By Donna Heiderstadt
Award-winning interior designer Arianne Bellizaire, owner of Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Arianne Bellizaire Interiors, has developed a business model that helps guide clients through a step-by-step process designed to save time and money when tackling a home renovation. During her 10-plus years in interior design, Arianne has also become acutely aware of the lack of diversity in the industry, an issue NKBA invited her to address during a “Shift Forward” diversity panel discussion on the KBIS NeXT Stage at KBIS 2022 in Orlando. She took time afterward to share her thoughts on why it’s important to move beyond the status quo, the level of outreach required and who’s getting it right.
Why do you think diversity is so important to a business’s success today?
I believe diversity is important to a business’s success because diversity of experiences/backgrounds leads to diversity of thought and innovation. Our industry is one based on creativity and problem-solving. The problems that face homeowners and families are different depending on the background and experiences of the people we are solving the problem for. If we want our solutions to resonate and elevate, we need to make sure that the decision-makers on our team are not creating an echo chamber that simply enforces the status quo.
What needs to be done in the K+B industry to make it more diverse?
I think there needs to be a concerted effort to reach out to, train and embrace individuals who are under-represented in the industry. Seeing the statistics, we know that recruiting from the same pools of candidates is only serving to reinforce the imbalance. Reaching out to trade schools for potential employees and offering paid internships/apprenticeship programs would be a step in the right direction.
Who do you think—person or company—is taking diversity seriously and doing it right?
I certainly have to give NKBA credit for being willing to have the courageous conversations and for using their platform to foster the discussion. During the panel discussion, I mentioned Modenus, led by Veronika Eagleson, as an example of a company that doesn’t lead with the mission of “diversity and inclusion” but by virtue of the way she connects such a diverse group of designers and industry leads from all around the world to brands and manufacturers to create powerful collaborations. That is an illustration of someone who walks the walk. It is not lip service for Veronika. It is in the very fabric of how she leads her organization, and the fruit of her efforts is evident by the work that she and her team produces.
I also mentioned the collaboration between Architectural Digest and the Black Interior Designers Network. The Iconic Home, a virtual showhouse that features the work of 12-13 Black Designers each year, is an initiative that was born at the height of the social unrest in 2020. This project was an opportunity for AD to use its powerful platform to highlight talent that is already there—they just focused the spotlight on this incredible pool of talent while framing the conversation around the value of diversity.
What advice would you give someone just starting out in this industry today?
I would say regardless of your background, stay curious. Be curious about the world, be curious about the industry, be curious about innovation, be curious about your potential clients, be curious about the impact certain life experiences might have on the way someone moves and navigates throughout the world.
What was your favorite moment at KBIS this year?
My favorite moment at KBIS was walking through the doors on day one and just being so excited to be BACK to the live event!
About Arianne Bellizaire
Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based interior designer and content creator Arianne Bellizaire oversees her namesake design studio, focusing on residential transformations. In addition, she has been named a High Point Market Authority Style Spotter (2015), Perlick Ambassador of Cool (2017), Villeroy & Boch Color Challenge Winner (2017), Modenus Blog Tour invitee (2016 & 2019) and Modenus DesignHound (Spain and London 2016, Surfaces 2018). She was also selected as an Ambassador for NYDC 2020 and 2021 What’s New What’s Next, and she was one of 13 designers chosen to participate in Architectural Digest’s 2021 Iconic Home Showhouse. Her work and expertise have been featured in Forbes, Rue Daily, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Business Of Home, and USA Today.
