Ghana-born, London-raised, now residing in New York City, Nina Barnieh-Blair is an interior designer with a unique set of influences, drawn from her diverse background and extensive travels in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Nina combines an aesthetic yet playful approach to interiors with a keen interest in Architecture, Global culture and fashion. She is fascinated by the experience of spaces, and always seeks to identify and release their latent emotions through form, light and color. Her style is a mixture of vibrant contemporary and modern classic, with a nod to period details and influences from around the Globe.

Nina’s practice, NinaBDesign, is a full service interior design agency offering spatial planning, interior architecture, 3D Visualization and decorating. She also collaborates with Method Design Architects on commercial and residential projects in New York City and beyond.

Prior to receiving her degree in Interior Design from Parsons the New School for Design, Nina was a successful PR consultant in London for leading lifestyle and interiors brands.

Picture of Aboubakar Fofana installation of 'Les arbres à bleus'Description of the image[In the artist’s words]In West Africa, trees are considered like ancestors. They live for such long times and they see so much – they bear witness and hold secre… — Picture of Aboubakar Fofana installation of 'Les arbres à bleus'
Description of the image
[In the artist’s words]
In West Africa, trees are considered like ancestors. They live for such long times and they see so much – they bear witness and hold secrets for the communities around them. They provide nourishment, protection from the elements, and many other essential things. This work is about the reverence we have for trees, their power and presence, and their wisdom. It is also about the alchemy of indigo. Held in the leaves of the indigo plant is a blue pigment that can only be made visible under certain conditions. The magic of how green leaves can make so many shades of blue is a tangible example of how plants nourish us on so many levels, not just providing food and shelter, but even clothing us in their fibres and colours, and linking us spiritually with the natural world.

What Does Black History Month Mean To You This Year?

Reflections on, and a deeper understanding and celebration of the major contributions we have made to the country. It’s building on the successes made, pushing through all the current challenges to imagine a better future. Supporting black enterprises and supporting black individuals is essential: we have to start by supporting ourselves. That means each of us using our platform to drive visibility and create opportunities for our community: that’s why I’m proud of the Black Artist and Designer’s Guild.

Photo of a recent project by Nina, Photography by Nathaniel Johnston

What is on trend for you right now?

The idea of slow design and design that makes us feel good. A return to nature and the usage of natural materials. I’m inspired by color and I’m currently using more natural tones with a mixture of blue, green and terra-cotta. The connection with nature; the sky, vegetation and the soil makes them calming and peaceful which is always needed, but especially right now...