Chicago Designer and Decorator Finds Happiness After Great Loss

Following a string of major losses, including the deaths of her parents only two months apart, the end of a romantic relationship, and the loss of her marketing job, Chicago native Kabria Cummings decided to pursue her passion for interior decorating and ethnic home decor full time.

Kabria Cummings founded her company Global Attic LLC in 2016. The company sells unique, home decor items sourced from around the world.

Global Attic Founder and Interior Decorator Kabria Cummings
Founder and interior decorator Kabria Cummings pictured with indigo pillows made in collaboration with her artistic director.

The curated collection of goods transforms living spaces, conveys individuality and helps to sustain the global community by paying artisans a fair wage and giving back to several charitable campaigns and organizations in the form of time and cash donations throughout the year.

Turquoise Pillows from Togo
These pillows are composed of vintage repurposed fabric sourced from Togo. The pillows are from Global Attic’s  new artisanal collection consisting of limited edition home decor items designed by their artistic director in collaboration with their founder Kabria. All items are locally made in Chicago using unique, globally sourced and repurposed textiles.

Product Details: Hidden zipper closure, down and feather insert included, dry clean only. Size: 22″ W x 22″H

Since childhood, Kabria has exhibited a love for interiors. Her parents, Sam and Ella were DIYers who scoured thrift stores for items that they could breathe new life into. They sewed and reupholstered furniture, gardened, collected ethnic artwork and her father even made his own furniture. Her parents were always decorating their home, reading home and gardening magazines and visiting home decor stores for new ideas that they could implement into their home. This all heavily influenced Kabria and when confronted with the question of what she wanted to be doing for the next phase of her life, Global Attic made sense.

Feather & Cowrie Shell Home Decor 
Made in Bali, Indonesia with chicken feathers and cowrie shells, this wall decor puts a spin on the traditional Juju hat made in Cameroon. Measures 22″ in Diameter. Has rope for hanging or can be situated on a stand. Stand not included.

For me, Global Attic is about rebirth and purpose because the idea for the company came to me after I had experienced a string of devastating losses in my life. Within a three-year span, I lost my parents two months apart, my naturopath died, I ended an 11-year relationship with my ex-boyfriend, my favorite DJ Frankie Knuckles died, Prince, the greatest influence in my life after my parents, died and I was “strategically” let go from my marketing job of 10 years due to political reasons. Rather than look for another job, I decided to take a gap year off to heal and decide what I wanted to do with my life. Although I had spent more than 20 years in marketing and graphic design, my hobbies are interior decorating, collecting ethnic artwork and traveling.

— Kabria Cummings, Global Attic Founder and Interior Decorator

Terracotta Vases
Vintage terracotta floor urns. Beautiful and unique.

Global Attic perfectly blends these passions along with my desire to educate people about the artisans who create the items that we sell and to give back to the global community. With Global Attic, I’ve learned and grown so much as a result of the amazing experiences I’ve been able to have. I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather being doing. I believe I went through all of the bad stuff just to get to the space that I’m in now. I am super grateful.

— Kabria Cummings, Global Attic Founder and Interior Decorator

The company can be found online at www.globalattic.com, in Lincoln Park’s Fortunate Discoveries at 1022 West Armitage Avenue or “popping up” at various events throughout Chicago. Global Attic will be at Randolph Street Market located at 1341 West Randolph Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 28 & 29, 2018.

All images courtesy of Global Attic