Happiness is home.

I'm from a small island in the Caribbean called Jamaica, maybe you've heard of it. I grew up on reggae music, jerk chicken, sandy beaches and sunshine all day. Imaginably then, the spirit of a place has always been super important to me and my art. So take my sweet Caribbean conditioning, and wrap it in a burgeoning ambition to live and explore the world via New York City. And what you are left with is called a conundrum. Albeit a head-banger, that didn't stop me from taking the 1,500-mile flight into JFK, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The sinking dullness didn’t set in until I had found myself a proper Yankee - living with my partner and our dog Storm in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn. Now, we're both creatives; we design, photograph, direct and produce to our little heart's content.

But imagine me, a tree-hugging, barefoot cultured island boy, transplanted in a narrow new-build, surrounded by more new-builds and a tiny park to share. Yay gentrification. My creativity took the hardest hit. I knew I was lacking something, a vibe, some style, some soul... home. This to me also sounded like the most opportune time to start decorating. So, I set out on a journey to create the comforts of what home meant for me, starting with our multifunctional nook left of the kitchen. And yes, I speak in directions so It sounds bigger. “NYC will ‘fit’ you” they said... Ha!

The space needed to operate as a functioning dining area as well as a comfy cozy lounge where we’d lyme with our friends and whatnot. It would also be where my partner would host private fittings, so add an atelier dressing room to the list of key functions. So far it's been my partner and I but mostly Storm, who's been taking up residence in our now finished project. I'm convinced we're HIS pets.

Anyway, long story short, we started forming the nook with a few bought and pre-owned pieces. Then it was time for the fun stuff; the custom touches. I continued on my nostalgic path of inspiration and ambition for a warm, fun and intimate overall feeling from the blessed corner. Then I remembered this large lampshade we had found while thrifting in Long Island City. I joke and tell people it cost me “thrifty dollars”, a little humor for the fellow hunters out there. All I needed was a few balls of yarn and a pair of good ole scissors. See I bought a cricut machine last year which rendered most of my recent crafts. But sometimes there’s nothing like returning back to basics. Kind of like the driving force behind the need for creating the nook in the first place, plus the inspiration behind the eventual design of the space.

I've been obsessed with these colorful fun lampshades I saw on pinterest a few years ago. So devising a plan for the one I had was quite easy and joyous to do. So much so that that's all I could think about from start to finish. And boy between starting to finishing it was a whole heap of scoffs and sighs. For me the project had quickly morphed into a classic case of what you see on social media is never that easy in-real-life. Thankfully I’m a glass half full type of guy and seeing as I was already half-way there, I pressed on. After about 5 hours of cutting and wrapping, wrapping and cutting, I was finally finished. There you have it, a patterned, textural moment to hang over my nod to home.

We (my partner and I, Storm directed) also tried our hands on 3 fun pillows and a quick but super duper impactful window curtain. When I see the nook now it fills me with so much joy and peace for a million different reasons. I spent 25 years living in a routine on a small island. Moving to New York City was not an easy thing to do and while I continue to work, create and experience the world, I’m always longing for home. But in pursuit of happiness, I can truly say I’m coming but I’m also already there.