This story is featured in the September/October 2024 issue of ESSENCE.
Skylar Marshai, 27, and Temitope Ibisanmi, 30, discovered home within each other long before they shared a physical space. In conversation, the creative couple—who explore the globe together producing content for travel, fashion and lifestyle brands—are not shy about proclaiming their love. “We’re each other’s constant,” Marshai tells me on a call from their Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone. “We’ve found so much of our home in our relationship. Wherever we are in the world, we know we can find warmth in each other.”
Fifteen minutes into our chat, the comfort and connection are evident. Marshai and Ibisanmi are locked in. Because the pair are regularly on the move for work, it was important for them to create a steady and familial space from the start of their relationship.
The duo met on Instagram six years ago. Ibisanmi slid into Marshai’s DMs after seeing her—her hair pulled into a slick, high ponytail, her petite physique in a fresh linen set—in a group photo on a mutual friend’s feed. “She was absolutely beautiful—a work of art,” Ibisanmi reflects. “She exuded honesty.” Shooting his shot was inevitable. Marshai was his dream girl.
At the time, she was living on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, studying strategic design and management at Parsons School of Design. Ibisanmi was working in creative technology for Microsoft in Washington, D.C. Ironically, unbeknownst to each other, they shared Southern roots, as both were born and raised in Georgia. Marshai, the eldest of five, is a first-generation Bajan-American and spent her school years navigating life in Stockbridge, a progressive business and family-centric community southeast of Atlanta. Ibisanmi is Nigerian. He grew up in Lawrenceville, a quaint suburb 50 miles north of Marshai’s hometown.
The longer we chat, the more a smitten Ibisanmi shares about their divine encounter. “I was never really a heavy DM diver, so I didn’t know what to say,” he reveals. He messaged the word “muse” alongside the paint emoji, and the rest is history.
During their first official exchange on the app, Ibisanmi was impressed to learn that Marshai could cook (including a mouthwatering curry chicken) and loved Afrobeats. “I was like, Oh, she got taste for real,” he says. “Things progressed pretty quickly,” Marshai adds. “People like to hold their hand to their chest and play coy, but Temi was very direct about how interested he was in me.”
His forthright approach led to a solid partnership. The couple discovered that they shared a refined aesthetic, which they’ve nurtured over the years and skillfully imbued into their home.
The two might be new to their 3,000-square-foot Bedford-Stuyvesant crib, but they’ve lived in the northern Brooklyn community for seven years. Prior to finding and moving into their historic, four-level, sun-kissed townhouse with its high ceilings (they moved in back in February), they shared a two-bedroom apartment on the border of Bed-Stuy and Bushwick. “It’s been cool to see the evolution of spaces we’ve occupied,” Marshai says. “We went from a college roommate–centered living space, which we shared with my three best friends, to a smaller apartment with each other and now a home. We’re grateful.”
Texture and complexity show up in the vinyl library, the couple’s favorite room in their ever-evolving dwelling. Pillowy black leather seating, modern metals, acrylic shelves and bright pops of color add to the blend of masculine and feminine energy that Marshai and Ibisanmi were after.
“We wanted a room where we could relax, indulge and reminisce,” he says. “We collect records from everywhere we go in the world. Chilling out and listening to vinyl is such an integral part of this space.”
A sumptuous chocolate Ellison Studios sofa encourages cuddling and conversation in the living room. An abstract work commissioned by Arnold Butler commands the dining room amid a sculptural round table and Lulu and Georgia accent chairs. A dreamy bar cart by Jonathan Adler is the center of attention when they’re hosting friends. “It’s massive, but it’s just so beautiful and is in conversation with the rest of the room,” says Ibisanmi.
The backyard is where the busy couple retreats most. “Our outdoor space is so grounding,” Marshai says. “I just love nature and anywhere I can bask in the sun.”
A cozy booklet couch, plus key pieces from brands that prioritize function and style, fill the lush enclave. And three stories up in their bedroom, the tranquility continues with modern furniture and minimal design. Rest is very much a priority for Marshai and Ibisanmi these days.
“The world gives us a lot to carry,” Marshai says. “We deserve a home that’s beautiful and feels like a place of refuge.”
