10 covetable home accents from AAPI-owned brands
From handmade candles to fruit bowls, get ready to decorate
Credit:
Wing On Wo & Co. / Sin
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a month dedicated to celebrating the AAPI community’s contributions and cultural influences in the U.S. One way you can show your support is by shopping from AAPI-owned businesses, both online and in your community.
If you happen to be in the market for new home goods, décor, or accessories, read on. We’ve found 10 stunning items from AAPI-owned brands.
1. A bold, abstract woven blanket
This cozy blanket sprawls 58 by 60 inches.
Los Angeles-based ceramicist and artist Carrie Lau offers an exciting yet minimal touch to every piece of décor she creates. Through the use of modern, curvilinear shapes, Lau aims to explore colors and shapes that bring her joy—and pieces that radiate the same joy.
This playful cotton blanket—which is inspired by camping in the great outdoors—gives the perfect splash of color to the living room, bedroom, or picnic in the park.
Get the Dreamsy Woven Blanket from Object-Matter Ceramic for $156
2. A floral-inspired handmade candle
The candle features top notes of Aerangis orchid, bergamot, jasmine, and green leaves.
Our memories are often linked to our five senses—that’s why you may suddenly recall a memory when an old song you haven’t heard in awhile begins to play. The same goes for the sense of smell—and Aerangis founder Alicia Tsai has built her brand around this very sensation.
Tsai creates handmade candles, all inspired by her most cherished memories, whether it be a garden in Taiwan or a vineyard in upstate New York.
This particular candle is inspired by the scent of a flower from the Aerangis genus, a white, star-shaped orchid that emits a fresh green scent.
The plant-based, cruelty-free candle is thoughtfully made without synthetic dyes, parabens, and phthalates, and it features a lead-free cotton wick for a non-toxic creation.
Get the No. 01 The Beginning Candle at Etsy starting at $39
3. A live plant
Plant choices in the Plant Parent Set change seasonally.
You can shop for anything online, and beautiful, high-quality plants are no exception. If you’re looking to add some greenery to your space, The Sill is a popular online plant retailer that we’ve tested and recommended many times.
Founder Eliza Blank was on a mission to make plants more accessible to the average dweller—so she started the online plant delivery company to bring plants directly to the consumer.
Today, The Sill offers a variety of beautiful plants and flowers, along with educational workshops and tons of online resources to help new plant owners be the best plant parents they can be.
Speaking of, a Plant Parent Set is the perfect beginner’s set for adding a splash of green to the home space. You can choose a set of three, five, or seven curated, low-maintenance houseplants that are great for those lacking a natural green thumb.
Get the Plant Parent Set from The Sill starting at $52
4. A unique home for your fruits
Each fruit bowl is handmade in Brooklyn, New York.
What if the décor and accessories in our homes are more than just things—but, rather, are parts of who we are and how we express ourselves? Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary designer Virginia Sin brings this notion to life through her handcrafted home goods that are meant to “make you feel good”.
You’ll also find Sin’s work beyond her online shop—her porcelain plates are featured in Eleven Madison Park’s picnic basket and you can find some of her work in magazines and blogs from brands like West Elm and Madewell.
Sin’s open-air fruit bowl can artistically display fruits or other things in your kitchen. Choose from a small, medium, or large size to accommodate your lemons or your loaf of sourdough. Each bowl is uniquely made through a coiling technique and is different in its own way.
Get the Prong Fruit Bowl from Sin for $64
5. A set of art prints inspired by nostalgic snacks
You can buy all four of these prints as a bundle at a discounted price.
Vietnamese-American artist Kim Nguyen creates bright, captivating illustrations. You can purchase them on Etsy as art prints, enamel pins, or zines.
This set of handmade art prints encompasses all four from Nguyen’s series inspired by her favorite snacks growing up, such as bánh tiêu and lychee jelly.
Get the Asian Nostalgia Snacks Art Prints (Set of 4) at Etsy starting at $34
6. A sustainably-made ottoman
When you're eventually ready to sell your Sabai furniture, you can even resell your pieces through Sabai Revive, Sabai Design's secondhand line.
Sustainability in the home is quickly becoming a top priority amongst homeowners and renters—and eco-conscious furniture is a great way to curate a more sustainable space.
Co-founder Phantila Phataprasit created Sabai Design, named after a Thai word meaning cozy, comfortable, and easy, to fulfill a need for climate-conscious practices in the furniture industry.
Today, Sabai Design creates luxury furniture at a reasonable price, all made with non-toxic, recycled materials in a family-owned factory in North Carolina. Sabai makes sofas, loveseats ottomans, and more to-order, which reduces any overproduction from occurring.
Sabai’s Essential Ottoman is the perfect addition for wherever you entertain guests (or prop your feet up) at home. This ottoman is also completely customizable—choose from five gorgeous recycled velvet colors or three uncycled polypropylene colors, along with frames made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.
Get The Essential Ottoman from Sabai Design for $395
7. A hand-carved marble incense box
The brass piece in the incense box is made by R&M Fine Jewelers, a Los Angeles-based shop that uses sustainably sourced, recycled metals to cast each piece.
For consciously-made goods with traditional cultural influencers, Maaari is a go-to for handmade jewelry, home goods, and other accessories. Founded and run by two Filipina-American women, Ivy and Jeanette, Maaari operates under three core pillars: consciousness, community, and culture.
Maaari sells sustainable goods sourced from artisans based in both the Philippines and the U.S. This hand-carved marble incense box is a beautiful work of art made by La Roca, a collective of artists based in the Philippines. They are rebuilding the region’s once-booming marble market that was disrupted decades ago by an influx of cheap, synthetic marble products.
This particular incense box comes in white, amber, or black.
Get the Balance Incense Box at Maaari for $102
8. A set of hand-painted wine cups
You can currently purchase the wine cups in colors and patterns like yellow, green, black flower, and more.
Did you know you can shop online at the oldest operating store in Chinatown, New York? Wing On Wo & Co. has been in business since 1890, holding a rich history of generations of shop-owners. Over a century later, the shop still sells fine porcelain but has become so much more. In 2016, the shop started a community-based initiative called the W.O.W. project which aims to grow, protect, and preserve Chinatown’s culture through arts and activism.
These hand-painted wine cups sold at Wing On Wo & Co. are delightful decorative additions to the home. They're the perfect size for sharing drinks with friends, and can also dual as shot glasses.
Get the Handpainted Wine Cups from Wing On Wo & Co. for $5 each
9. A hand-cut map to hang on your wall
You can order a smaller version of this map if you prefer a more subtle accent.
If you’re looking for a way to honor your hometown, these intricate, hand-cut maps are the perfect minimalist touch. Handcrafted in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Karen M. O'Leary, these incredibly detailed maps are made from white watercolor paper and cut with an X-acto knife. Don’t worry if you’re from a small town—O’Leary lists on her Etsy page that she can recreate any city or location.
This large version of the hand-cut maps makes for a lovely centerpiece above your fireplace or your bed. Reviewers love how detailed and precise they are, citing that they’re great gifts for major moments like anniversaries or weddings.
Get the Custom Hand-cut Map from Etsy starting at $400
10. A gorgeous, inviting area rug
Noho Home brings the beauty of the outdoors into the home, and this rug does just that.
For an authentic take on tropical décor, Noho Home brings the island experience to your living space.
President, creative director, and designer Jalene Kanani created her brand with the intent to celebrate her Hawaiian heritage—she plays with rich patterns, colors, and textures to create pieces that evoke cultural sensibility within the home.
This 100% hand-tufted wool area rug features bold brown, yellow, and blue tones that are reminiscent of a native Hawaiian rainforest canopy. The patterns, reminiscent of palm trees, are inspired by the Loulu tree, Hawaii’s only indigenous palm.
Get the Loulu Area Rug from Noho Home starting at $599
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