1 of 5
Janine Bell’s dining room is a repository of family and cultural history. At the center of the table, an Egungun, a piece from the Yoruba culture, honors the ancestral spirit.
2 of 5
In the dining room, the antique wood-burning stove from Bell’s grandparents’ home conjures memories of the treats her grandmother made warming on the top shelf.
3 of 5
An inherited table in the living room holds a “family of collectibles,” including family photos, elephant figurines and dolls by Richmond artists. Underneath are a Kua Ba, a fertility doll from Ghana; painted and beaded gourds; and a carved stool from the Asante people in Ghana.
4 of 5
“So heavy is the head that wears the crown,” says Bell with respect to this carved and beaded crown crafted for an Oba, a leader of the Yoruba people.
5 of 5
Bell placed a Sango Orisha figure, representing a spirit of universal balance, in honor of her mother, who was a Libra, adjacent to her father’s trombone to celebrate their memories.
Approaching Janine Bell's home in Richmond, one is immediately enveloped by a feeling of light and warmth. Built in 1918, the North Side house presents an elegant yet grounded facade painted yellow, complete with a wraparound porch flanked by papyrus columns reminiscent of those in ancient Egyptian temples. Such architectural features link the home to the African history and customs Bell teaches about at the organization she founded in 1990, Elegba Folklore Society, while representing what the home truly is: a temple for Bell and her family.
Inside, the elements of Bell’s life come together in a three-dimensional canvas of eclectic decor focused on family. Mindful of her own past and her family’s history, Bell has created an aesthetic honoring antique pieces that have been handed down, ripe with memories. The dining room is the center of activity, where her grandparents’ dining furniture and an antique stove from their kitchen conjure memories of days gone by. African masks paired with dolls from her daughter’s collection and instruments from her own are bathed in a delicate light filtered by the woven lace curtains, providing a cohesive relationship with nature in the space.
Warm-hued walls provide soothing vibrations enhanced by photos of ancestors and unique works of art found while traveling or created by friends and family. An abstract piece hanging above the dining room mantel incorporates the lively colors of the room and its artwork while providing contrast with the traditional silver service and fine china cabinet. Nearby, sheet music belonging to Bell’s father hangs in a place of esteem alongside his trombone and an Orisha sculpture from the Yoruba culture, representing universal balance and Bell’s mother, in celebration of both parents. Found and cherished pieces come together throughout the home, acknowledging the past and its influence on the future.
A steward of many heirlooms, familial and otherwise, Bell feels objects have a way of finding her, creating a collection she was destined to care for. Each piece in her home, from art to instruments and artifacts, comprises a small piece of her identity. The juxtaposition of antiques and traditional and contemporary art has culminated in a one-of-a-kind sanctuary.
