About House of 1804 + Kika

Welcome to House of 1804, where the Diaspora gathers—a place for soulful art, joyful living, and homes with stories to tell.

I’m Kika, the founder and creative behind the House. I’m Haitian-American, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and deeply inspired by the Caribbean, Afro-American heritage, beautiful interiors, and all the stories we carry with us.

House of 1804 grew from my love of culture, memory, color, and home. The right piece of art can make a room feel warmer, more personal, more meaningful—and somehow a little more like you. Around here, art isn’t just meant to be looked at; it’s meant to be lived with.

Much of what eventually becomes a House of 1804 piece begins long before there is a finished image. I like to think of it as art I see and feel, brought to life. Sometimes it starts with a face I imagine or a color combination I cannot stop thinking about. Other times it’s a memory, a mood, a garden overflowing with flowers, a quiet moment between two people, an older face that makes me wonder about the life behind it, or simply something I wish existed and would love to see hanging on a wall.

I’m drawn to art that feels lived in—rich color, florals, pattern, texture, beautiful Black faces, quiet confidence, bold personalities, a little nostalgia, a little whimsy, and sometimes something just a tad quirky. There may be a butterfly tucked somewhere into the scene, peonies blooming wildly, or a cigar making an unexpected appearance. The details change, but the intention stays the same: I want the work to feel expressive, soulful, familiar, and full of life.

My Haitian heritage is naturally woven into the way I see the world and into the story of House of 1804. Years ago, I traveled to Haiti—landing in Port-au-Prince, taking a bus to Port-Salut, riding in the back of a pickup truck to Okay (Les Cayes), taking a small boat to Île-à-Vache, and even wandering through a cave. I can still feel the joy of that trip. The people, landscapes, colors, sounds, and little moments stayed with me, becoming part of a much larger collection of influences that quietly find their way into this House.

But House of 1804 was never meant to tell only one Black story. It is a gathering place. I’m inspired by the Caribbean and the Afro-American experience, by the connections between them, and by the many ways Black people throughout the Diaspora have created beauty, family, tradition, style, resistance, celebration, and home. So you may find something distinctly Caribbean sitting alongside something that feels Afro-American, modern, bohemian, nostalgic, urban, playful, elegant—or somewhere wonderfully in between. There is room for all of it here.

I consider myself a creative and a daydreamer, and the way I make art reflects that. My process mixes imagination, storytelling, experimentation, technology, and digital craftsmanship. AI-assisted tools help me explore an early idea or concept. From there, I select, experiment, edit, refine colors, work with texture and composition, make changes, take things away, add things back, and continue until the piece finally feels unmistakably House of 1804.

The vision is personal and the choices are mine, and there are plenty of pieces that never make it beyond my screen because they simply don’t feel right. I can spend an unreasonable amount of time wondering whether a shade needs to be warmer, whether a face has the expression I imagined, whether the flowers should bloom a little more wildly, or whether one tiny detail needs to disappear altogether. I’m not particularly interested in perfection. I’m much more interested in personality, texture, emotion, and creating art worth living with.

And while I may be the creative behind the House, I would be remiss not to introduce its most important member: Raven, my bestest girl, four-legged sidekick, and very official Chief Happiness Officer. Most days, it’s just the two of us behind the scenes—me creating and obsessing over details while Raven stays nearby, periodically reminding me that there are apparently more important things in life than adjusting the same color for the umpteenth time. She makes sure I step away from the screen, get outside, and maintain some perspective—like remembering the importance of belly rubs and sharing treats. Raven has become part of the everyday rhythm of House of 1804 and, quite frankly, takes her position very seriously.

As much as I love the creative part of this business, what ultimately matters is what happens when the artwork leaves my screen and arrives at your door. Quality matters deeply to me. Over the years, I’ve tested prints from numerous shops before choosing to work with printers whose quality meets the standards I want for House of 1804. I’m particular about this because the piece that arrives in your home needs to live up to the image that first made you stop and look.

One of my favorite parts of running House of 1804 is reading the reviews customers leave and seeing photographs of the artwork once it has found its place. People have told me that a piece made them smile, reminded them of someone they love, brought a room together, or stirred an emotion they weren’t expecting. I never take those reactions for granted.

There is something special about creating an image here, sending it out into the world, and later seeing it hanging over someone’s sofa, beside a favorite chair, in a child’s room, or among the photographs and objects that make up a family’s home. Once a piece leaves this House, it begins another story in yours.

At the end of the day, House of 1804 exists because I genuinely love creating. I love imagining these people and places, watching an idea slowly become itself, and finally reaching that moment when something just feels right. And I especially love knowing that something created here may eventually greet a child every morning, become part of a gallery wall, remind someone of home, spark a memory, or simply exist quietly as part of everyday life.

I create for the person who wants more than something pretty on the wall. I want a piece to make you smile, stir a memory, remind you of someone you love, transport you somewhere familiar, or simply make your home feel a little more like you—because the things we surround ourselves with become part of our stories too.

From me—and Raven—welcome to our House.

Soulful art for joyful living. Your walls will thank you.

Kika