Deck Your Home with Harlem Toile by Sheila Bridges
Sheila Bridges, the American Designer reimagining the historical narrative through her Harlem rooted lens is America’s Best Interior Designer and it is not just Recreational Habits that thinks so. Celebrated as such by The New York Times, Time Magazine, CNN, and many more, the creative visionary recreates the classics with an inclusive touch while maintaining a timeless design aesthetic and has been showcased in museums around the world. While she has designed offices for former President Bill Clinton and his staff, and rooms at Princeton and Columbia University, the design and creation of her Harlem Toile is what caught our eye.
(‘Traditional toile’)
The Philadelphia native relocated to Harlem, New York, in 1986 looking to immerse herself into the epicenter of African American culture, the breeding grounds for some of the most influential artists, musicians, activists and more. Following her relocation and finding ample inspiration, she launched Sheila Bridges Design, Inc. From her design studio came a groundbreaking pattern, her Harlem Toile.
(Harlem Toile)
If you are unfamiliar with ‘toile’, you likely would recognize it. ‘Toile’, short for ‘toile de Jouy’ meaning linen or cloth from the town of Jouy-en-Josas in Paris, depicted romantic scenes and stories first appeared during the 1700’s. Traditionally the patterns are one color such as blue, red, green, or black, set on a white background. Since the 18th century, the style has remained widely popular in home decor and fashion but to say that the stories and scenes depicted were whitewashed would be an understatement. Sheila Bridges and her Harlem Toile was the first to depict people of color within the scenes while maintaining its classic style.
“As an African American living in Harlem, I have always been intrigued and inspired by the historical narrative of the decorative arts, especially traditional French toile with its pastoral motifs from the late 1700s. I'm entertained by the stories these patterns tell and the questions they sometimes raise. But after searching for many years for the perfect toile for my own home, I decided that it quite simply didn’t exist. I created Harlem Toile de Jouy initially as a wallcovering then expanded the collection to include fabrics, bedding, plates, glassware, umbrellas and clothing. This design (which lampoons some of the stereotypes deeply woven into the African American experience), has been featured in The Studio Museum In Harlem, the Museum of Art and Design in New York City, and the Musée De La Toile De Jouy in Jouy-en Josas, France. I am honored to have my Harlem Toile De Jouy wallpaper included in The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent wallpaper collection.” (SheilaBridges.Com)
You can now shop her vast collection online to integrate Harlem Toile into your life!
