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In the home decor and furnishings world, Asian American-owned brands have been making waves with innovative designs that draw inspiration from Asia’s rich and varied traditions. Featuring furniture, textiles, accessories, and more, these brands offer a wide range of products that showcase the creativity and ingenuity of Asian American designers and entrepreneurs.
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’ve rounded up 10 AAPI-owned home brands that you should keep an eye on in 2023. We highlight sustainable and eco-friendly options as well as luxurious and high-end pieces. These brands offer a diverse range of styles and products that are sure to impress.
Krane Home
Interior designer and fine artist Sharon Lee founded Krane Home in 2012 after noticing that Korean art was rarely used in the industry. More than a decade later, the brand can be found in homes all over the world.
Krane Home’s designs are modern interpretations of Korean folk art with a timeless American aesthetic, featuring vibrant colors and unique patterns on wallpaper, fabric, original art prints, and other decor. Brighten up your guest room with this fun Gingham Jungle Wallpaper in Jade, or choose this Painted Poppy Fabric in Strawberry for your next upholstery project.
Ladies & Gentlemen Studio
Jean Lee and her partner Dylan Davis co-founded Ladies & Gentlemen Studio in 2010. The Brooklyn-based designer and artist lived in Taiwan until age 8, when her family moved to the United States. Their designs are meant to conjure a sense of wonderment and curiosity with products like lighting fixtures, sculptures, and other home goods. Check out this Kazimir Sconce inspired by the abstract art of Russian artist Kazimir Malevich.
Material Kitchen
Friends Eunice Byun and Dave Nguyen were brainstorming ideas on maximizing counter space and reducing clutter. The result was Material Kitchen, a brand of intentional kitchen tools and cookware blending quality, function, and aesthetics, inspired by their Korean and Vietnamese mealtime traditions.
The Material Kitchen product line is simple and sophisticated, focusing on the little details. For example, one of Material Kitchen’s bestsellers is The Iconics, a cooking tool set to keep your essentials within reach yet beautifully displayed in a wooden base.
Our Place
Founded in 2019 by activist Shiza Shahid (co-founder of the Malala Fund), Our Place is a kitchenware brand that creates innovative, multipurpose products to simplify cooking and streamline your kitchen. Its Always Pan 2.0 is an upgraded version of its original bestseller, a 10-in-1 pan that can sauté, sear, bake, braise, steam, fry, boil, roast, strain, and serve.
The company name was inspired by Shahid’s family’s experience finding their place in the United States after leaving Pakistan, forging new connections around the dinner table. Mission-driven and environmentally conscious, Our Place partners with women-owned manufacturing collectives and sources recycled and eco-friendly materials for its products.
Sabai
Phantila Phataraprasit and Caitlin Ellen met as undergrads at Columbia University and bonded over their shared passion for sustainability. They founded Sabai in 2019 to make eco-friendly furniture more accessible and affordable. Phataraprasit now sits as the brand’s CEO and credits her parents for inspiring her entrepreneurial spirit after watching them run their businesses growing up in Thailand.
Sabai offers everything from basic home decor to furniture bundles that fill entire rooms at reduced prices. The Living Room Bundle includes a sofa, table, and chair, plus various design options to customize to your liking.
The Sill
Eliza Blank was living in her first apartment and feeling homesick when her mother, who would garden to stay connected to her Filipino roots, suggested she get houseplants. Noticing how the plants brightened her space and improved her well-being, Blank founded The Sill in 2012. It started as an online shop for all things plants but has since led to retail locations in four states.
The Sill’s pet-friendly collection features nontoxic live and faux plants at various prices, making it accessible to most consumers. Its bestselling Large Majesty Palm measures between 36 and 48 inches tall but can grow as high as 10 feet tall.
Society Social
Founded in 2011 by self-described design junky Roxy Te Owens, Society Social curates a mix of custom and ready-to-ship furniture and home decor items. For Owens, furniture is somewhat of a family business. Before she was born, her parents immigrated to North Carolina from the Philippines and started a private-label furniture company. The family even lived in the factory for the first few years of Owens’ life while trying to get their business off the ground.
Society Social has a large collection of furniture and decor, with many pieces that can be designed to your liking. The ’70s-inspired Stewie Swivel Chair is a bestseller with a variety of bold colors and patterns to choose from. Custom orders can take several weeks to fulfill, but Quick Ship options are available if you need the products sooner.
Stori Modern
In 2012, Jean Liu founded Stori Modern, a luxurious outdoor furniture brand with a midcentury modern aesthetic. But it was never her intention to become an interior designer. Coming from a traditional Chinese family, it was very important for Liu to pursue a traditional education. She studied political science at Georgetown University and later earned a master’s degree in theology from Harvard University. However, after jumping in to manage her late father’s lighting business back home in Dallas, Liu fell in love with product design.
Stori Modern’s award-winning Graphic Collection blends contemporary and retro styles with its aluminum frame and pop-art flair. The four-piece set comes in four finishes, each with its own set of bold fabric choices; it includes a loveseat, coffee table, side table, and lounge chairs.
Sun at Six
For Sun at Six founders Antares and Capella Yee, furniture is a family business. In the 1980s, the siblings watched their mother, Maria Yee, grow her furniture company in China, even mastering her traditional joinery technique. Since 2017, the Yees have incorporated these carpentry skills to create contemporary furniture.
The 5th Anniversary collection is inspired by their mother’s Ming dynasty-era pieces she created 30 years ago. The brand’s beautiful cloud cabinet is made of solid American Black Walnut with traditional brass pulls and includes three inner drawers and two shelves.
Wing On Wo & Co
Wing On Wo & Co has operated in New York City’s Chinatown since the 1890s, running for five generations thus far. But it wasn’t until third-generation owner Nancy Seid took over that the shop began specializing in Chinese porcelain. Today, Wing On Wo & Co is owned and run by Seid’s granddaughter Mei Lum, who modernized the family business with an updated selection and expanded its online presence.
The store has a wide selection of tableware, home decor, and accessories. The Wing On Wo & Co Artist Line is a collection of reimagined traditional porcelain pieces made in collaboration with Asian American artists.
In Conclusion
The growing presence of AAPI-owned home companies means more access to unique and culturally rich pieces. These Asian American-owned home brands are just a small sampling of the incredible talent and creativity present in the industry.
As you embark on your next home decorating project, consider incorporating some of these brands into your space and join the movement toward greater inclusivity and representation in the design world.