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AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family HomePenguin Random House LLC

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AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home Hardcover – November 15, 2022

by Jeanine Hays (Author), Bryan Mason (Author)

192 ratings

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WINNER OF THE BOOKTIQUE BOOK AWARD • A powerful, visually stunning celebration of Black homeownership, featuring inspiring homes and family histories of notable Black Americans—including chef Alexander Smalls and actor Danielle Brooks.

“The most important design book of our time.”—Stacey Lindsay, design editor, Camille Styles

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason invite you into the intimate spaces of actors and musicians, the creative studios of artists and curators, the “boss” homes of entrepreneurs and executives, “off-the-beaten-path” homes that defy the stereotypes of urban living, and places filled with pieces handed down from generations past. Tour the creative and culturally infused Washington, DC, rowhouse of author Jason Reynolds. Take in the bursts of color and layers of memory that fill the Harlem Renaissance–inspired interior of renowned chef Alexander Smalls. And get inspired by the design of actor Danielle Brooks and her husband Dennis Gelin’s Brooklyn townhome, where Haitian heritage and South Carolina roots meet.

Showcasing the amazing diversity of the Black experience through striking interiors, stories of family and community, and histories exploring the obstacles Black homeowners have faced for generations, this groundbreaking book honors the journey, recognizes the struggle, and celebrates the joy that is the Black family home.

From the Publisher

celebrate black homeownership and the amazing diversity of the black experience

The authors say, “color and art in our design creates a joyful place where stories are celebrated.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“AphroChic transforms stories about home into reflections on plantations where ancestors were enslaved; a conversation about design into a recollection of the Great Migration that brought a generation of refugees north and west; and a homeowner’s stylish love of color into a rebuke of this country’s efforts to cover over its past with thin coats of beige and gray.”—Robin Givhan, Senior Critic-at-Large, The Washington Post

“This book is an homage to cultural alchemists who transmute the material of everyday life—experimenting with color and texture, playing with pattern and placemaking, and crafting new stories of belonging that ripple across generations.”—Ruha Benjamin, professor of African American Studies, Princeton University

“With AphroChic, Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason have written the most important design book of our time.”—Stacey Lindsay, design editor, Camille Styles

“Sixteen tours thrillingly document Black homes in Bryan Mason and Jeanine Hays’s AphroChic, at once a rousing celebration of Black homeownership and a salient reminder of the obstacles that many still face.”—Parker Bowie Larson, style director, ELLE Decor

“Jeanine and Bryan laid down the magic recipe: design sparks the eye, story opens the heart, and space moves the soul. AphroChic continues to celebrate, elevate, and inspire us all.”—Kim Myles, HGTV host

“With their stunning new book, Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason have interwoven the rich, complex history of the Black home as a concept with dazzling examples of it today. Pairing the history of migration, redlining, gentrification, and other elements of the history of Black Americans with tours of vibrant, personal interiors paints a captivating and celebratory portrait of the Black home in all its beauty and complexity. I wish more design books dove this deep.”—Hadley Keller, digital director, House Beautiful

“In the luminous book, AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home, authors Bryan Mason and Jeanine Hays capture the sacred spaces we occupy. Places where we cherish our ancestors, reside, and entertain our loved ones. Locations where we reflect, revitalize, and LIVE fully. This is a visually vibrant and meaningful excursion into personal expression, inherited artifacts, memories, and a reminder that there is no place like home.”—Dyana Williams, entertainment broadcaster

“Designers Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, the dynamic duo behind AphroChic, explore the Black family home and its role in culture and life. Through 16 house tours, the book sheds a light on the challenges many Black homeowners still face along with valuable decorating lessons.”—Sarah DiMarco, assistant editor, Veranda

“A new book from AphroChic blends history and modern living to paint a picture of the Black family home.”—Kaitlin Petersen, editor in chief, Business of Home

About the Author

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason are the authors of REMIX: Decorating with Culture, Objects, and Soul. Their media and design brand, AphroChic, celebrates African Diaspora cultures through their lifestyle magazine, podcast, and product lines available through Perigold and 1stDibs. The couple resides in upstate New York in their lovingly named AphroFarmhouse.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer, merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. —James Baldwin, Dark Days

We all have a story of home, beginning with the first place that we remember. It travels with us, growing as we grow, written into our homes with colors, patterns, furniture, and accessories. In our first book, REMIX, we explored those elements and the ways that we use them in our homes to tell our story. In this book, we are excited to explore the story of home itself, those of the families featured here, and that of African Americans as a whole.

We at AphroChic are lovers of history. And while this is a design book, it’s also a book about history, for as James Baldwin points out, the past is always with us, and we are formed by both the parts we include and by what gets left out. For too long, the Black family home has been left out of the story of America—a missing character. It’s time to write the full story.

The Black family home is a vibe. More than just a place where people live, it’s a feeling. It comes from the food that we eat, the music we hear, the stories we share. It comes from the elders in our families—the ones who teach us to act right, be quiet, and pay attention. The ones with the stories, recipes, and lessons that we never forget. Whether an apartment, a condo or a house, a new-build, or a generational home, the feeling is the same. Home is like “soul”—indescribable, but you know it when you feel it and you miss it when it’s gone. Much of that feeling is carried in the unique aesthetic that defines African American design.

Like every part of a culture, design is shaped by history. The shape of American history has created a set of needs for African Americans, which are reflected in our homes. Much as we have with food, music, and dance, African Americans have used design as a way of meeting those needs. African American design is uniquely experiential in that it isn’t defined by look as much as it is by feel. There are no defined color palettes or furniture styles. Instead, it uses a diverse array of approaches to craft environments that evoke feelings such as safety, control, visibility, celebration, and memory. Each of these plays an important role in the feeling of home that these spaces convey. When asked what their homes mean to them, “safety” was the first response of every homeowner in this book. Life in America is not safe for Black people and never has been. While the sense of safety our homes provide is not the same as physical security, home is a respite from the psychological pressures of the outside world. For that reason, Black homes are filled with comfortable things and things that comfort.

Control, as an element of African American design, is about the ease with which our creative decisions are made. Home offers a space that doesn’t have to be carved out, contended for, or defended once won. It doesn’t ask us to explain ourselves, speak for our race, ignore its microaggressions, or be on call for teachable moments. No one ever asks to touch your home. In place of all that, home gives us the control we need to express and represent ourselves freely.

Visibility and representation are constant social battles for African Americans—as much a question of how and why we’re seen as when and where we are seen. Home is a place apart from the scrutiny and stereotypes of the white gaze. And if we struggle to separate who we are from how we are seen, designing our homes can give us the space and means to address those issues in ways that not only showcase our stories and cultures but celebrate them as well.

Celebration may be the most important element of African American interior design. We do not define our culture by tragedy and oppression but by enduring hope, creativity, and joy. The embrace of color, art, and culture in our design creates a joyful place where the stories of a person, a family, and a people are celebrated and remembered.

Memory is the root of soul, and a vital part of African American design. Through design we both retain the past and contemporize it. Our designs recall the places we grew up in, our ancestral homes and the ancestors themselves, connecting our stories to the stories that came before. Memory is where African American design starts.

Because of how well it blends eras and aesthetics, African American design is strongly anti-thematic, valuing personal expression above all else. Like jazz improvisations or street style fashion, our design aesthetics are unique to each of us—a multitude of expressions connected through a variety of experiences that are shared but not identical. Within these experiences, home may be where we go to feel safe, welcome, and seen, but getting there has been difficult.

Beginning with Emancipation—and even before—the African American journey to home has been a hard-fought road, and never a straight route. We have built communities that were burned or destroyed by white supremacists; owned land that was stolen or from which we were driven away; established legal protections against discriminatory practices, only to see those protections rolled back until today, resulting in the lowest rate of homeownership among African Americans since the 1960s. Nevertheless, our journey is etched into the history of America. Its peaks and valleys have come at some of this nation’s most crucial turning points. Because of that, it’s a useful way to measure the nation’s social, political, and economic steps, both forward and back. And yet, it’s a story that hasn’t really been told before now and it’s important to consider why.

“At this point we leave Africa,” Georg Hegel once wrote, “not to mention it again. For it is no historical part of the World; it has no movement or development to exhibit.” Remembered widely as one of the architects of modern Western philosophy—and less widely as a framer of modern racism—Hegel’s statement continues to shape popular notions about the place of Black people in history. The sentiment hasn’t lasted because it’s true; it lasts because it justifies actions and normalizes power relationships built on the lie of a biological racial hierarchy. It took time. Racism as we know it today is not ancient, but it didn’t form overnight. Maintaining it requires the work of generations. Creating it required the hard work of forgetting.

Forgetting is a complicated and difficult act. The erasure of an entire people from history demands more than ignoring the highlights of their past. The present must also be obscured through stereotypes, misrepresentations, and omissions. In its representations as part of Black life in America, the Black family home has been subjected to all three.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter; First Edition (November 15, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593234006
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593234006
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.8 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.3 x 1.03 x 10.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #46,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #112 in Interior Design
- #137 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)
- #165 in Home Decorating (Books)

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192 ratings

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Jeanine Hays
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Jeanine Hays is an accomplished writer, interior and product designer and together with her husband, Bryan Mason, is the founder and creative director of AphroChic, a brand dedicated to celebrating design, culture, creativity, health and wellness throughout the African Diaspora.
The couple started their brand in 2007 as a blog before quickly expanding into creative fields such as content creation, publishing and more. They are the creators of the HGTV Facebook Watch series, Sneak Peek with AphroChic, that reached over 4 million viewers online over two seasons. A leading voice on the historical and modern expressions of African Diaspora art and design, Jeanine has written numerous articles for House Beautiful, HGTV and The Spruce in addition to becoming the founder and editor-in-chief of AphroChic Magazine. A quarterly publication, AphroChic Magazine is a one-of-a-kind lifestyle publication speaking to Black life in a wide variety of ways - from design, fashion, music and art to politics, the economy and public health.
Jeanine and her husband Bryan are experts in creating experiences and telling stories through social media and video, connecting brands to a wide audience, particularly in the African American community. Their clients include a number of Fortune 500 companies, including LOWE’s, The Home Depot, IKEA and Nike. The couple have been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and most recently on NPR and Next Question with Katie Couric, discussing their family’s long haul COVID journey.
Jeanine’s first book “REMIX: Decorating with Culture, Objects and Soul” was written with Bryan and released by Penguin Random House (PRH) in 2013. The couple is currently writing their second book for PRH, “APHROCHIC: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home” to be released in fall 2022.
Jeanine is a graduate of Spelman College and American University Washington College of Law.
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Bryan Mason
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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Bryan Mason is an accomplished writer, interior and product designer and together with his wife, Jeanine Hays, is the founder and creative director of AphroChic, a brand dedicated to celebrating design, culture, creativity, health and wellness throughout the African Diaspora.
The couple started their brand in 2007 as a blog before quickly expanding into creative fields such as content creation, publishing and more. They are the creators of the HGTV Facebook Watch series, Sneak Peek with AphroChic, that reached over 4 million viewers online over two seasons. A leading voice on the historical and modern expressions of African Diaspora art and design, Bryan has written numerous articles exploring the connections between design trends and historical epochs. He is also an experienced editor having managed writing staffs as managing editor of The Spruce and later as the founder and editor-in-chief of AphroChic Magazine. A quarterly publication, AphroChic Magazine is a one-of-a-kind lifestyle publication speaking to Black life in a wide variety of ways - from design, fashion, music and art to politics, the economy and public health.
Bryan and Jeanine are experts in creating experiences and telling stories through social media and video, connecting brands to a wide audience, particularly in the African American community. Their clients include a number of Fortune 500 companies, including LOWE’s, The Home Depot, IKEA and Nike. The couple have been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and most recently on NPR and Next Question with Katie Couric, discussing their family’s long haul COVID journey.
Bryan’s first book “REMIX: Decorating with Culture, Objects and Soul” was written with Jeanine and released by Penguin Random House (PRH) in 2013. The couple is currently writing their second book for PRH, “APHROCHIC: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home” to be released in fall 2022.
Bryan is a graduate of Drexel University, he has an M.A. in Systematic Philosophical Theology from The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California and a second M.A. in African Diaspora Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Customers find the book beautiful and appreciate its decorating style. Moreover, they enjoy the content, with one customer noting how it provides great ideas. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its inspiring nature, with one customer describing it as a meaningful heirloom that will be treasured for generations.

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Customers appreciate the book's style, describing it as beautiful and AphroChic, with one customer highlighting its combination of visuals and stories.

"I am thrilled with this purchase. I love home design and appreciate that this book celebrates Black Homes and interiors...." Read more

"I am in love with this book—the visuals as well as the stories. It’s now a part of my small collection of design books." Read more

"I had been meaning to order this book for some time. It’s beautiful and inspiring. Sorry I waited so long!" Read more

"Perfect to add to my collection" Read more

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Customers enjoy the book, finding it inspiring and full of great ideas.

"I totally enjoyed my journey through this book. It describes everything one needs to know about renovating...." Read more

"The book really gives you great ideas. The photos are exceptional, and the interviews are very well done. You will find your own Afrocentric style." Read more

"Enjoyed the book wish they would’ve gathered more photos from other black interior designers and homes they’ve created in collab with the homeowners..." Read more

"Great book, loved all the content!" Read more

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Customers find the book inspiring, with one noting its meaningful heirlooms and another describing it as a keepsake for the ages.

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"The book is simply beautiful! Definitely a keepsake for the ages! First saw this book featured in sunset mag in an article and had to have it!" Read more

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Home Body
Beautiful and Inspiring!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2025
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I am thrilled with this purchase. I love home design and appreciate that this book celebrates Black Homes and interiors. It is all the things I love wrapped up in a gorgeous package. Everyone must have this book on their coffee table.

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Victoria Shedrick
Great coffee table book
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2024
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I am in love with this book—the visuals as well as the stories. It’s now a part of my small collection of design books.

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DG, NY
Fabulous
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024
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I had been meaning to order this book for some time. It’s beautiful and inspiring. Sorry I waited so long!

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Dee
This book has everything you’ll need to know about renovating!
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
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I totally enjoyed my journey through this book. It describes everything one needs to know about renovating. The subject homes were restored immaculately! It was obvious that a lot of time and effort was placed into this book. Enjoy!

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Dee

This book has everything you’ll need to know about renovating!

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
I totally enjoyed my journey through this book. It describes everything one needs to know about renovating. The subject homes were restored immaculately! It was obvious that a lot of time and effort was placed into this book. Enjoy!

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Jeanette Barker
Way more than a pretty book to be displayed!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023
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I didn't know what to expect with this book, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of information shared and wider perspective shared, I would have liked to see more pictures yes, but I deeply appreciate the story telling as I am not one for buying coffee table books just to display. As a black person from the Caribbean it is a breathe of fresh air to find a book like this which references stories which i can relate to.

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LAni
Love It
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
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Perfect to add to my collection

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Michel Mitchell
Great inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2023
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The book really gives you great ideas. The photos are exceptional, and the interviews are very well done. You will find your own Afrocentric style.

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Zzream walden
A joy to own this book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023
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This book is exactly what I wanted for my home. So tired of seeing the same ole traditional books about decor., but this book has style and personality like no other. I look at it everyday. Wonderful book for decor, history, and insight into the homes of beautiful design.

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Zzream walden

A joy to own this book.

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023
This book is exactly what I wanted for my home. So tired of seeing the same ole traditional books about decor., but this book has style and personality like no other. I look at it everyday. Wonderful book for decor, history, and insight into the homes of beautiful design.

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Joycanada
Great addition to my collection
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2023
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Colorful and inspiring. Love using for reference, assisting with making some changes/additions to
my home. Recommend.

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Joel
When we see ourselves....
Reviewed in Germany on May 16, 2023
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The authors tell the story of Black history, culture, and communities through the lens of home. The stories are tenderly woven together with love and admiration and warmth. Really feels like you're visiting a friend.

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This book has everything you’ll need to know about renovating!

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This book has everything you’ll need to know about renovating!

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Great addition to my collection

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