In Oasis: How Black women are redefining the meaning of "home"
2020 has had what many would call its unfair share of ups and downs, and one of the major adjustments to come with the COVID-19 pandemic has been widespread restrictions on movement and travel.
Let’s face it: we’ve had to be indoors a lot more than many of us would like, and finding ways to recalibrate to our new realities while balancing work, kids, and trying to stay safe from the virus has been a matter of survival.
For many Black women, that has meant being intentional about curating their personal oases, making subtle decisions that coalesce into a vision of comfort and joy.
And this isn’t new. Rooted in their individual tastes, passions and lifestyles, Black women have always made intentional choices about the place that matters to them the most — home.
We caught up with three Black Canadian women about their apartments, how they decorated and what their digs mean to them:
Name: Alma Rex-Ezonfade
City: Toronto
How long I've lived in the space: 8 months
It's important to me that my home is a getaway from the daily hustle and bustle of a busy life in the city. For as long as I can remember, I've always been drawn to neutral colour palettes and bright airy rooms. I was heavily inspired by hotels and wanted to recreate the zen and atmosphere I feel when I walk into a luxurious suite at a hotel for the first time. Albeit small in terms of square feet — as is popular with Toronto condos — I have curated each room to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing by my standards. My home is a functional escape from the outside world, filled with warmth, love and all my favourite things. Click through to see Alma’s home.
Eniola Hu
City: Toronto
How long I've lived in the space: 2 years.
I was nomadic for almost 14 years of my life so my spaces used to be styled in the most bare-minimum functional way. In 2018, I moved from Los Angeles to live with my husband and that came with a sense of stability. That made us super intentional about how we wanted our first place together to look. Being the son of an architect, he was very particular about layout, scale, dimensions, etc. And being a textile & surface designer myself, I brought the decorative flair into our home with color, natural textures, print and plants.
Last but not least, both of us being ethnic cultures, we made sure that the cultural elements made the space. Some of the items you’ll find in our home are sekere (cowrie instrument hanging atop the living room window), Manila peacock chair, Mali mud pattern wall decal (bedroom wall), and original art from artisans from different ethnic backgrounds. It’s a very warm and chic space. My home is my favourite place to be. Click through to see Eniola’s home.
Name: Gloria Alamrew
City: Edmonton
How long I’ve lived in the space: 2.5 years
I knew that when I bought my first place, I wanted it to be my sanctuary. I work a deadline-intensive, stressful job so it was important to me to have my home be as calming and relaxing as possible. I first fell in love with the huge windows and ten-foot ceilings and instantly knew this was the space for me. Plants are a major part of my life and self-care routine and incorporating them into my loft was a no brainer. I grew up poor, never imagining that I'd own anything like this. So whenever I look around and really pause to take in this beautiful home that I've created, I know it would make younger Gloria so proud. Click through to see Gloria’s home.
