Hong Kong bedding brand Baea wants to ‘let nature in’ using quality, sustainable materials

Why did you start Baea? “I grew up in the textile industry. My grandfather manufactured textiles and my mother had a boutique that was all about bringing in really good-quality homeware, which then pivoted into bedding and bath. In my 20s, I worked for Ralph Lauren Home, sourcing products. I’ve opened retail stores and worked for different companies – and I could see an opportunity for bedding with more minimal designs inspired by nature.

“When I thought about a name, I thought about what ‘home’ means to me. I grew up between two bays – Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay – and that’s what signifies a place of sanctuary for me. We played on the word ‘bay’ and softened it to the brand.”

What is the Baea design ethos? “Our brand philosophy is to ‘let nature in’ and, from a design point of view, we really wanted to realise the movement of nature in the bedding. So, for example, with the Waves range we took a flat sheet with a traditional scalloped edge, which is quite regular, and gave it a waved edge that folds down over the duvet cover to create two waves, and on the pillowcases the wave embroidery flows from one pillowcase to the other.

“We also offer tailored designs, which our small-batch sourcing allows us to do at no extra cost. People can choose from within our collection and we can tweak the colours for them.”

Where do you find inspiration for your designs? “For our first collection, I looked at the nature we have all around us in Hong Kong. I find it so nurturing. There’s that extremity, where compared with the city, the greenery feels like something amazing. Think of the big boulders you see lying around the beaches and hills and the waves that we see everywhere living on an island.”