Textured materials, intentional lines and smooth curves mimic their natural surroundings in this outdoor respite designed by Lumens Innovators Council member, principal designer of Brooklyn-based studio Dadapt and Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute, Shari Francis. “Simplicity is best,” she says of selecting designs that harmonize together beneath a cluster of rounded pendants by Bover. With subtle pops of color that play off the lush and leafy greens, a sustainably made Tres Outdoor Area Rug by Nanimarquina grounds the scene.
About Shari Francis
Shari Francis is the founder and principal designer of Dadapt, a Brooklyn-based interior design studio she established in 2013. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she brings a Caribbean Jamaican heritage to her work. She earned her M.S. in Interior Design from Pratt Institute in 2011 and now returns there as a Visiting Assistant Professor, teaching the sophomore Interior Design studio. Her practice spans residential, commercial, hospitality, and senior-living spaces, guided by a conviction that simplicity is best. Her studio is a certified minority woman-owned business (MWBE) in New York City. She is also a member of the Black Artists and Designers Guild and the Lumens Innovators Council.
A Tailored Approach to Outdoor Design
Francis brings the same clarity outdoors that defines her interiors. For this scene, she worked from a belief in simplicity, materiality, and harmony with the surroundings. Natural, textured materials set the foundation, with intentional lines and smooth curves that echo the landscape rather than compete with it. A restrained palette lets subtle color play against the lush greenery, keeping the composition calm and cohesive. Overhead, a cluster of rounded Bover pendants layers light across the space, softening the transition from day to evening. Below, a sustainably made Nanimarquina Tres Outdoor Area Rug grounds the seating and anchors the arrangement. The result reads as a considered room set in the open air, where every element earns its place and nothing feels incidental.
