HOME SERIES x KAI AVENT DELEON
The Upstate New York home of Kai Avent Deleon — Photography by Georgia Hilmer
Home is a word with many meanings — a place to rest and renew, to gather and grow, connect and commune. It means different things to different people at different times, making it a constant source of fascination and inspiration. Through this series, we explore the meaning of home through the eyes and words of creative people who move, intrigue, and energise us.
The Norlha Overfelt Husk Blanket in Nutshell.
Kai Avent DeLeon transcends simple categorisation. She brings creative endeavours in food and fashion to life through her Brooklyn-based restaurant CHE and her concept store Sincerely Tommy, whilst using her voice to advocate for Building Black Bedstuy — a social enterprise protecting and preserving the black community in the area.
From her house amongst the trees in Upstate New York, Kai shares what home feels like to her, the calming nature of earth tones and minimal spaces, the excitement of tasting new flavours and ingredients, and the items she most cherishes.
The Norlha Handspun Nostalgia Blanket in Natural Yak White.
What does home mean to you?
To me, home means a sanctuary — a place where I can be at peace and feel present and safe. I take a lot of pride in the places I live and them being places where I can completely surrender.
How do you make your home a space of calm and comfort to come back to after a busy day?
I think by different factors. I’m very minimal, using a lot of earth tones and neutral colours — those are naturally very calming to me. Even though some of my furniture is maybe more artsy or minimal, it’s very comfortable. I like creating spaces throughout my home where I can just fall asleep and rest. You’ll see lots of floor pillows and floor mattresses. Outside of that, I like a lot of natural light and being able to see nature. Upstate particularly is all about the land, it’s so open and minimal and I just wanted a space that didn’t feel like it was disturbing the surroundings.
Can you walk us through a ritual that makes you feel calm or that brings you joy?
One of my favourite rituals right now is going to the brook in front of my house and just sitting in the water, no matter what temperature it is. Obviously, in the winter it’s more of a shock and a cold plunge but it’s just so peaceful. I love the sound of running water, especially in the summertime, and just being able to sit in there and feel very present and at peace.
Your restaurant, CHE, serves thoughtful, seasonal dishes along with natural wines, coffees and cocktails — what role does good food and drink play in your personal day-to-day?
I wouldn’t say that I am a foodie but I have always been very passionate about food. Cooking is something that I find to be very therapeutic. I had wanted to open a restaurant for many years, so the opening of CHE felt very seamless, like a creative or passionate endeavour that brought to life and translated my love of food and experimenting with different ingredients.
I was raised vegan, so I think I have naturally had to experiment because we substitute so many things, and I’m always so excited when I taste new ingredients, or even when I taste how other people mix ingredients. To me, there really is nothing better — or at least it’s in my top three — than having a good, nourishing meal that is very thoughtful.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from all over. I think at this point I’ve learned that there is inspiration in everything, whether it’s life experiences, travelling, friends, other artists or creatives, walking down the street and seeing people interact with each other or sweeping in their yard. There’s so much that I draw inspiration from and I find that inspiration kind of comes in seasons too. I just try to honour whatever season I am in and how that inspiration manifests, whether it’s something I’m observing or something that turns into creating something tangible. I think I find inspiration very often in the day-to-day mundane things as well.
Are there any objects or items in your home that you have cherished over the years? Where did they come from? Why are they so precious to you?
I really cherish my bowls. My clay bowls and my wooden bowls because they are things that I collect through my travels and I think they are one, or rather two, of the items that I’ve seen where there is a common thread in terms of the craftsmanship, using ingredients from the earth, and this very minimal aesthetic that I’ve always been drawn to — whether it's from Mexico, Costa Rica, Ghana, or Kenya or Peru. They are things that remind me of those places and I have a deep appreciation for the work that goes into them. They are something that I really cherish — and I don’t like to collect things — but those are probably the one thing that I will continue to collect.
Are there any objects or items in your home that you have cherished over the years? Where did they come from? Why are they so precious to you?
I was really drawn to the blanket and the top from Norlha because, again, I love earth tones and I think the blanket just blends in so seamlessly with the things I already have in my space. It also feels incredible to the skin. I’ve been using it very often, actually, I love taking naps, especially on my Japanese floor pillows and it’s just the perfect blanket. It gets really cool in my house because of the cement floors, so it’s the perfect layer. I’ve also been using it on the hammock.
And the top I just find to be so beautiful, both pieces have such stunning craftsmanship the details are really beautiful. I always really appreciate those little details that you find on items. You can tell that there was a lot of intention put into the pieces.
What is one thing that is making you smile at the moment?
My son is making me smile. I just stare at him often, he’s the brightest star in my life. That’s an easy one.
@kaiavendeleon
@buildingblackbedstuy
@che_brooklyn
@sincerelytommy_
www.buildingblackbedstuy.com
Che Brooklyn
www.sincerelytommy.com