Régine Labossière is a New York City area blogger and maker with a passion for interior design. Her blog, The 256 Project, is all about making a house a home through food, renovation and design. The 256 Project represents Régine’s interests and pursuits in interiors and her family’s Haitian culture. She writes about design influences, DIY and renovation projects, as well as her Haitian grandmother’s handwritten recipes, with all the mishaps and failures included.
The 256 Project began four years ago when she and her husband purchased their first home, leaving Brooklyn for suburban NJ. She has been able to offer e-design interior decorating services since starting the blog.
Last year, Régine created the Designer Spotlight series on The 256 Project. In the series she interviews interior designers, DIYers, and stylists about their start in the business, their inspiration, learnings from their mistakes and successes, plus their future goals. Her hope is to show the diversity of the designer landscape through these interviews; that not all designers of talent and influence look the same and produce the same product.
In addition, Régine is the creator, designer and maker of women’s clothing line Mitton & La Boss, sold on Etsy. The 256 Project and Mitton & La Boss are just two parts of her eclectic resume. Her career has been in communications, starting out as a reporter for newspapers around the country, before moving to public relations at a strategic communications agency in New York. Her career has taken her to Seattle, Los Angeles, Hartford, and New York City. The 256 Project allows her to combine her skills and passions – writing, interviewing, designing, making – into one creative venue.
Women in Congress courtesy of Cosmopolitan Magazine
What Does Black History Month Mean To You This Year?
Black History Month – which is lived every day, all day, all year every year – means opportunity and I’m seeing it manifest in different ways. First, politically, with a diverse group of new Congresswomen filling more and more seats in the House of Representatives. This gives me hope for how diversity – especially from the perspective of Black women – will help shape policy and move our country in the direction of greater progress.
Secondly, specific to design, I hope brands will see the value in Black interior designers, decorators, stylists and DIYers and offer them opportunities the same way they do white designers and DIYers. Consumers need to see diversity in expertise, products and designs; and we don’t get that by brands only working with a select few. Brands have so much opportunity to treat Black designers like the influencers they are and diversify the playing field.
Third, I’m a new mom. My child is biracial, and half of that child is Haitian. I’m a first-generation American and half of my extended family lives in Haiti. I want my son to know where he comes from and understand what it means to be a person of color and grandchild of immigrants.
Where Are You Finding Inspiration To Create This Year?
Photo courtesy of Influencing in Color on Instagram
Fashion, street style, and art remind me that not only is it okay to be bold and to act as if rules don’t exist; but it’s a must in order for your individual point of view to shine. Those are the areas where I am seeking inspiration this year. I’m also finding inspiration from reading books, which may sound strange, but reading a book allows the imagination to soar and I hope that imagination will positively affect how I blog, design spaces and clothing.
And then there are my go-tos, travel is always a sense of inspiration for no matter what I’m doing. Specific to interiors, I love following what designers and DIYers are doing. As well as reading trend reports to get a sense of how the design conversation will go for the year ahead.
And, of course, I hope to interview more and more designers, DIYers, and stylists for my Designer Spotlight series on The 256 Project. I absolutely love good conversation, and learning from others. I find those interviews to be so inspiring, and they help propel my work forward.
To Learn More About Regine Visit:
Blog: the256project.com
Instagram: @the256project
Pinterest: Régine Labossière