappybohemian. I was born in Oakland to a strong Black woman, who raised me on her own. I grew up very humble. I remember ALWAYS watching my mom hustle, and my aunt who helped semi-raise me run her business around diversity, and this was back in the early 90’s. I often had to go to my mom’s second job with her in the evenings, but we always had a beautiful, well decorated apartment and I didn’t want for much. It’s crazy because, looking back, I knew what I wanted to do, but the older I got, the less likely it felt. In my teens I would say I wanted to be a marine biologist or a psychologist, before falling in love with design and merchandising. I’ve noticed that if you grow up not seeing examples of those psychologists or marine biologists though, plus counselors who don’t look like you forcing you to try and think more “realistic,” you start to feel like you have to pursue something with faster money and less time to learn. So for me, that was sales. Crazy though, because years later, I’m back to design and hand making things. Something I always loved. I used to charge kids at my high school to custom bleach messages into their jeans. So, no regrets of not pursing my loves faster. I made my beautiful babies and met the love of my life through my sales career. Still, if I had the chance, I’d remind my younger self to bet on me earlier. To believe in me. To carve a path, because you will realize you will need to carve your own path regardless. Oh, and get that credit together. 😉
Q. What led you to architecture and interior design?
A. My mom had the most well decorated home on the block, ALWAYS, no exaggeration. She was on point. So was my grandmother. I feel like it’s always been in me, but I was always just trying to survive, and didn’t see it as a real career for me. It was just something fun. I didn’t know anyone back then who could afford design, so I had no one to practice on. It was always hustle over passion. The older I got though, the wiser right? So I decided to go back to school for architecture, start my own design company (with obviously no clients at the time), and move my sales career to more design-based so I could get into the industry.
Q. How did you come up with the name The Nappy Bohemian and what made that the perfect name for your business?
A. It was WILD to notice how every design space I went to as I entered the field, I stuck out. I was the only Black person. On top of that, I had a big-ass fro and was real Oakland-like. People would stare as I walked in certain showrooms as if I had poop on my face. As I started looking for people who looked like me, talked like me, doing what I wanted to do in my most natural form, it was few and far between. Even among Black women designers I would find, I often didn’t feel good enough to sit at those tables yet. I just didn’t quite fit in. I started to feel too hood, too young, over aware that I did not have similar resources, etc. etc.
When I started The Nappy Bohemian to dip my feet in, I started thinking of aliases. I knew I was a bit more chill, and had a natural Erykah Badu-type flavor, so Black Bohemian was the direction. I had started transitioning my hair into locs and I wanted something that said, “oh she Black Black.” I started to use Nappy as a sign of endearment and an act of rebellion at the good hair versus bad hair debates at the time. Remember that radio announcer that got fired for calling those WNBA women “Nappy Headed H*es”?! Yea, it was around then. At first I was worried I’d turn people off in my attempts to embrace an almost negative word, even in our community, but I’ve done the opposite. I’m glad I did. The right clients seem to gravitate towards me as well as the right opportunities. Everyone in Oakland (not really) had locs. I just wanted to bring my true self to the world of design.
Q. You’ve talked about the home environment being able to create a sense of peace. Can you describe how interior design can help create peace at home?
A. As dope as my house was growing up, when I first was on my own, my apartments were messy, cluttered, and barely put together with hand me downs. The more I grew internally, I’d literally just start purging junk. I stopped trying to hang on to “stuff”. The better I got at it, I remember feeling prouder about what I did have. Having general gratitude can pull you out of any anxious or depressing situation. I started noticing how beautiful spaces made me feel calmer and happier, and I wanted that for my family. Most of my art I’ve made myself, because art therapy is also my self care. It’s all full circle. People go to school for years and years to fully understand how human environments shape one’s psychological effects. Good design is undeniably directly impacting our emotions every single day, every place we go. From strategic aisles at IKEA to gray depressing walls in prison. All of it is intentional mind tricks. It’s wild when you think about it.
Q. Not only do you have your own interior design services, but you also work full time for Fireclay Tile and you have the very important job of being a mom. Do these jobs inform each other and, if so, how?
A. Yup, there’s a 9-5, a 5-9, and 24-hour jobs. They each have forced me to be my best. I have to be my best. They all feed each other. I mastered E-Design through being a virtual designer with Fireclay. I love Fireclay (and not because they’re probably watching, lol). I saw Solange up close in personal at the SF MOMA with my coworkers. I get to design with my job, connect with amazing designers, as well as be a part of something a bit more special than I’ve ever done as far as work goes. My mom recently passed away and my whole team was at the funeral, taking up more than one row. Now as a parent (10 and 4), I’m constantly trying to teach them through my actions. I know they are watching. We pray, we do affirmations, we indulge in nature, as a family. We dance and share Black stories. I also have to teach them the things that are specific to raising black children. It’s important that they see they can carve their own lanes regardless of what anyone has to think or say about them. As for Nappy, it’s all about being genuine and transparent as well. I pour my heart into it as an art form. I usually only help one or two clients at a time, and establish these real relationships. I want to help people. It’s my love note to my clients. All of it is just doing things that feel right these days. Nothing more, nothing less. I’ve added Body Oil Candles (it’s both 😉 ) to Nappy, and I get to share with folks even more, who need the self-care, but don’t have the means for paid design services just yet.
Q. You have an e-design business. What would you say works well with e-design? What would you say are the challenges?
A. Good question. With E-Design, I’m providing packages for clients to execute on their own schedules. This model allows me to be around my kids and still help clients in the ways that work for everyone. This means though, that I have to cross my fingers that I get photos, and that things will be executed. This isn’t always good for content creation in the fast paced IG world where people want to see those before-and-after pictures. As time goes on though, its been a great choice.
Q. You use color, pattern and artwork beautifully. What do you look for when putting together a curated palette? Any top tips to share with others who may be playing around in their own homes?
A. Thank you, sis! I love all of that. I just try not to do too much of the same thing. Everything doesn’t need to be the same mudcloth pattern for example. I think of texture and pattern together. I say to myself, do I have a natural wood? Did I add some bling or metals? Are there feathers or interesting textiles? Do I have a good balance of straight lines and curves? It has to all be there. I like big bold solid colors to add in, too. This could be an emerald green velvet couch, or a rich wall paint. Its all about not going safe, but not overdoing it either.
Q. What are your favorite spaces to design and why?
A. I like bedrooms. There’s something more mysterious about the bedrooms. My clients and I get real real about what we want to go down in our bedrooms, and how we can best support that level of comfort and relaxation.
There is no better way to end an interview than with that last quote so thank you to Tiffannie White of The Nappy Bohemian for participating in the Designer Spotlight Q&A. Be sure to follow her here and visit her site here. And to catch up on the Designer Spotlight series, check it out here.
