Magazine showcases homes, art of African Americans

Corriece Perkins Gwynn is hardly an expert when it comes to interior design and says she is not a fantastic decorator. But when she and her husband, John, started planning renovations for their Maryland home, she noticed something was missing from traditional shelter magazines. She decided to do something about it.

"You never really see black people in those magazines," said Gwynn, a managing editor for a weekly business publication. And if they are featured, they are usually celebrities, she said.

So in August, she added a splash of color to the magazine industry (and "publisher/editor-in-chief" to her list of credentials) with the publication of Homes of Color: The Magazine of African-American Living & Style. This bi-monthly magazine, based in Maryland, is designed to showcase the homes of affluent African Americans as well as the work of African-American artists, architects, designers and gallery owners.

"If there is a need for Architectural Digest or House Beautiful, why not do it for an African-American audience?" Gwynn asks. "Why not have a magazine that exclusively shows African-American home design? No one else is doing it."

In each issue, Homes of Color features at least one professional from every aspect of home design, Gwynn said. In the 24-page debut issue, architects Charles and Albert Cassell and contemporary art gallery owner Tina Rahman were profiled.

The current issue showcases the homes of former Black Entertainment Television host and DJ Donnie Simpson, a photography exhibit of Cuba in the gallery of Tim Davis and a feature on gardening.

As the magazine grows (the next issue is set for 68 pages), Gwynn plans to add more topics, such as the preservation of historic properties, painters' techniques, the décor in children's bedrooms and where to shop for unique home items.

While Gwynn points out that Homes of Color is not a how-to magazine, she adds: "We expect that what the professionals are portraying will be a help for people to design and enhance their own homes."

And, she emphasizes that while Homes of Color may have an African-American focus, this does not mean that there is a home-design style specific to African Americans. "There's no need to stereotype us or any other ethnic group when it comes to home design," Gwynn said. "There is no design philosophy that pigeonholes African Americans."

Among the glossy pages of this magazine, a variety of design philosophies are featured, from colonial to contemporary. Within these different homes, there may be some common elements, though. "There are some things that African Americans like to see in their homes, like any other ethnic minority," Gwynn said, such as family heirlooms, particular colors or ethnic pieces.

The magazine is being distributed as an insert through The Washington Post to upscale African-American communities in Prince George's County, Md., and the District of Columbia, Gwynn said. Gwynn has also started selling the magazine through African-American bookstores, art galleries and newspapers.

Information about Homes of Color can be found at www.homesofcolor.net or by calling 301-352-7697 .