As every home design enthusiast knows, it’s hard not to get a little thrill from finding the exact accent table you were looking for or stumbling across the perfect candle you didn’t know you needed. But, when you’re limited to the same four websites you typically scour for home goods, things get boring pretty quickly.
For more colorful, imaginative objects and pieces that can’t be found on your everyday big box sites, we’ve sourced eight fantastic LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that have no short supply of design goods. These brands should be added to your bookmark bar for purchases for your home.
Boy Smells-
Candles have the fantastic ability to tie a home together. It’s amazing how much a room is impacted by the invisible scent that wafts from a small glass vessel. Though there are many candle brands on the market, none do it quite like Boy Smells. Founded by Matthew Herman and David Kien, the tongue-in-cheek names, technicolor jars and fabulous combinations of scents make the company’s candles a winning trifecta.
Though candles like Thé Fantôme, Polyamberous and Slow Burn are what Boy Smells is mostly known for, they have a few other categories of products. The Genderful line of fine fragrances is full of perfumes made for everyone and anyone, many of which are the same scents as the candles.
Coming Soon
Home decor can feel a little bit uninspiring at times. But our spaces are meant to be personal and include a collection of pieces that shout “This is me!” Perusing a store like Coming Soon ensures this happens.
Dreamed up and executed by Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria, the shop provides products that inject more pizzazz into homes. It’s impossible to find a blasé item in its catalog. The duo curates picks from artists and designers who excel in their fields, leading to a kaleidoscope of home goods with funky patterns, modern shapes and sleek lines. Pink velvet love seats, abstract rugs and bulbous sconces are just a small sampling of the elevated and cool, yet wonderfully distinct pieces.
Jonathan Adler
For anyone in search of splurgy pieces that stay timeless and contemporary (but have a fun twist), Jonathan Adler’s store has your name written all over it. Though Adler went to school for semiotics and art history (and eventually worked in show biz), the design world got lucky that he instead decided to follow his dream of creating pottery.
The famed potter and interior designer’s collection has grown massively since its inception in the early ’90s. Stores are dotted throughout the country and you can shop numerous products, from simple, plush bedsheets to unique, modular coffee tables. There are plenty of sleek pottery pieces, too.
Otherwild
Wavy-handle pitchers, pastel dinnerware, patterned coffee mugs, amoeba placemats—Rachel Berks’ store Otherwild has exactly the accent pieces needed to spice up a space. Ethical and conscious make up the brand’s ethos and affect which items are sourced and sold.
Not only can shoppers pick up homewares, but there are apparel, accessories and wellness and skin-care products as well. Even better is the brand’s general store, where an emphasis on sustainability reigns. Refillable, low-waste products can be purchased, whether you need a new cleaning solution or a top-up on hand wash.
K Dawn Clay
Katherine Dawn of K Dawn Clay reworked and molded her clay hobby into a full-blown business. Based in Tacoma, Washington, she creates planters, mugs and berry bowls, among other pieces. One special item doubles as a wall hanging and a mini cheese board—meaning you have both everyday decor and the perfect piece for entertaining on a whim.
The speckled pieces are modern and earthy at the same time, and many have playful pops of color. Her creations could easily fit into any style of home—atop a table, nestled in a corner or hanging on a wall. Aside from her studio, she teaches at Illuminated Clay, which provides pottery classes and a creative haven for for BIPOC ceramicists and art enthusiasts.
Minna
Sara Berks founded the New York-based business Minna back in 2013. The company is far more than just a compilation of gorgeous home decor products—it has a mission, too. It’s B-Corp certified and works with artisans across the world, ensuring they’re paid fairly and have good working conditions. There is also a huge emphasis on transparency and preventing designs from being stolen and appropriated. These ethics make purchasing from the brand all the sweeter.
Pillows, blankets, baskets, pot holders, trays and even scrunchies are part of Minna’s selection. The color palettes and patterns are often minimal and soothing, meaning anything you pick will serve as a stylish addition to your home.
Pagodahome
Based in the UK, Pagodahome’s founder Izzy creates the chicest minimal art with playful images and colors and both uplifting and inclusive messages. The digital downloads can be printed in plenty of different sizes and framed for walls, shelves and side tables.
Chic Kissing Cowgirls, desert backdrops with “Y’all Means All” text and subtle Pride prints are just a few of the lovely pieces that can be shopped through Etsy UK.
Roger + Chris
The Roger + Chris slogan is “home of the unboring home,” which is music to anyone’s ears who may be shopping for large furniture items (like a couch) and can’t seem to escape the monotony of what’s out there. Built by—you guessed it—Roger Hazard and Chris Stout-Hazard, the company offers a wide array of couches, ottomans, chairs and sleeper sofas.
All the furniture is customizable. The hand-built frames can be wrapped in various materials and colors in order to create a personal piece that fits your home (and your design tastes) to a T. Mid-century modern to modern farmhouse fans and both traditional and contemporary lovers will be able to create something they adore on the site.
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