SPECIALTIES.
(SINCE 2019)
OUR PHILOSOPHY
ON DESIGN
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & PRODUCTION DESIGN
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OUR VISION.
Founded in the idea of interior wellness, our pursuit is to redefine home for generations to come. By unveiling the interconnectedness between interior design and our well being. Muse Noire aims to place a revolutionary emphasis on ensuring people of color feel safe and seen in our homes.
Muse Noire is a Charlotte-based design firm dedicated to curating contemporary global homes that celebrate culture. Led by founder and principal designer, Ashley Ross, the firm journeys clients to the intersection of their own cultural heritage and Muse Noire’s palatable script of interior wellness. Established in 2019, Muse Noire was born out of Ashley’s desire to create spaces that embrace people of color and make them feel whole when they return home. Recognizing the sacrifices individuals make to fit societal norms, Ashley believes in immersing high-performing BIPOC executives in a timeless and tactile environment where they can truly be seen and heard.
Since its inception, Muse Noire has garnered acclaim, earning design awards and recognition from esteemed publications such as Luxe Interiors + Design (Muse Noire was recognized among 2023’s Design99, a list highlighting 99 designers shaping the future of the design industry), Axios Charlotte (the studio was a 2021 Best in Design award winner), most recently Ross is named by Architectural Digest as 21 Black Women Changing the Architecture and Design Space.
OUR ORIGIN
Before launching Muse Noire, Ashley served as a fundraiser and executive director for large nonprofits dedicated to helping children and families. However, it was with the start of her own family, alongside her husband Justin and their now 5-year-old daughter Naomi, that Ashley made the decision to transition into a creative career. Together, they have cultivated a contemporary global design aesthetic through their travels across five continents and seventeen countries.
THE HUMANS OF MUSE NOIRE
FOUNDER + PRINCIPAL
ASHLEY ROSS
SHAQUIRA LACKARD
PROJECT MANAGER
The glue that holds it all together, Shaquira serves as our dedicated project manager adept to planning and executing our residential design process. She seamlessly collaborates on projects post design approval to lead logistics from purchase to install. For the past three year Shaquira continues to be the swiss army knife of our team with cross-functional skills we just could not thrive without.
Originally from Vietnam, Ninh is a family man with a keen eye for detail. The magic behind all of Muse Noire's photorealistic renderings lie within his hands. With a decade of experience as a visualizer, and traditional training from the University of Hanoi in Architecture he prides himself as a key closer to selling the design, and we could not agree more!
NINH QUANG
DIGITAL ARCHITECT
DARIUS JOHNSON
ARCHITECT
Darius received his Bachelor of Science in Design from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Architecture from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He brings 18 years of experience in design, planning, document production, and construction administration in commercial, educational, high-end residential, multi-family residential, historic restoration and preservation, institutional building types and sports venues.