#23: Sustainable Brands, Ikea's New Store, and More

Welcome to issue #23 of The Home Catalog.

This week we're focusing on a couple of sustainability-focused brands: 

Sabai, a sustainable sofa brand, has launched the first ever US furniture buy back program. Its goal according to co-founder Phantila Phataraprasit, is to cut furniture waste whilst offering more affordable and accessible options for purchasing its sofas.

And launched in 2020, Formr is turning debris from construction sites into pieces of furniture, from a floating nightstand and sculptural candle holders to a lap desk (more on Formr below). 

Coming up: Ikea's new small-format store in Queens, NY, Houzz's kitchen study finds storage is in demand, and Haand the restaurant tableware supplier that's pivoted to eCommerce due to Covid-19. 

Thanks!

P.S. I just hit publish on a new Behind the Brand story with 696 NYC's Eri Miyagi. Check the article to learn about how Eri curates Japanese tableware that has a story to tell.

New Brands

Haand

Ceramics brand Haand (pictured above) was started in 2012 by Mark Warren and Chris Pence, and supplies dishware to a number of notable restaurants including Death and Taxes in Raleigh, Trail Blazer Tavern in San Francisco, and the Park Hyatt in NYC. Due to Covid (and thus, lack of restaurants) they had to pivot their business and launch a new direct-to-consume approach.  Learn more about Haand here. 

P.S. Haand is currently hosting its Seconds Sale online for the first time ever with over 5,000 pieces discounted by 35-45%. Check the sale here.

Formr

Formr is a socially responsible furniture company. It offers formerly incarcerated people work opportunities and crafts its furniture from construction debris. Learn more about Formr here.

Living Cozy is supported by Fyrn, a furniture brand that crafts hand-made modern heirlooms. Check out Fyrn's collection of chairs, bar stools and counter stools here. 

The Roundup 

Ikea opens its first small-format store in the US

The new IKEA store in Queens, NY, is now open. The new small-format store differs from anything the brand has launched in the U.S. before and enables shoppers to buy portable home furnishing accessories and set up home delivery for all other Ikea products. Learn more about the new store here. 

2021 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study: Storage Matters

“Storage has really come into focus as people have spent more time at home during the pandemic,” says Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing at Houzz. “We’re seeing an increase in the amount of cabinetry added in renovations. And more homeowners are reaching out to professionals on Houzz for help making their kitchens work better, most often within the same layout and square footage.” View the report here. 

Article's Eclectic Loft Edit

An ode to mixing and matching, Article's eclectic loft edit highlights a very-now, takes a no-rules approach to design that’s refreshing, bright, and inviting. Check out the collection here. 

Behind the Brand with 696 NYC's Eri Miyagi:

Every few months Eri Miyagi is sent a batch of photos from friends in Japan, showcasing ceramics and tableware from local craft fares.

“I get like 300 images,” she says. “And I'm just swiping. This is good, this is not good. It’s very manual.” And as she swipes Miyagi is searching for new pieces to feature in her store, 696 NYC.

696 is a place for carefully curated ceramics, vessels, and objects by selected Japanese craftsmen and designers. Every piece it stocks is painstakingly tracked down by Miyagi — a Japanese-native who lives in New York — via her friends who visit the craft fares in Japan's countryside communities. 

Read the full interview here.

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