Marsai Martin Explains Teen Design Trends

Marsai Martin hit the ground running at the tender age of five when she began acting. She would make her big break after being cast as Diane Johnson in ABC’s sitcom Black-ish, which is now in its final season. With over a decade of experience under her belt in the entertainment industry, the 17-year-old has broken countless records, including becoming the youngest executive producer ever (literally, she is in the Guinness Book of World Records) with her work on the film Little.

In her latest show, she joins forces with Discovery+ to explore her longtime love for interior design in Remix My Space With Marsai Martin. Throughout the show, Martin is tasked with redoing the rooms of teens that have made an impact in their community and beyond. Her design team includes Tiffany Thompson and carpenter Joanie Sprague. The eight-episode show premiered January 15th and is now available to stream exclusively on Discovery+.

AD recently caught up with Martin to talk about her interest in interior design, what design trends she’s seen becoming popular among teens today, and tips she recommends for teens trying to figure out their own design style.

Architectural Digest: How did you come up with the idea for Remix My Space With Marsai Martin?

Marsai Martin: I’ve always loved interior design; it’s been one of my favorite things to do since I was a little kid. So, I partnered up with Discovery+ and 51 Minds entertainment to create this project that is focused on highlighting teens who are making a huge impact in their communities and surprising them with their dream room. With any room, it’s kind of your sanctuary, it’s your safe-haven mode. It’s the place that you stay the most. It is the place to restart yourself, as I like to say. I wanted to make sure that the people who have been making a huge impact in their communities [and the] world are able to have a room that reflects that.

What are some design trends that you think are popular among teens today?

It used to be the LED lights, in the early TikTok days. [Teenagers] would just love to put up LED lights under their bed or around the room. I even still have them, but I turned mine off for a little bit. But I still have them for sure, because I was definitely a part of that trend. I would say shoe shelving is one thing that I see in most kids’ rooms. If you’re anything like me, I love my shoes. And I like to make sure they’re presented in the best way possible, without being all over the place. So, I have this humongous shoe wall that goes throughout the entire wall of my room and so do my best friends. So, I think that is another trend as well.

How did you first get into interior design?

Oh, I feel like I’ve always had an interest in interior design. Ever since I was a little kid. I’ve always tried to design the Thanksgiving table, so it would look nice when everybody would come by for the holidays, and I still do that too, with any holiday. I’ve always been into the idea of designing a room and anything that really deals with creativity. Because I think creativity flows in any way, shape, or form. And I think design is definitely one of the ways creativity takes shape.