Many years ago, when I was working as an interior designer in corporate America, I would peruse the latest design magazines delivered to my workstation, marveling at the array of featured designers and products printed on their pages. Some designs amazed me, while others seemed mediocre, making me wonder, “How did they get a shot?” Regardless, I was inspired by their stories, their visibility, and their courage to pursue their own practices. These features reminded me of my own dream—one I had nurtured during my time at the local university—to one day establish my own design firm.
While in design school, I had a professor who was, in my view, slightly pessimistic yet realistic. He lectured that many of us who dreamed of becoming renowned designers would never reach that goal—suggesting that maybe only one or two students in our class of about 40 would actually attain "stardom." I had contradictory thoughts—part of me wondered if achieving such success was truly possible, while another part of me was determined to prove him wrong.
A Lifelong Entrepreneurial Spirit
From a young age, I had an entrepreneurial knack for creativity—making things and selling them for profit. That mindset came from my mother, who did the same in pursuit of her passion, though she wasn’t able to finish interior design school after giving birth to me. While I was musically talented and initially pursued music in college, I eventually switched paths due to doubts about my abilities and dissatisfaction with the curriculum and instructors.
At a crossroads, I reflected on my childhood fascination with HGTV, The Christopher Lowell Show, and my constant urge to rearrange and transform spaces every time I cleaned my home as a teenager. This led me to pivot and pursue interior design.
Early Career & Overcoming Doubts
Fast forward to my early years in design firms—I was inspired to design for others, often taking on small projects on the side. However, the thought of owning a firm as large as the ones I worked for felt daunting due to the liability, client acquisition challenges, and lack of industry representation for designers from my background. Despite these doubts, I continued learning, earning my state license, and gaining experience wherever possible.
It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that I was forced to pause and reflect. On furlough and in a dark place, I found an unexpected opportunity when a friendly couple hired me to redesign their kitchen—which soon expanded into a much larger project, incorporating a workstation, living room, and dining room. Looking back, I know I didn’t charge enough, but that project empowered me to take the leap into starting my own design firm.
Around this time, designer friends encouraged me to tap into my expertise, resources, and network, sharing profiles of other Black designers as inspiration. Their support helped me see that my skills, creativity, and unique perspective were worth building a brand around.
Launching Ze Haus & Early Recognition
After completing my first two projects, I began designing my first wallpaper collection, TropicArt Nuvo, and actively promoting my brand on social media. The journey was slow at first, but visibility grew as writers and editors discovered my work online. This was largely fueled by businesses and publications spotlighting Black designers in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the tragic killing of George Floyd.
My journey has not followed a straight line, but as I reflect on Ze Haus' five-year anniversary milestone, there are so many accomplishments to celebrate:
Year One: Launched the People & Plants collection.
Year Two: Introduced the TropicArt Nuvo wallpaper collection and won the Southeast Grand Prize in Jamie Stern’s 2nd Annual Rug Contest.
Year Three: Ze Haus received the JEDI Firm Ambassador of the Year – BRAGG Award from IIDA South Florida.
Year Four (2023): Illustrated the Design Your World children’s book, introducing young kids to interior design.
Year Five (2024): Received one of ten small business grants from MDEAT to scale and grow Ze Haus.
Looking Ahead
As I look toward the future, I’m excited to continue developing new wallpaper designs and visual art that celebrate the Black, Afro-, and Latin-Caribbean cultural landscape of Miami. Ze Haus will also continue to expand into home décor products while continuing to help clients design and build their dream spaces.
Cheers to Five Years of Ze Haus Design Studio!
Thank you to everyone who has supported this journey—here’s to even more creativity, innovation, and transformation in the years to come!
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