for all of the shea butter babies 003
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the image above is the moodboard i’ve collaged inside of my notion page dedicated to home is how i heal. this is the space i enter when i’m journaling my ideas for the home is how i heal newsletter and youtube channel. it’s quite simple in its aesthetic with each vignette brought to life with no more than three colors and clever arrangements that direct your eye — but it strikes me that each feels lush and warm, and i’m intrigued by how that is accomplished through texture and color.
a scene from ari lennox’s “up late” music video, a song on her 2019 Shea Butter Baby album, featuring masego and directed by lacey duke, serves as the banner image. the music video is a compilation of scenes of ari outside in an open field of green, with rolling hills in the distance, and her standing in front of monochromatic backdrops to match her looks in white, copper, and red. we get a select few tight shots of ari in an embrace or with standing near masego intercut, but in large part she’s filmed alone — grooving and slow-whining while looking directly into the camera.
what keeps me coming back to this music video is how it does so much with so little. each scene is no more than three elements — ari, backdrop, and the open field but it still manages to be soft, sensual, sexy, artful, and bold. the video is an embodiment of my interior design practice and style in the ways that beauty is created through the negative spaces that draw our eyes to rest on carefully curated moments, and bathe in the feelings it evokes. it also uses tone and texture to create depth and dimension. it’s a work of art and minimalist design marvel.
so much space is given to the landscape. the grass is overgrown, wild, and abundant. as i learn to tend to my garden, i want to embrace what is native to the land and add contribute to the biodiversity. listening to the lyrics, this video could have easily been in an enclosed space and focused on the intimacy of between two people, but the choice instead was made to bring our gaze through the blades of grass that move with a gentle breeze. the relationship to nature in this music video is soft, slow, and intentional.
with four-bedrooms canvases, i’m excited to play with color in each of the rooms and shared spaces. i’m learning to let each space speak for itself while marrying it with my desire for my home to be warm, minimal, and modern, layered with art, a touch of color, romance, and nostalgia.
“up late” is inspiring in the ways that as minimal as the set design is, at no point does it ever feel cold. that warmth is further enhanced by the ways lacey chose to keep the colors soft in post and used natural light to bring out the richness of the whites, reds, and coppers. it tells a bold color story through those three, in addition to the green of the grass and ari herself.
there exist that initial desire to fill a space when you first move in without knowing from which direction the light comes in, how your body naturally moves throughout the space, or neglecting your presence altogether. you end up confining yourself to a box that may not be in harmony with you or the space. when i design my spaces i’m cognizant of the tones of our wardrobes and our skin tones when sitting on the couch or draping clothing on a hook. these small touches have a big impact in telling a cohesive story, and adding that air of romance in their subtlety.
what also makes this visual buffet so luscious and rich is texture. ari doesn’t get lost in the monochromatic color scheme, rather her chocolate skin peeks through an oversized white puffer jacket or a shaggy red coat on top of a red silk slip dress. the combination of the sheen coming off of the dress and depth created by the layered jacket is dynamic.
it’s a visual story about time as well. the music video moves with the time of day, as dusk creates a blanket over the landscape. ari then appears in a silver look that bounces the light of the setting sun and first glimpses of the moon, keeping her in focus. there is magic in lighting that should be paired well with materials. i think about the aluminum coffee tables in my living room or the brass candlestick holders in our dining room — these objects dance with the moonlight, to create that added sense of sultriness.
all that to say, i look forward to creating an environment that invites slow-whining in front of the mirror, bathing in light, and rest. in the meantime, i made a cocoa and mango butter vanilla body butter, so i can smell how ari looks throughout the entirety of this video. press play for the process and the vibes.