This article is part of our Celebrate Black Makers content series designed to spotlight the stories and perspectives that our Black-owned supplier partners bring to the home industry.
Candice Luter, Iowa-based wood and fiber décor artist and founder of Candice Luter Art + Interiors, is inspired by the power of community. Her family, life experiences, and travels have all played a role in building her business and influencing the blend of mid-century modern, art deco and minimalist styles that make her work so unique.
Traditional fiber art is often associated with patterns whereas Candice’s approach to fiber art challenges the medium in an abstract way. “Fiber art is very interesting to me because I’ll be honest, I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to learning patterns and weaving,” laughed Candice. “So for me, I look at textiles and any medium from a different lens in the sense that I really want to manipulate the product to what I would like to see them do, not to what the limitations of the product are.” She typically starts with her vision for the end product and then works backwards to achieve her desired look, whether that means finding a way for ropes to defy gravity or stacking two shapes that traditionally can’t balance on each other.
What started as a hobby quickly developed momentum during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when Candice was unfortunately laid off from her full-time job, positioning her to be able to fully dedicate time to launching her own business, Candice Luter Art + Interiors. Community played a big role in the growth of her business as a small call to action for volunteers on her personal social media led to a community of women from all backgrounds and ages, some full-time and some part-time, who have come together to support her business.
Throughout her company’s growth, it had always been important for Candice to create a space where her team can show up as themselves and be a support system for one another. “I’ve been in jobs where we always have to check ourselves at the door,” shared Candice. “I’ve told my employees, ‘We don’t do that here. Family first, show up as yourself and the rest will take care of itself.’ And so I think it starts at the top, and when you have leadership that believes in them, tries to empower them and cares about them individually - which I didn’t always experience - I think it makes a difference in the quality of work that you have.”
Candice and her team have also prioritized giving back to their community by mentoring aspiring designers at their local college. As a Black-owned business, Candice is honored to partner with Wayfair and have the opportunity to share her story and art with more people. She looks forward to partnering with Wayfair to take her business to the next level and hopes to inspire other aspiring Black designers and makers to follow suit.
Shop Candice Luter’s furniture and fiber art décor products on Wayfair
here.