Her Hollywood loft features a circular couch— a prototype for her Saint Heron Creative Collective.
Solange Knowles has always been in a class of her own. While we were initially introduced to her as Beyoncé's little sister, the "Cranes in the Sky" songstress has easily solidified herself as one of the most talented creatives of her generation. From New York City ballet composer and video director, to now flexing her skills as an interior designer,"Solo" is just that girl.
Knowles recently invited Apartamento Magazine inside her Hollywood loft, and we were blown away by the eclectic yet very Black-focused decor. She's owned the space since she was 19, just two years after giving birth to her son.
"I was a single mother and was looking for a building with a sense of safety when I found this loft space in Hollywood," Knowles said in the interview. "I felt really connected to its ‘20s art deco architecture, its exterior, and all of its original moldings and details. And the space inside got really good light."
The loft has transformed with the Houston-born artist as she's evolved into various chapters of womanhood. It started with just bare-bones decor to now literally being an ode to her love and appreciation for Black art and artists.
"In the beginning, I remember having this big loft with just a mattress, a bed in my son’s room, and the most basic furniture that you could have. Over time, I slowly started personalizing it, making it mine."
Although she moves around often, spending time in New York and other parts of the world, the California loft has certainly become her refuge and solitude.
"Over the last few years, it’s the space that I come to that feels like a snapshot of these different chapters of my life," she said. "It’s really sentimental for me, for sure."
A creative to her core, Knowles describes how she designed the sofa in her space— a prototype for her creative collective, Saint Heron. She also designed a glass table, metal bench and lamp in her home, too.
"I wanted to create a modular piece with different variations, but all starting with the circle, which is very sacred to me. I wanted to use velvet, a material that was durable and tactile enough to live in, spill things on, draw on—not too precious but still having a little bit of luxe-ness that just makes you feel good. And that color brown has been a constant in my work, embodying the idea of living among the soil and the land."
As for her extensive collection of Black art, Knowles says that it was all inspired by her mother, Mrs. Tina Knowles-Lawson. She says her mother has always had an affinity for Black artists, and it was something she naturally passed on to her daughter.
"A lot of the work that I have is in conversation with my mother, whether it be an artist that she’s introduced me to or work that we’ve seen together. It echoes what feels like home to me, childhood memories, or reflections of my own journey. There’s a Robert Pruitt work that’s sacred to me. He’s from Houston, and the men and women in his work are the kinds of men and women I recognize from my own life."
Additional pieces in the home include: an Ekoi headdress, a piece by Alison Saar, as well as one by Toyin Ojih Odutola in her office. As for what's next, Solange says Saint Heron will soon launch a series of glassware collections—a medium she temporarily moved to Miami to learn on a deeper level.
