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There’s No Place Like SoFu!
When I Think of Home…
Hey SoFu! I had been thinking about “The Wiz” as I worked on this issue. Love overflowing is exactly what comes to mind when I think of SoFu! In this issue, we showcase the City of South Fulton’s new Mayor, the first woman to become Mayor of the City, as we kickoff our series on the new mayors in our eight cities. From humble beginnings in Virginia and Norfolk State University, Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs is ready to do her part in making SoFu “Home, Sweet, Home!”
In our pages this month, you’ll find an article on interior design right from Natasha Brown of Design Duo’s heart and one on Heritage at Home from the Black Southern Belle Collective, a group with impeccable taste on their recent kitchen and home workshop. I know you’ll love it SoFu. Welcome home!
ERIKKA SEARLES MITCHELL, EDITOR
P.S. I met Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames at a True Colors reading. Forever I love Atlanta!
March 2026
PUBLISHER
Michelle Taylor Willis michelle.taylorwillis@citylifestyle.com
Bob Mackey, Dominique White, Michelle Davina, Matthew Murphy
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Mary Albers
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell
Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.
1: Buckhead Art and Company VIP Soft Opening Photography by Bob Mackey
1-5: Gagnant Media and the Graham Firm hosted a Holiday Soiree at Buckhead Art & Company celebrating SOFU Lifestyle Magazine’s 10-year anniversary. Proceeds supported the Atlanta Public Library Foundation. Photos by Bob Mackey.
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Protect the moments that matter most—like watching your little one explore the world on his
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Moms All In Conference 2018
The Moms All In Conference is designed for entrepreneurial and business-minded mothers who are trying to have it all. We believe entreprenuership is a lifestyle. At this conference, we fill focus on effectively running a business and managing your family while living the life that you want to live. There will be a diverse range of speakers sharing their experiences and know-how to help working mothers learn how they can truly have it ALL. Come learn, network and collaborate with other women just like you!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 | 9 am -5 pm Registration Opens at 7:30am | The Ellis Hotel #1 Hotel in Atlanta by Condé Nast Magazine 176 Peachtree St, NW Atlanta, GA 30303
MARCH 2026
business monthly
Hamilton and Buena Vista Social Club™ Anchor 2026/2027 Season
Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta proudly announces that the Atlanta premieres of the Tony Award® winning “Death Becomes Her” and the five-time Tony Award®-winning “Buena Vista Social Club™,” along with “Hamilton,” will anchor. As the series enters its 45th season, the lineup also features Atlanta premieres of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Boop!® the Musical,” and “The Notebook.” The 2026/2027 season will also welcome “Water For Elephants” back to Atlanta for its Fox Theatre debut. BroadwayInAtlanta.com
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True Colors Presents The Drinking Gourd and Reading by Ijames
The Drinking Gourd: Black Writers at Work is a national program building a consortium of Black theaters (both professional and community) to focus resources on the development and production of work by Black playwrights. Pathway: Innovation was an immersive True Colors Theatre experience at ZuCot Gallery with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Morehouse grad, James Ijames, featuring an excerpt reading of “Tank Stranger” written by Ijames, a 2023-24 Selected Playwright for The Drinking Gourd. For more, visit TrueColorsTheatre.org.
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Alliance Theatre Presents the World Premiere of FIRES, OHIO
The Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition continues to spotlight the best emerging playwrights with a full production for the 22nd competition winner. FIRES, OHIO, written by Beth Hyland, an MFA graduate of the University of California San Diego, with direction by Marissa Wolf, Artistic Director of Portland Center Stage, will have its world premiere on the Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre Feb 25—Mar 22, 2026. Pictured: Tiffany Denise Hobbs as Elena. Tickets at AllianceTheatre.org.
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Photography by Matthew Murphy
Photography by Erikka Searles Mitchell
Photography Courtesy of Alliance Theatre
HOME Sweet CITY OF South Fulton
Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs, Her Humble Beginnings and Historic Win as the First Woman Mayor
ARTICLE BY GABRIELLE LATIMORE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB MACKEY
When newly appointed mayor of the City of South Fulton, Carmalitha Gumbs, thinks about home, she pictures peace in her sanctuary where she can fully be herself. This is exactly the vision she carries for one of Georgia’s fastest growing cities, the City of South Fulton, now home to 115,000 residents and counting.
Earlier this year, Mayor Gumbs was sworn in as the first woman to lead the city of South Fulton since its founding. Her journey to becoming mayor does not begin with a childhood dream of becoming mayor, but a belief that “I could save the world,” she remembers. Beginning her career as a social worker, she quickly realized that saving the world might not be realistic, but she knew she could lead with her nurturing, calm spirit, as she describes it, like a “true Cancer.” While becoming mayor was not something she had planned for or even dreamed of, she knew her leadership experience and confidence would guide the city through a pivotal moment of change.
With the new title came new experiences for Mayor Gumbs, including public recognition, something this humble mayor was not familiar with. She admits she is still adjusting to being recognized in public spaces and has come to realize the responsibilities that accompany this visibility. She is aware that young women and girls look up to her, perhaps imagining themselves in her shoes one day. While she may not be able to go to the store in sweatpants as freely as before, she gladly embraces her role as a model of leadership for her community, especially for women who look like her.
Long before leading the City of South Fulton, Mayor Gumbs grew up in what she would describe as “the best of both worlds,” spending summers in Brooklyn, New York, and experiencing farm life in rural Virginia. There, her uncle even raised pigs, and Mayor Gumbs found herself attached to one in particular. She appreciates her experience of both urban and country life. Her experience with both lifestyles enables her to understand the importance of making home a place where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
This perspective shapes how she sees the City of South Fulton. From the agricultural feel of District 4 to the family-friendly nature of District 2, each area has its own distinct character in the city. Mayor Gumbs also advocates for diverse housing, including affordable homes for residents
at all stages of life, especially younger citizens who are just beginning to build their futures.
“In South Fulton, there’s something for everyone,” she says.
When asked what home means for the City of South Fulton, Mayor Gumbs beams as she imagines a city where residents can work, play, and have a good time without needing to travel to Atlanta. With ambitious plans to expand public transportation and create more jobs, she envisions a future in which the City of South Fulton residents can experience the city’s beauty alongside an authentic sense of belonging.
For Mayor Gumbs, home is not about perfection but acceptance and comfort, where you can show up exactly as you are and feel safe. As she says it best, “Home is where your shoes are mismatched.”
“In South Fulton, there’s something for everyone,” says Mayor Gumbs.
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HERITAGE AT HOME
The Kitchen
“Heritage at Home: The Kitchen” was hosted by BSB Media/Black Southern Belle at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC).
Tastemakers, design enthusiasts and industry leaders found inspiration for the holiday hosting season with a day of exploration and education centered on the heart of the home—kitchen and dining spaces.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE
DAVINA PHOTOGRAPHY
2. Panel
PROGRAMMING INCLUDED:
• Interactive Brunch Offerings at Currey & Co/ UpCountry Home
• Panel: In-Home Kitchen and Dining Room Design with Hosting in Mind Panel
• Moderator: Tiffani Janelle (Private Chef & Culinary Consultant)
• Panelists: Tavia Forbes (Forbes Masters), Gail Johnson (Gail Johnson Weddings), Rhonda Peterson (Rhonda Peterson & Associates)
• Lunch/showroom tour in Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath
Studio featuring tea and bread pudding by Chef Tiffani
• Panel: Outdoor Entertaining
• Moderator : Hilari Younger (Ufunkshen Design)
• Panelists: Deitrich Logan (Logan Design Group), Kenya Brantley (Greenhouse Mercantile), Monet Masters (Forbes Masters), Tiffani Janelle (Private Chef & Culinary Consultant)
• Progressive happy hour at Habachy Design + Atelier and Forbes Masters
SPEAKERS:
Kenya Brantley of Greenhouse Mercantile
Tavia Forbes of Forbes Masters
Chef Tiffani Janelle
Gail Johnson of Gail Johnson Weddings
Deitrich Logan of Logan Design Group
Monet Masters of Forbes Masters
Rhonda Peterson of Rhonda Peterson & Associates
Hilari Younger of Ufunkshen
SPONSORS:
Showrooms & Brands ADAC
Currey & Company
Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio
Forbes Masters
Habachy Designs + Atelier
UpCountry Home
All photos are courtesy of BSB Media and shot by Michelle Davina Photography
ABOUT BSB MEDIA, LLC
BSB Media, LLC Is a Black woman-owned omnichannel media company with in-house production and public relations capabilities to your media buying opportunities list. Our audience reaches over 4,000,000 Black women with Southern heritage per month across digital and social media and we have worked with premium brands such as The Food Network, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Carpet & Rug Institute and Explore Charleston Tourism.
For more info visit, www.bsbmedia.co or www.blacksouthernbelle.com or contact
Michiel Perry
BSB Media LLC
Southern Bred Soul Infused Media and Marketing Company for the Black Southern Belle 804-896-2220
9.
Designing a New Chapter
Where Home Became the Heart of My Business
ARTICLE BY NATASHA BROWN, DESIGN DUO INTERIORS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOMINIQUE WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY
In this intimate Home Issue feature honoring Women’s History Month, Interior Designer Natasha Brown shares how transforming her own home during a season of transition became the foundation for Design Duo Interiors and the beginning of a life designed with purpose.
When I look around my home today, I don’t just see a beautifully designed space, I see a timeline of my life. Every renovation, every design decision, and every transformation reflects a season of growth, clarity, and courage. This home quietly tells the story of my transition from corporate life into interior design, and how I learned to design not only spaces but a life rooted in purpose.
During my leap from the boardroom to a full-time business owner, my home became my studio. Long before Design Duo Interiors had a name, it had a foundation and that foundation was built room by room.
THE HOME OFFICE: WHERE A DREAM BECAME A DECISION
My home office is where everything began.
What was once an underutilized spare room became the place where I wrote business plans, created mood boards, took late-night client calls, and wrestled with fear and faith in equal measure.
I designed the office to feel calm, elevated, and quietly powerful. Soft neutrals, warm tones, layered lighting, and clean lines created a room that felt professional but deeply personal. I needed a space that reminded me, every day, that this dream deserved structure and sustainable beauty. CONTINUED >
This office held my earliest doubts and wins. It was where I decided to trust myself and where Design Duo Interiors was born when this room became our first office and my team’s first place of work. My home office is where uncertainty lived alongside vision, and where I finally decided to trust the pivot and process.
FROM FORMAL DINING ROOM TO CONVERSATION & WINE ROOM
One of the most meaningful transformations in my home was turning an underused formal dining room into a conversation and wine room.
Like many homes, I had a dining room that looked beautiful but wasn’t being lived in. It felt ceremonial and disconnected from how I gathered with friends and family.
As an interior designer, I believe our homes should reflect who we are now, not who we used to be, or what the norm is for a space. So I reimagined that space into an intimate lounge layered with warm lighting, plush seating, rich textures, and a dedicated wine moment. It became a place for conversation, laughter, and late-night talks.
That room symbolized a deeper shift for me. I was no longer designing my life around appearances. I was designing it around experience.
THE KITCHEN: A STRATEGIC RENOVATION WITH LASTING IMPACT
Renovating my kitchen was one of the most intentional and financially strategic decisions I made. The original kitchen felt dated and heavy.
It didn’t reflect my evolving aesthetic or my design voice. I knew I wanted something timeless, modern, and high contrast. My goal was to design a kitchen that felt both luxurious and livable.
I kept the original kitchen layout and transformed it by painting the cabinets, updating the hardware, installing new countertops, and refreshing the lighting—proof that thoughtful design, not a full gut renovation, can completely change both a space and its value.
The result was a kitchen that felt fresh, elevated, and undeniably modern. This renovation significantly increased the value of my home. It became living proof of what I now teach my clients: thoughtful, well-executed design isn’t an expense, it’s an investment.
THE FAMILY ROOM: WHERE CONTINUITY AND COMFORT CAME TOGETHER
The family room was about honoring what already worked while elevating the overall look.
I chose to keep the existing fireplace and reimagine rather than replace it. By painting it black, I created a strong visual anchor that coordinated seamlessly with the black finishes in the kitchen, allowing both spaces to feel intentionally connected.
The built-in bookcase was also original to the home. I painted it black and styled the shelves to add depth, contrast, and a more modern, architectural presence.
For seating, I anchored the room with a cream sectional to keep the palette soft and livable, then layered in black swivel accent chairs to echo the darker elements and create flexibility for everyday living and conversation.
The result was a family room that felt cohesive, elevated, and effortlessly modern—a true extension of the kitchen and a space designed to be lived in.
A DESIGN LEGACY
This season of reinvention taught me that purpose is rarely random; it’s revealed when you have the courage to pivot, trust what you’ve been given, and build something meaningful from it. My love for interiors didn’t begin with me. As a child, I watched my mother create warm, beautiful spaces. She loved home interiors, rearranging rooms, layering textures, and making every space feel welcoming and personal. Long before I understood that design would become my life’s work, I was absorbing her appreciation for home. That early influence planted a seed that would one day grow into a business.
Design Duo Interiors is more than a company to me, it’s a legacy in the making, built alongside my daughter, Kamryn, the other half of the duo and the future of this brand. In many ways, this business represents three generations of women connected by a shared love of home, creativity, and purpose.
Natasha Brown is the founder and principal designer of Design Duo Interiors, a boutique interior design firm specializing in livable luxury, thoughtful renovations, new build design, and home staging. Known for curating detailed designs and stylish spaces, Natasha brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to every project, creating homes that support how her clients live and who they are becoming.
Behind each of our 200+ City Lifestyle magazines is someone who cares deeply about their community. Someone who connects people, celebrates businesses, and shares the stories that matter most. What if that someone was you?
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SIP, SAVOR, CELEBRATE
LAKE
OCONEE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
ARTICLE BY SEAN O'KEEFE
Where Culinary Excellence Meets Community Impact on Lake Oconee Set along 30 acres of pristine shoreline and cradled by towering Georgia pines just 90 minutes from Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is where refined luxury meets effortless lakeside calm. This spring, March 20–22, 2026, the resort becomes the center stage for the Lake Oconee Food & Wine Festival, one of the Southeast’s most anticipated destination weekends.
Over four inspired days, the festival awakens every sense through inspired cooking, immersive dining experiences, and more than 200 wines from renowned vintners across the globe. Celebrated chefs and rising culinary talent take center stage, complemented by an eclectic mix of live performers and visual artists that infuse creativity into every corner of the weekend.
Guests are invited to join us in celebrating the art of food, wine, and togetherness, where every table tells a
story and every glass brings people closer. For those looking to experience it all, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is offering a Lake Oconee Food & Wine Package giving guests access to the festival’s most sought-after events—Friday night’s Launch Party and Saturday evening’s Grand Tasting.
For more information, please visit LakeOconeeFoodAndWine.com. To book your room please visit RitzCarlton.com/Reynolds.
A Safer Spring Starts at Home
Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Atlanta Chapter
Breakfast With SantaKwanzaa Edition
ARTICLE BY ASHLEY BELTON
The Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Atlanta Chapter proudly presented Breakfast With Santa: Kwanzaa Edition, a festive winter celebration that blended holiday joy with cultural heritage, community service, and youth leadership. This signature event created a warm, family-centered environment where children experienced the magic of the season while deepening their understanding of African traditions and the principles of Kwanzaa.
The celebration emphasized community uplift, cultural education, and grade-group engagement. In the spirit of Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) and Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), families participated in a chapter-wide service initiative supporting the Center for Children & Young Adults (CCYA). Members donated essential items, gifts, and household supplies, which were thoughtfully assembled into themed care boxes for youth and families. Each box included holiday greeting cards lovingly created by the chapter’s youngest members, allowing children to actively participate in giving and to witness the impact of service and compassion firsthand.
A scripted Kwanzaa program guided families through the origins, symbols, and meaning of the holiday. The ceremony included the lighting of the Mishumaa Saba, youth-led reflections on the Nguzo Saba, a collective call-and-response affirming unity and cultural pride, and a musical selection by the Westlake High School Chorus that uplifted the ancestral spirit.
Renowned storyteller Babatunde brought African oral tradition to life through rhythm, drumming, humor, and folklore, sharing lessons of courage, cooperation, and cultural identity.
Grade-group programming highlighted leadership and economic development, featuring a Junior Marketplace hosted by the 5th and 6th Grade Groups. Youth showcased business concepts, practiced pricing and customer engagement, and demonstrated financial literacy aligned with Ujamaa.
Breakfast With Santa: Kwanzaa Edition beautifully merged celebration with purpose—honoring heritage, uplifting the community, and cultivating culturally grounded young leaders.
