2025 Outlook | What Will Define Luxury Hospitality Design
27th November 2024 | Curiosity Bites
Staff Spotlight:Sarah Yuma, FF&E Designer at G.A Group
We are excited to sit down with Sarah Yuma, an FF&E Designer based in our London office, who has been an integral part of several initiatives and design workshops for Black History Month.
In addition to her role at G.A Group, Sarah’s passion for textiles and her desire to give back to her community led her to create her own business, Wrapped By Sarah. Recently recognised by TikTok as a rising star in the design world, her work has been featured on billboards and marketing campaigns across London.
In this interview, we’ll explore Sarah’s involvement in Black History Month, her creative journey, and how she hopes her efforts will contribute to cultural inclusivity in design and the broader interior design industry.
Tell us a little about you and Wrapped by Sarah.
I’m Sarah, and I’ve been an FF&E designer for six years. I founded Wrapped By Sarah in 2018, initially focusing on head wraps before expanding into home furnishings. The goal of our head wraps is to empower women by helping them express their individuality, while our home products embrace sustainability and bold African textiles and prints, turning fabric offcuts into unique cushions and lampshades.
I’m originally from Congo, where vibrant patterns are a huge part of our culture. Growing up surrounded by these fabrics, I realised while working in high-end residential design that I wanted to create something that truly reflected my heritage. That’s how Wrapped By Sarah was born and has been growing ever since!
Can you share a bit about the design workshops you’ve led during Black History Month?
How have they resonated with the participants, and how have they connected to the world of luxury hospitality design and the wider interior design industry?
This year I led two design workshops, one at a school and one at Studio Moren (Architecture firm behind our recent project 1 Hotel Mayfair). I then had a pop-up at IHG (InterContinentalHotels Group PLC), showcasing my cushions.
The two workshops came from clients and contacts who wanted to introduce some creativity during Black History Month.
My goal for these design workshops was to share my love for African textiles and vibrant colours. It’s always exciting to see how people react to the fabrics, especially in a hands-on setting. The workshops also tie into interior design, as participants create something tangible—like lampshades—that they can take home and enjoy.
The IHG pop-up was a fantastic opportunity to showcase my cushion covers and connect with a wider audience. They reached out expressing their focus on supporting black-owned businesses and how much they loved my work. It was such a fun and rewarding experience — I couldn’t say no!
In what ways do you think the celebration of Black History Month can inspire the design community, particularly in hospitality, to become more inclusive and diverse?
What I love about Black History Month is that it encourages people to explore the richness, diversity, and creativity within the Black community.
It’s a time when people actively seek out and celebrate these elements, and I hope it inspires not only the luxury hospitality design industry but also the wider interior design industry to integrate this approach on a larger scale, not just during one month of the year.
Being part of this movement is really important to me because I believe it can lead to genuine, long-term progress within the interior design industry. The luxury hospitality design community has the potential to make a lasting impact by being more inclusive and thoughtful in how it reflects diverse experiences. I think that answered the question, haha!
How can we balance cultural storytelling in design while maintaining the timeless elegance and sophistication expected in luxury hospitality design?
African textiles and fabrics are bold and vibrant, which can sometimes contrast with the minimalist aesthetic associated with luxury. Luxury, to me, is about comfort, quality and craftsmanship, complimented by meaningful pieces. It’s not just about minimalism — it’s about integrating stories and artistry into a space. The key is selecting fabrics that tell unique stories without overwhelming the space, creating a luxurious yet culturally rich environment.
As a FF&E Designers, one supplier I really admire is Pierre Frey. Their fearless use of colour is inspiring. They’re known for luxury fabrics, but their ability to integrate African cultural influences into their designs is something I aspire to. I recently visited their showroom during London Design Week and saw fabrics inspired by Congo, which was amazing to see. They’re a great and inspiring advocate for cultural inclusivity in design.
What trends or changes do you hope to see in the luxury interior design industry that would enhance cultural inclusivity?
I’d love to see more collaborative work with artisans and artists from diverse backgrounds. It would be amazing to partner with a fashion designer or a musician on a project. We’re all creatives, but we see the world in different ways, and we’re designing spaces that impact how people experience them. When you work with someone from a different creative field, it challenges your thinking and broadens your perspective.
That kind of holistic, interdisciplinary approach is how you push the boundaries of design. It’s how you take design to the next level.
What do you hope your contributions to Black History Month through your design workshops will achieve in the long term, both for the industry and for younger generations?
I hope people fall in love with fabrics, African textiles and really see the beauty in them. Through the design workshops I lead, I want participants to learn something new and, ideally, take up more practical, creative crafts in their spare time. In today’s fast-paced world – especially in big cities – it’s so beneficial, both mentally and emotionally, to slow down and engage in something hands-on.
For younger generations, I hope to show them that there’s a place for them in the design world and that they can bring fresh perspectives. My design workshops are always rewarding because I get to see participants’ creativity shine as they remix their designs and turn mistakes into opportunities. It’s inspiring for me too!
