To make a renovation even more of a no-brainer? With the wallpaper in, “the current interiors did not coordinate. It just didn’t work anymore,” says Barnett. 

So it made sense for Barnett, the founder of the Black Artists+Designers Guild, to make her new space a tribute to her life’s work—and the modern Black experience. 

“The focus of my own studio practice is about embodying the Black experience in multiple ways, from materials to storytelling,” she notes.

Calling on an Old Friend 

The project was personal for both Barnett and Leyden Lewis, the designer she tapped to help her with the wallpaper installation: They’ve known each other “for a long time.” 

Then it became clear the original project was expanding, “and that’s when I said, ‘Ok Leyden, this is going to be bigger than just installing wallpaper. We need to revamp the entire space,’” Barnett explains. 

Since Leyden was a friend, Barnett knew he would be well-versed in her work and life. It helped that she’s “always admired his aesthetic and eye for merging art and design.” 

“The room was his canvas, and so I said, ‘do what it is that needs to be done, knowing the things that I like and the way that I like to live.’ Those were the only guidelines,” says Barnett of her handing Lewis the reins.

A Work of Art 

Lewis went to work on the “total home overhaul,” selecting details for the kitchen that complemented the room’s Lulu and Georgia Alaari wallpaper (from Barnett’s collection). 

The intricate wallpaper itself is “reminiscent of my carved ceramics—the pattern is taken from my carvings,” notes Barnett, and acted as the backdrop for everything else. 

“I use pattern mostly as my visual language to connect with the ancestors as well as to create new futures,” she explains. 

To complement the walls’ terracotta colors, Lewis picked Semihandmade Saddle Slab cabinet doors (from the exclusive Chris Loves Julia collection)—a faded walnut color—on the cookspace side of the room and around the (new!) refrigerator. 

“I love the transformative and warm coffee bean feeling of the finish on the wood. It’s like visual umami,” raves Lewis.

Customized Kitchen 

Lewis created a truly custom kitchen—and found he wasn’t limited in the cabinet realm. 

“I really appreciated the simple way the Semihandmade panels married and matched the cabinet carcasses/boxes,” says Lewis. “There was wonderful flexibility of use on the larger panels to create customized moments in the kitchen.” 

The island and island cabinets (outfitted with Semihandmade Moss Slab cabinet doors) serve as a contrast to the darker areas of the space: Soft greens and blues add lightness. 

To both Lewis and Barnett, representing the Carribean was a step to creating a space representative of both of their backgrounds—Lewis is from Trinidad, Barnett is from Jamaica and St. Vincent. 

“The island is my favorite. Besides the color, it just reminds me of the Carribean, deep down in the ocean,” Barnett states. “I couldn’t have imagined the space looking like it is now, especially from what it was before.”

Time to Lounge 

The result of Lewis’ work is a grounded—yet open and inviting—kitchen that accompanies Barnett into the next chapter of her life. “Lewis guided me on creating a timeless kitchen that’s going to be there for a long time,” states Barnett. 

What that next chapter holds? Actually living in the space. Barnett is currently completing a Fulbright grant in Jamaica at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, researching ancestral traditions in African Jamaican pottery and making a new body of work. 

“I’m excited to get back to it to experience the kitchen, cook, and read. It’s a very inviting yet calming and moving space.” 

Barnett is also looking forward to the possibilities of what will happen around her table for the years to come: Morning breakfasts, intimate dinner parties, and simply spreading out, lounging, and marveling in the life she’s created for herself.