Don Ricardo Massenburg | People to watch

People are the lifeblood of our industry, and in the November/December 2022 issue, we highlighted people that we believe will have a significant impact on the design business in the year to come in a feature called People to Watch. We will focus on one of these people online each week; this week, it’s Don Ricardo Massenburg.

As a board member of High Point x Design, Don Ricardo Massenburg has said that the organization’s goal to open High Point year-round “untaps a tremendous resource for interior designers” and at the recent High Point Market, he supported the effort by serving as the leader for the HPxD Hummer Tour, riding along with fellow designers for a day-long excursion that included customized visits to ten HPxD member flagship showrooms.

Also a board member of the Alliance of Interior Designers and a member of the Black Interior Designers Network and the House Beautiful Advisory Council, Massenburg uses his leadership role in the design industry to build community among designers and other industry professionals and to create strategies that support business growth and development for designers, all part of his dream to be fully engaged in a career that he “enjoys so much that it doesn’t feel like I’m working.”

“Interior design work is essential!” says Massenburg, the founder/principal designer of DESIGN INKREDIBLE. “I would like to see designers recognized for their ability to create spaces that improve health, the mind and well-being. Intentional wellness-focused design can enable a better lifestyle.”

In his design work, Massenburg has worked with celebrities, high-profile athletes, noted business owners, and an extensive list of clients with a variety of custom projects, and he notes that his goal for every client is to elevate their space where “beauty and function align, so that they live and feel better in their home or workspace.” In 2023, he will participate in two showhouse projects with Embello and The Kaleidoscope Project, and he looks forward to sharing his skills to promote the industry he loves.

“It is so important that value be placed on the talents, opinions, and perspectives of people of color and minority groups,” Massenburg says. “For far too long, the design industry in our country has been heavily focused on one perspective. Diverse perspectives should be represented in major publications and in positions of leadership and incorporated through a genuine interest in the innovative ideas, broad experiences, and skill sets that a diverse talent group can bring to the table.”