Meet Stella Guan | Furniture Designer & Founder at Bezier Home

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stella Guan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stella, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have been collecting design-forward furniture for a number of years and found myself gravitating towards furniture that are creative in shapes. But the vast majority of the time, these type of furniture doesn’t offer much in terms of function. Many of them are expensive and purely sculptural. In the process of hunting down unique furniture, I’ve spoken to a great number of people who are like-minded – folks who are uninterested in mass-market pieces but go crazy for design-forward furniture. A lot of these people are urban professionals living with limited space. I thought to myself, can I design something that is more affordable, and design-oriented with multiple hidden storages to help this demographic save space while creating a beautiful home full of creative furniture?

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are able to provide this rare combination of high-end design with relatively affordable price points because we are working with small-batch manufacturers that we established a great relationship with. As a complete newbie to the manufacturing and logistical side of the business, I had to learn everything the hard way. It took many, many rounds of trial-and-error to get everything right and have the furniture made. At some point, I thought this was never going to happen after yet another disappointing factory visit that’s conducted remotely. I was working with my family for the manufacturing side and like many family businesses, arguments arise and our relationships were challenged. I immediately booked an appointment with a therapist who helped me with my communication strategies and it worked like a charm, thankfully.

Going into this field, I felt like an enormous fraud because although I’ve had 10 years of experience in design, I was designing graphics and digital products. I have never studied furniture or industrial design. I just had this intense itch to challenge myself in my design career and felt unfulfilled by how digital products often get updated or become obsolete quickly. I wanted to make something more tangible that people can keep for a long time. I wanted to create happiness that I can touch and feel. Furniture design seemed like the right calling. When my desire for something is greater than my fear of failing, I always go for it, and I am glad I did.

I want my brand to be known as the furniture brand that creates happiness within reach. We don’t provide enough access of high-end products to folks who are not in the top 1%. I want my brand to change that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a design nerd, I would recommend Helms Bakery district. It’s such a great gem that is also confusing to non-locals – you would think this is a bakery factory. It was but now it is a massive area with home furnishing stores and design bookstores, which is my favorite. I love discovering new ideas for furniture there, buy too many design books I will never read and admire the vintage aesthetics of the building and signs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Rachel McHugh https://www.mchughsey.com/ She is a landscape painter focusing on California landscape. Her style of work is reminiscent of Georgia O’Keefe’s.

Website: https://www.bezierhome.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bezierhome

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bezierhome

Image Credits
Photographer: Kalynne Schoelen (https://www.photosbykalynne.com)