Aysha Sow's new home in her own words is a vision of "art imitating life". We sat down on the Onya rug with the New York based jewelry designer who shared how her city fuels her creativity, her new business and her interior style, as well as her favorite new rituals on the Onya rug now that it's the centrepiece of her living room.
We’ve loved watching your approach to interiors unfold in your new home. Have interiors been a medium that’s always come naturally to you? How has your at-home style evolved over the years?
I have always loved interiors and loved experimenting with my own spaces. The minute I got my very first apartment in brooklyn, I immediately fell in love with the process of "making a place your own." My style has evolved over the years along with me, the best way i could describe it is: "art imitates life". My home and my interiors reflect where I am at in life, and the things I am interested in at that moment. When I was still in my early 20s I decorated my home to reflect a young single woman in her 20s in NY. Now that I am in my early 30s, I love for my home to feel calm, but warm and vibrant and for it to have character and texture.
Our female artisans in rural India draw inspiration from nature when making Enkay’s handmade rugs. Where do you tend to draw your inspiration from? Does your jewelry line ever influence your style at home, or vice versa?
I draw inspiration from New York actually, living in this city for the past 8 years has fueled my creativity, it has fueled my fashion and it is also a marker of what started my jewelry line. There is just so much beauty, art, life and creativity everywhere you go in NY, it is almost impossible to not feel inspired when you step out here.
When designing or styling a room, what guardrails do you keep in mind?
I always try to start with the bigger pieces in a room and build my way around it. And when it comes to these bigger pieces, the color and size is very important to me, because it is what is going to make or break the room.
What colors, textures, pieces or homewares are you most drawn to at the moment?
Anything warm, deep and vibrant I am currently obsessed with. I love a good mahogany/plum color combination, and I love adding wood texture to every room, it just makes everything feel more warm and lived in.
What drew you to choosing the Onya rug for your living room?
I knew I wanted a cream rug but with a fun, subtle but striking design. The Onya rug is all of those things combined. The little squares just add such a fun element to the rug and the material of the rug is incredibly soft, it feels very inviting when you look at it but also when you get to touch/feel the rug.
How has it been living with the Onya rug?
I love it, every morning when I walk into my living room, I feel so at home, it was the missing puzzle to that room. And the quality is amazing of course.
Beyond interiors, what are some of your rituals when at home?
I always burn incense in the living room in the morning and while doing so, I like to have my cup of coffee and just soak in the quiet morning. I also secretly love doing this because I get to admire the space and the calmness it brings me while starting my day.
As we enter a new season, what moments are you most looking forward to?
I am excited to further decorate my home, I still have so much left to do! Building out my jewelry brand Corecet, very excited to share the new collections we are working on.