Behind This Brick And Mortar Spotlighting Female Makers’ Wares

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eclectic homewares on vibrant blue shelves in brick-and-mortar shop The Black Home

After finding success with a shop in Newark, New Jersey, designer Neffi Walker decided to bring her offerings to another dynamic, urban locale, The Black Home.

Why do you believe in the power of brick-and-mortar? I want to create community in areas where there is gentrification. The Black Home is a pivotal space where old meets new.

How do you determine what makes it on the shelves? Our offerings change every three weeks and I carefully curate around the seasons. I also want to champion women, so I showcase a lot of female founders.

What role do you play in bringing attention to makers? It’s important to work with businesses I love because I want to be knowledgeable and honest with customers when I feature someone’s work they may be unfamiliar with. I’ve become friends with many of the artists and I want to broaden their network through my network. It’s not about me, it’s about the community as a whole.

PHOTO BY LESLEY UNRUH