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Hi everyone,
It’s been a minute. I’ll share more on that another day. But today, I finally get to announce something really close to my heart:
My first-ever home collection, Heirlooms, is now live at Walmart.
Video below by Mars Vaughn
We’ve been working on this for about a year now. It’s been tough keeping it quiet, but I’m so excited for you to experience a piece of my art in your home.
Heirlooms was inspired by my journey into fatherhood and the idea of legacy. As a dad of Two, (Yes, our daughter arrived last fall—more on that later.) I can’t help but think about what I want to leave behind for my kids.
This collection all started with a idea my wife proposed: “You should make a pillow. Your designs would look so good as home decor.” That same week I designed my first pillow and it sold out.
A few months later, Walmart reached out to me to do a collection and on the brief, they had the pillow I designed. It was a reminder to keep making the kind of work you want to see in the world. You never know who’s watching. Also, my wife was right lol.
This collection is layered and deeply personal. You’ll notice a theme of duality in the collection. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the U.S. when I was about 12. I’ve been in America longer than I was in Nigeria. I know what it’s like to live in both cultures. My wife is African American and our kids are growing up in both worlds: two cultures, two traditions, both equally theirs.
Now, as a dad of two (yep, two under two… pray for us), I’ve been thinking more about legacy. About what I can leave behind not just through the lessons I teach them, but through the things I make. I wanted to create objects that could live in people’s homes for decades. Things my kids can touch, grow up with, and maybe one day pass down to their own.
Designing for the living room felt right. That’s the heart of the home. It’s where we gather. Where kids play. Where guests are welcomed. Were our vulnerability is on full display.
Growing up, Nigerian living rooms were full of color, bold patterns, energy. I liken it to harmony in motion. That feeling guided a lot of this work.
The vases might be my favorite part of this collection. They were inspired by my wife. I watched her carry our children with strength and grace. Black women go through so much. Too much (if we’re being honest). And they deserve more care and reverence than they often receive. The vases became a way to honor that. A reminder that the vessel matters just as much as the bloom. You’ll see textures inspired by braids, hair, and the memories we carry through our hands.
Working with Walmart on this was important to me. It is a full circle. Growing up, Walmart was where my family shopped when we first moved to America. It was familiar. It was community. So creating something beautiful, accessible, and rooted in both African and African American culture on shelves that everyday families walk by mattered.
I hope these pieces live with you. I hope they gather stories, create memories, hold joy, and pass through generations. That’s what heirlooms do. That’s why I made them. This is my heart in object form.
With love,
Temi
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