How We Live Home Tour With Laquita Tate
There's a lot of things to admire about Laquita Tate. She's an elementary school principle, interior designer, wife, mother of two and has the warmest personality. But one of the things I admire most is she's unapologetic about collecting and surrounding herself with art by black artists. Her Memphis, TN home is filled with lots of color, culture and story. Let's check it out!
Tell readers a little about yourself and where you live. My name is Laquita Tate. I am a wife, a mother, an elementary school principal, blogger, and owner and principal designer of Laquita Tate Interior Styling & Designs. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN where I still reside with my husband, Nate.
How would you describe your decor style in three words and who or what influenced that style? I describe my style as modern, cultured, and textured. My travels and everyday life influence me. I love being surrounded by artwork and things that make me love the space that I am in.
Do you have keepsakes or family heirlooms incorporated into your home decor? If so, what are they and why was it important to incorporate them? I wouldn’t necessarily say family heirlooms, but I do have some artwork that was given to me by an aunt that I still have in my home. They actually were the first real pieces of art that I owned.
It started off my art addiction and now I am a full on art collector with many original pieces and limited edition prints throughout my home. Art speaks to the soul and tells its own story. You won’t find a room in my home without art.
Have you completed a brag-worthy DIY project? If so, tell us about it. There was a time where I tried to tackle it all. However, there are some things that just need to be hired out. I just recently redid my kitchen which is very much a space now worthy of bragging.
I created the design plan for the space, but hired out some parts of it. I had the countertops replaced, the tile put in, and had the sink and faucet installed. Now once everything was in place, I was able to style it to perfection. I thought about every detail and how it would fit and feel in my open concept space. It all came together so beautifully.
Why was it important for you to incorporate decor in your home that celebrates your heritage? What types do you have and what countries are represented? The pieces I chose for our home was done with intention, and I wanted to make sure that I showed pride for our culture and heritage.
It was important for me to decorate with us in mind. I wanted our home to represent who we are. So I made sure to only have black art to dress up our walls because the images look like us. I have African print fabric pillows and Mud cloth framed artwork, baskets from Rwanda, Bolga baskets from Ghana, African fans, and African inspired spoons. Each space in my home will look like and represent the people that inhabit it.
It was especially important to have majority artwork by black artist that’s who we are.
For those that are hesitant to incorporate African decor into their space or don’t know where to start, what's one piece of advice you’d give them? I would tell someone to do their research on any African decor item they are interested in. Know how that item is actually used in Africa because you don’t want to use it in a disrespectful manner, and try your best to purchase from a company that is giving back to that African community.
At Reflektion Design our mantra is, See Yourself at Home. How does your home reflect who you are? My home reflects who I am because it is filled with all things that represent me. From the artwork and coffee table books, to the black walls in the living room, and feminine chic home office it lets people know that I love black art. It lets them know I have a feminine side but I'm also warm, bold, and determined.
My home office with its white walls and feminine touches like shades of pink, and all women artwork that adorns the walls shows that I am a black female and proud of it.
I see myself at home in this place every single day. I look forward to returning here after work. There literally is no other place I would rather be. It is everything to me because it is filled with love, care, and attention.
Where can we find you online? You can find me on Instagram @quitatate. You can also go to my website and blog at www.laquitatate.com. I share styling tips, behind the scenes working on client projects, and my own home projects. You can also book a free discovery call with me for design services.
Bonus Images: Look at her tropical bathroom!
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Looking for items to bring more of you into your home head to the shop: www.reflektiondesign.com
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What is your favorite design element in Laquita's home? Use the comment section below to let me know what you think!
P.S If you enjoyed this home tour, check out our previous tour featuring entrepreneur, Cherise Rollins you're gonna love it!