By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Claudia Steer, founder of NW10 Interiors, sat down for a discussion on the AFRO’s “Chicken Boxx” series on April 10 to discuss her work in interior design and how it can influence people. On March 11, Inc. magazine announced that Steer is on its 2025 Female Founders 500 list.
This episode of the “Chicken Boxx” was co-hosted by Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, CEO and publisher of the AFRO News, Jay Jackson, web editor for the AFRO, and Kevin “MPECKABLE” Peck, vice president of marketing and technology for the AFRO.
“Interior design is the art of transforming environments to better serve their audience, utilizing color, textures, fabrics and materials,” said Steer. “If I gave my own personal definition, I would say it is the art of storytelling with different sets of tools. Instead of ink and paper and pen, I am using paint and furniture and fabrics.”
Steer highlighted how spaces can transform people and evoke certain emotions.
“We all know that when we are in a hospital, there is nothing particularly comfortable or warm, rightfully or wrongfully, about that experience,” said Steer. “It’s cold, it’s sterile and you want to get out as soon as possible. The design is doing that; it’s not by accident.”
Steer reflected on a project she did in 2024, in partnership with Airbnb and the Prince Estate, to recognize the late, renowned singer Prince Rogers Nelson, who went by the name Prince. She worked on the iconic house featured in “Purple Rain,” the movie in which Prince rose to fame.
“The house had been sitting for a while, and it was the 40th anniversary of ‘Purple Rain,’” said Steer. “They wanted to find a way to honor the contributions that the movie and the space have made to culture. I was privileged to be the creative and design lead for that project.”
During the conversation, Steer highlighted how Black people are often left out of the narrative of interior design.
“While I was in school for design, it became very evident to me that the contributions or the perspectives of Black experience, minority experience was pretty much void from what you’re learning,” said Steer.
As a result of this realization, Steer said she makes sure that in her work people feel seen in their spaces and places.
“That’s what I feel I’ve been called to do,” she said.
Steer said she’d found that Black people in particular have a hard time making something they don’t own or live in temporarily personalized and comfortable for them.
“As long as you live there, it should be designed for you,” said Steer. “People should prioritize the experiences they have while they are there, and not be thinking about all the time to guide their decisions.”
Peck shared that he’s found himself doing just that throughout the years.
“I lived in three houses in 10 years,” said Peck. “In each house I said I’m not going to do anything to the house because I know it’s not the home I’m going to be in .”
Steer highlighted the value of personalizing your home.
“If you are a creative person, there’s a palette for that,” said Steer. “If you are a deep thinker, there’s a palette for that. You can curate spaces to help you be at your best, whatever that is for you.”
She laid out the value of hiring an interior designer over trying to do it oneself.
“The right designer will understand you through this lens of design better than you can do it yourself,” said Steer. “When I’m working with a client, like I’m constantly observing, I can see when you’re talking about something that you light up. I can see when your mood shifts, when you talk about something else, and all that stuff starts to serve as fodder.”
Without a designer the psychology and science of design can get lost on the average person, said Steer.
“You can have the perfect furniture, the perfect artwork, and it still not feel like home at the end of the day,” said Steer. “That is where a designer comes in, because our job is to make sure that you feel at home.”