Reflektion Design Celebrates African Heritage With Vibrant Decor

Home Away From Home is a series that spotlights BIPOC brands that are adding a cultural essence to everyday items. This allows anyone to always have a piece of their culture in their own space without ever feeling homesick or out of touch with their roots. We’re exploring the stories of the individuals behind the brands that have touched people’s hearts through their products and have allowed people to feel at home anywhere.

During the eight weeks she spent in Ghana as a Fulbright Scholar recipient in 2006, Anitra Terrell, the founder of Reflektion Design, was introduced to the beauty of African textiles, including Adinkra cloth, Kente cloth, and more. The experience laid the groundwork for Terrell’s future business, Reflektion Design, which partners with artisans from Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda to create vibrant homewares that pay homage to rich African traditions. 

Armed with what she dubs a “functional art focus,” Terrell is devoted to curating beautiful artisan-crafted African homewares that provide functional use. From colorful woven baskets to beaded wooden spoons, virtually every item carried by Reflektion Design serves dual purposes—to be admired and fulfill an everyday need.

Laying the Groundwork

Growing up in Philadelphia, Terrell was exposed to African arts by her family and the city’s vibrant art scene, but it wasn’t until she visited Ghana as an associate professor of marketing that she truly began to understand the artistry behind these African ancestral crafts. 

Terrell worked with faculty at the University of Cape Coast to develop a marketing curriculum during the day. In the evening, she would work as a textile buyer for a museum client acquiring various African textiles where she learned the art of negotiation very quickly.

Among the many things that captivated Terrell about Ghana was its mix of traditional and modern experiences.

“Ghana is so rich,” Terrell says. “Culturally, historically; its people and landscapes. You can visit the Bolgatanga region in northern Ghana and witness weavers making beautiful baskets with elephant grass, or you can dine at a high-end restaurant in Accra, the capital city.”

When her scholarship wrapped, Terrell returned to the U.S. and entered the corporate workforce, honing her marketing skills until a layoff in 2013 caused her to redirect her thoughts back to Ghana. Although Terrell felt defeated, she saw it as an opportunity to forge her own path.

“When I thought about the happiest moments of my life, Ghana surfaced repeatedly,” Terrell says. “That’s when I realized I had to share my passion for African culture and textiles with others, and Reflektion Design was officially launched.”

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A Curator’s Collection

Returning to the relationships she’d formed in Ghana almost a decade prior, Terrell began the intensive process of forming partnerships with local artisans to curate items that would become the core of the Reflektion Design brand. 

An edit of tableware, textiles, and wall fans soon emerged, giving birth to the Reflektion Design ethos —treasure-worthy items that honor past adventures, inspire new ones, and pay homage to the people who’ve shaped them.

Terrell explains how she edited the brand’s offerings because she felt her design philosophy coming more sharply into focus.

“Your home is the ultimate canvas for self-expression, but too often, we settle for decor with little self-relevance or imagination,” she explains. “We rely on cookie cutter decor void of visual aesthetics — and most importantly void of you.” 

Reflektion Design’s curation aims to counteract this beige wall epidemic.

“You are vibrant and worldly,” Terrell says, noting that her brand’s offerings are for anyone who values authenticity, sustainability, and the desire to show their individuality through unique decor that supports artisans and tells a compelling story.

The brand’s name mirrors this—literally. Reflektion Design is all about creating a home that reflects who you are, joyfully and unapologetically, Terrell says.

Over time, this philosophy encouraged Terrell to get more personally involved in the design process, actively collaborating with artisans to create new items that she knew would speak to her Reflektion Design customers. To begin, she started by bringing color mockups to the table and then encouraging artisans to layer new concepts or finishes on top of them.

A host of new items soon came to fruition, including tea mugs that were inspired by Terrell’s personal passion for tea. Featuring vibrant patterns borrowed from fabrics like Ankara and mud cloth textiles, these mugs provided a fresh vehicle for displaying centuries-old techniques. 

“With Reflektion, I want to shine a light on artisan decor and the talented creatives who make them,” Terrell says. She wants to remind everyone that handmade is a viable option for decorating your home.

“Customers often share that they love Reflektion Design because the pieces have a transformative effect on them and their homes,” Terrell says. “The pieces are beautifully made and evoke a sense of connection and pride. That is the cultural impact I was going for.”

Bringing It All Back Home

Now in business for over a decade, Terrell is continuing to evolve Reflektion Design into new territory, most recently with the launch of her new YouTube home tour series, How We Live. 

Celebrating the lives and homes of people across the African diaspora, the series travels inside the homes of tastemakers and creators who have integrated the beauty and heritage of African decor into their personal spaces, creating one-of-a-kind abodes, rich with culture. Along the way, Terrell interviews each homeowner, culling valuable decorating tips and tricks, useful to any design lover.

Offscreen, Terrell is also working to give the talented artisans she works with every day more exposure. In addition to its online shop, Terrell is in the works to open a wholesale and to-the-trade portion of Reflektion Design that will allow boutiques, interior designers, set designers, and event planners to stock their shelves or client projects with Reflektion pieces. 

For Terrell, transforming a once-in-a-lifetime trip into a thriving business that supports artisans across the globe is one of her greatest triumphs.

“Freedom has always been my north star,” she says, reflecting on her journey so far. “Financial freedom; creative freedom; and the ability to show others how African decor can give them a sense of freedom and joy at home — These things guide me forward.”