Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters had
no interest in working together when
they met in 2012. “I was 25 and had just
landed my first major commercial inte-
rior design job,” recalls Masters. “I was
designing it to a T but could not admit
that I didn’t know how to complete the
project. All the work that I had done
prior was residential, and I didn’t know
anything about commercial design.”
Forbes did. She had been helping
small businesses around Atlanta with
their aesthetics and was brought on
to finish the job. The first step was
mediation. “I was uncomfortable and
offended,” admits Masters. “Throwing
shade left and right, and Tavia was just
so sweet.” Following their awkward
first meeting, Forbes stayed behind
and offered Masters some valuable
advice, which prompted Masters to
phone her the next day. “I thought she
was calling to cuss me out, but her
demeanor and voice were so positive,”
says Forbes. “It takes a big person to
do that after being let go.”
The two connected, then forged a
bond. They began assisting each other
on projects for a year before establishing
Forbes + Masters, a full-service interior
design company that customizes both
residential and commercial spaces, in- Where Forbes is weak, Masters is
strong. And vice versa. Mutual respect
and a complementary partnership are
what make their #BlackGirlMagic so
dynamic. “The common denominator
in all our projects is boldness and high
texture,” says Masters. “A lot of design-
ers subscribe to a certain style because
that’s where they are comfortable, but
if you’re dealing with different people
for every project, a different feel and
look should be produced.” And given
T
their diverse clientele, it’s fair to deduce
that originality is their forte: Kandi Bur-
russ, the owners of regional salons and
restaurants and a lengthy list of NFL
players have tapped Forbes + Masters to
curate their living and work spaces.
Forbes and Masters headed to
Nashville in August to install their design
for a room in House Beautiful’s WholeA FRESH AESTHETIC
“WE ALWAYS TRY TO IMPLEMENT
SOMETHING DARING AND INNOVATIVE
TO SHOW CLIENTS HOW TO DO
MORE WITH THEIR STYLE.” —TAVIA FORBESHome Concept House, which opens in
October. It’s a major accomplishment
for two young Black women navigating
the highly competitive interior-design in-
dustry. “We’re designing a music room,”
reveals Forbes. “We’re going to Black it
up and give it some soul,” adds Masters.
But in the meantime they shows us how
to transform our own homes for fall. »THE EXPERT TOUCH
“ W H EN D ES I G N I N G
A ROOM, BE STRATEGIC
ABOUT THE FOCAL
ITEMS AND CREATE
A HIERARCHY SO THAT
THE SPACE DOESN’T
LOOK CLUTTERED.”
—MONET MASTERSGO
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ESSENCE.COM I 157 I SEPTEMBER 2019