When people are preparing to decorate their homes, they look in many places for inspiration. For instance, they search décor magazines, television, online showrooms, and real-life showrooms and showhouses. However, if you are searching for something that is designed by a person of color, you might have a hard time finding it. Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) are a part of the design community that is underrepresented. The Kaleidoscope Project is moving to change that.
“The extraordinary talents of so many designers of color are oftennot seen and their voices are not heard. We are a creative industry. It’s up to us to bring all of our best talentforward and create an equitable platform for all of our design community. It is my responsibility to create a path for our young talents to join the industry and have the opportunity to succeed. With this mission, The Kaleidoscope Project was born,”
Amy Lynn Schwartzbard, co-founder of The Kaleidoscope Project, Principal of The Life Designs Group and LD Hospitality Resources,
The Kaleidoscope Project is joining with Ellen DeGeneres, Elle Décor and 30 other major designs brands to show support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement by helping to showcase some talented designers in creating a showhouse all fashioned by People of Color. 23 designers have been invited to renovate the historic 28-bedroom Cornell Inn in Lenox Massachusetts, and it will be open to the public starting May 16.
This opportunity to see the work of different people is not just to see designs, however. The proceeds from ticket sales will be used by The Kaleidoscope Project, partnering with the New York School of Interior Design, Parsons School of Design, and the Black Artist and Designers Guild to provide scholarships to those in the BIPOC community who are seeking a career in a creative industry.
“With the advent of the Black Lives Matter Movement, we in the design industry community, sought to support our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community in an actionable fashion,” shares Patti Carpenter, Principal of carpenter + company and co-founder of the Kaleidoscope Project. “We are seeking to show the true colors present within our community and to create welcoming and inclusive spaces that reflect a broader design narrative.” “The Kaleidoscope Project’s mission is to foster this under-acknowledged community and create a more representative view of our design trades and the world wherein we live and create,” says Amy Lynn Schwartzbard.
The Cornell Inn show house will become a perpetual acknowledgment of the diversity and talent in the interior design industry.