At Boll & Branch, doing better has always been our mission. We are committed to creating a more inclusive Trade Collective program that celebrates underrepresented interior designers and their work.
In honor of Black History Month, we spoke with 3 Black interior designers—Melida Williams, Brea Elles, and Elizabeth Gordon—to spotlight their style, and share their expert advice on how to create the most luxurious bedroom. You’ll also get to know each designer, their personal approaches to design, and have the chance to explore their favorite bedding essentials.
Meet Melida Williams
Founder of Melida Williams Interior Design Inc.
Melida’s interior design firm specializes in custom residential and boutique hospitality projects. She has over 18 years experience, and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the prestigious New York School of Interior Design. Drawing inspiration from her travels, and interest in new materials and contemporary art, Melida’s design sensibility showcases a timeless aesthetic vision that she describes as “modern, chic, and curated ideas that carefully balance elements of good design for luxurious everyday living.”
Melida’s Style Tip
When it comes to bringing a variety of textures and textiles into a bedroom, Melida shares that she’s “all about mixing natural materials that feel great on the skin like silk or really good quality cotton. On those cold nights (yes, we get a couple in Miami), a sweater blanket like the one on my bed feels like a total luxury.”
Melida’s Boll & Branch Bed
Melida’s classic approach to design gives her timeless, cloud-white bed look the perfect amount of warmth and dimension. Our buttery soft Signature Hemmed Duvet Set and plush-yet-springy Waffle Bed Blanket create a fresh canvas, and our Sweater Knit Throw Blanket in Oatmeal, which she styled with a fluid drape over the foot of the bed, is an effortless finishing touch.
Meet Brea Elles
Founder & Principal Interior Architect of Atelier Honnête
With over ten years of experience, and a master’s in interior architecture, Brea believes in the connection between emotional wellbeing and physical space. She creates intentional interiors, balancing both modern and timeless design elements. Her designs combine simplicity with authenticity, simultaneously subtracting noise and adding meaningfulness with curated collections of items that celebrate her clients’ individuality.
Brea’s Style Tip When deciding where to place a bed in the bedroom, Brea believes that “the size of the room and bed are the driving factors in determining the best placement. As the bed is the room’s focal point, it is best to place it in the center of a wall. This symmetry creates a well-balanced room, with matching side tables, and light fixtures to highlight artwork above the bed headboard.”
Brea’s Boll & Branch Bed
Brea’s styling pairs a sleek White and Pewter color palette with the timeless design details of our charming Signature Eyelet Duvet Set and Signature Basketweave Quilt Set—a modern day heirloom with an intricate pattern for instantly rich dimension. She flawlessly finishes the look with our Cable Knit Throw Blanket, crafted with a contemporary take on a classic knit design.
Meet Elizabeth Gordon
Founder of Elizabeth Gordon Studio
Based in Los Angeles, California, Elizabeth has a professional background in high-end commercial projects and luxury entertainment venues, along with degrees in both interior design and architecture. As a result, she has honed an eclectic vision, and uses a mix of vintage and contemporary elements to reflect each client’s unique needs and style. Elizabeth has spent the last thirty years refining her expertise, designing and project managing high-end commercial and international commissions, including destination-caliber hotel resorts, spas, restaurants, retail stores, and one-of-a-kind residential properties.
Elizabeth’s Style Tip
Thanks to her eclectic design sensibilities, Elizabeth encourages “taking beautiful foundation pieces—such as Boll & Branch’s wonderful bedding line—and personalizing them with a custom mixture of fabrics, pillows, and side furnishings. The same foundational pieces will look entirely different with every space and owner.”
Elizabeth’s Boll & Branch Bed
With this layered bed look, Elizabeth beautifully combines both contemporary and old-world prints, and styles them against a two-tone color palette for powerful contrast. Both our Signature Hemmed Sheet Set and Sweater Knit Throw Blanket anchor her bed look with our deep Stone shade, echoed by the luminous line of Stone embroidery on our White Signature Embroidered Duvet Set.
For more style inspiration, follow Melida (@mwidinc), Brea (@breaelles), and Elizabeth (@elizabethgordonstudio) on Instagram, and explore each designer's most-loved bedding essentials here.