Lance Avery Morgan
The Texas Design Week Co-Founder Has Created A Stunning Love Letter To Black Interior Designers… And A Cultural Time Capsule With Impeccable Taste
By the time you finish flipping through In the House: Celebrating America’s Leading Black Interior Designers, one thing becomes abundantly clear: this is not merely a coffee table book. It is a declaration. A celebration. A reckoning wrapped in linen binding and glorious photography, as our design devotee, Lance Avery Morgan, leaned when he caught up with the author and longtime pal, Alton LaDay.
Created by design aficionado and Texas Design Week Co-founder LaDay, In the House (Phaidon Monacelli, $59.95), shines a deserved spotlight on 33 of America’s most influential Black interior designers, including Brigette Romanek, Tiffany Brooks, Justina Blakeney, Leyden Lewis, Rayman Boozer, Beth Diana Smith, Laura Hodges, and many others whose work ranges from quietly luxurious to unapologetically maximalist. The result is visually sumptuous, emotionally resonant, and, perhaps most importantly, long overdue… and is on sale now.
The Curator’s Eye: How the Designers Were Chosen
LaDay approached the curation process with the eye of a tastemaker and the precision of a historian. “I first started with editor and design writer opinions across the country, then I did my own research,” he says. “I wanted the designers to do the work in our business and be lauded for it. Being published was also a great consideration. The aesthetic was always a consideration, but I wanted a ‘mix’ of styles in the book for interest and variety.”
And variety there is. One page delivers layered jewel-toned glamour worthy of an Old Hollywood revival. Another offers restrained modernism so serene it practically lowers your blood pressure. LaDay intentionally avoided organizing the designers alphabetically because, frankly, that would have been far too predictable. “I wanted a great mix of styles on the pages for beauty and reader interest,” he explains. “It also creates an exciting and attractive flow.”
A Very Texas Kind of Ambition
That sense of rhythm and visual storytelling feels unmistakably Texan. After all, this is a man who helped create Texas Design Week alongside PaperCity’s Holly Moore, building an event that celebrates not just design, but the communities surrounding it. “We wanted to find a way to promote Texas Design business in Dallas and Houston, but also its communities,” LaDay recalls. “The Design Destination Event was born.”
Still, In the House extends far beyond Texas borders. The featured designers represent regions across the country, each bringing their own architectural vernacular, cultural perspective, and stylistic signature to the table. “These designers are all wonderful representatives of their home regions,” says LaDay.
The book’s deeper brilliance lies in its duality. Yes, it is undeniably gorgeous. But beneath the impeccable rooms and polished surfaces is something more profound: documentation of cultural history unfolding in real time.
A Pandemic Idea That Became Cultural Documentation
LaDay traces the book’s origins back to the COVID lockdown, when reflection collided with opportunity. “During the lockdown of the COVID Pandemic, because I had the time, I had the idea of featuring Black creatives,” he says. “That led to the industry I’m most familiar with, interior design.”
Having spent more than two decades immersed in the design world, LaDay recognized both the absence and the opportunity. “Featuring some of the best Black designers in our field would be the best way to impact the number of Black people interested in joining the field,” he says. “If you see someone who looks like you doing it, you know you can do it too.”
And therein lies the soul of In the House. It is aspirational without being exclusionary. Luxurious without becoming untouchable. The book gently but firmly dismantles the outdated notion that interior design is reserved only for sprawling estates and hedge fund zip codes.
“I’m happy you asked that question,” LaDay says when discussing accessibility in design. “Professional interior design is not just for the top one percent, although it may have begun that way. All homes can be comfortable, functional, luxurious, and beautiful at all levels.”
In fact, he argues hiring a designer may actually save homeowners money in the long run. “Working with an interior designer is the best way to avoid mistakes and overspending,” he explains. “They know the most effective ways to provide the home you desire within your budget.”
More Than Interiors: A Book About People, Too. Like Cecil Hayes & The Lineage of Firsts
There is also an emotional intimacy woven throughout the stories in the book. Designers are not simply selecting fabrics and lighting plans. They are often quietly witnessing the evolution of people’s lives. “The designer is in their homes often for long periods, and you witness everything happening to the individual or family,” LaDay says. “From births, weddings, and graduations, designers are witnesses to the happenings in a home and often become endeared to the client.”
That human connection becomes especially poignant when LaDay discusses trailblazers like Cecil Hayes, the groundbreaking designer who became the first Black designer to appear on the AD100 list in 2000 after her work for actor Wesley Snipes was featured in Architectural Digest.
“I knew writing this book would be rewarding,” LaDay reflects, “but I had no idea the level of purpose and pride I’d feel until I listened to the designers’ triumphant stories during the interview process.”
The Human Side Of Beautiful Spaces
What emerges from those stories is not just beauty, but resilience. Determination. Innovation. And an industry is finally beginning to catch up to the richness of the talent it too often overlooks.
As for LaDay himself, he views his role with refreshing clarity. “I definitely see myself as a documentarian of design,” he says. “I find myself constantly surrounded by creativity, talent, and brilliant imaginations, and often in glorious surroundings.”
Not a bad way to spend one’s days, honestly.
Yet perhaps the most moving part of In the House is the sentence LaDay hopes future generations will carry forward. It appears in the introduction and perfectly encapsulates the mission behind the book: “My hope is their narratives will resonate with readers and inspire them to engage one of the designers in a project, while others will be emboldened to pursue a career of their own in the design industry.”
If the book feels like an invitation, that’s because it is… one extended generously across pages, regions, and generations. Mission accomplished.
To obtain your copy of In The House, visit here.
Here Are 8 Reasons Alton LaDay’s In the House Is The Design Book Everyone Will Be Talking About
- It Spotlights 33 Visionary Black Interior Designers
From Brigette Romanek and Tiffany Brooks to Justina Blakeney and Leyden Lewis, the book celebrates a remarkable roster of creative talents shaping America’s design landscape. - It’s More Than a Coffee Table Book
In the House serves as a cultural document, preserving the stories, influence, and artistry of Black designers for future generations. - Alton LaDay Curated It With a Historian’s Precision
Rather than simply gathering beautiful rooms, LaDay carefully selected designers whose work, impact, and published achievements have elevated the industry. - The Pages Flow Like a Beautifully Designed Home
By avoiding a predictable alphabetical format, LaDay creates a visual journey that effortlessly moves from serene minimalism to bold maximalism. - Its Texas Roots Run Deep
As the co-founder of Texas Design Week, LaDay brings the same spirit of community, creativity, and collaboration that has made the Lone Star State a design destination. - It Champions Accessibility in Great Design
The book reminds readers that beautiful, functional interiors are not reserved for the ultra-wealthy, but can enhance homes and lives at every level. - It Honors the Pioneers Who Opened Doors
Trailblazers like Cecil Hayes, the first Black designer featured on the prestigious AD100 list, are celebrated for changing the industry forever. - It Inspires the Next Generation
At its heart, In the House is an invitation; encouraging readers to support talented designers, embrace creativity, and imagine themselves as part of the future of design.
Looking forward to a book event in Chicago. See you there.