Black History Month + Design Inspiration Sheila Bridges

tianafordelight
Feb 1, 2022
4 min read

PSA: At Delight Design Firm, we celebrate and honor Black History not only in February, but everyday of the year. We understand that we rest on the shoulders of our ancestors, we press on due to their blood, sweat and tears, and we thrive due to their sacrifices. Black success, Black empowerment, Black tenancity, Black grit, Black joy, and Black brilliance is embedded and threaded through everyday decisions as well as the long term plans of this company. We are intentional to provide future spaces, places and opportunities for Black families and youth to thrive and find a home in their limitless creativity and design. Black History and Black Futures 24/7 and 365 days of the year.

Now for your regularly scheduled blog post…

Listen…This is a longer blog post today, but if you care about Black History, and want to know some of my design inspiration and story, you’ll keep reading. It’ll be worth the time. 😘

Growing up, I always knew I loved decorating, styling furniture and rearranging rooms. I did this so many times to find the right flow, look and mood that it was almost an everyday event.

In my youthful ignorance, I didn’t know there was a such thing as interior designers. I was never exposed to that life, so I didn’t know what I enjoyed doing was a viable profession.

Fast forward to college, whenever I was at various bookstores, I would also head to the magazine section to check out the home and architecture magazines. I could never afford those suckers at the time (they’re still relatively expensive), but I would spend hours looking at them.

Then, sometime in the early 2000s, I see Sheila Bridges in one of those magazines, AND on TV - and I was in love. I was like, “Black people can do this?!?!” To say representation matters is an understatement!!!

I was at the end of my college years at that time, so logically, realistically, and financially, I just completed my degree, and graduated in my major of psychology. I just kept the design seed nestled while going into the mental health field.

After getting a “real” job, I would still peruse the bookstores, but now I had a little change to buy a couple of magazines. I remember seeing Sheila Bridges again, and thought to myself, “wow, that would be so cool if I could do this.” Still not being connected to anyone in the design field in the homey yet very segregated Cleveland, Ohio, the seed was still nestled and just thought of as a creative outlet.

More time passed, I got married, moved back to California, had great professional growth, and then my life was enhanced by having my beautiful daughter. I was in professional work and mommy mode, yet I CRAVED a postpartum creative outlet.

I stumbled across a local college AutoCAD interior design course for the summer, decided to enroll, and Honey - I was HOOKED.

Little did I know, the course I took was for students that had been in the Interior Design program for some time. My amazing professor was wowed with my work and ease to learn very intricate CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs. She encouraged me to start the full interior design program in the fall. I checked in with my husband, he gave me his loving support, and I was a full-time professional, wife, new mother and student in the Fall of 2013.

The “official” first course of my college’s interior design program, was an intro to design course and in class we had to create fast impromptu mood boards from magazine clippings. Well, in my search, I see Sheila Bridges again in a magazine and couldn’t believe that about 10 years later from initially seeing her, I’m diving into this design thing.

I kept the internal excitement to myself, but knew it was validation I was in the right spot. I recently learned from a beautiful friend and Soror, who coined the term, “God winks” - Little moments where the Lord affirms you’re right where you need to be.

I was so thankful for that God wink, and even though she doesn’t know me, I am thankful for Sheila Bridges, her sacrifices, her art and her amazing talent. I hope to meet her one day, yet right now, go view her Instagram and business website (just like I do) to see how truly iconic this brilliant woman is. I mean, after all, it is Black History Month. 😉🥰

Ms. Bridges, if you ever read this, I don’t know your whole story, but I’m thankful for your life, talent and the gifts you bestowed upon the design industry. Thank you for being an inspiration to young Black women like myself. Thank you for stepping out on faith, achieving your dreams and being fearless and intentional in your work. You are beauty personified and design mastery unmatched. I thank you. 🙏🏾

I will continue to Make Everyday Beautiful following your trailblazing footsteps,