If you’ve ever opened up a shelter magazine or scrolled through a design blog and wondered why it feels whitewashed, we’re with you. Representation in the media is still so far behind when it comes to designers of color. It begs the question — where are all the black designers" When Kimberly Ward tried to answer […]

If you’ve ever opened up a shelter magazine or scrolled through a design blog and wondered why it feels whitewashed, we’re with you. Representation in the media is still so far behind when it comes to designers of color. It begs the question — where are all the black designers"
When Kimberly Ward tried to answer this question for her blog readers in 2011, she hit a road block. She was putting together a feature called African American Top 20 Interior Designers and struggled to come up with names and portfolios when searching online. She knew they were out there — she was a black interior designer and she knew other black designers personally — but her searches came up empty. This question launched her into a new avenue and passion: Giving visibility, community and resources to POC designers through the Black Interior Designers Network, (BIDN). Since its inception in 2011, BIDN has provided exposure, partnerships and educational events to further talented designers across the country. Kimberly passed away in August of 2017, leaving BIDN to President Keia McSwain. Keia has continued to push BIDN ...