This is not a polished startup story. It’s real, raw, and full of love.

Born in Chaos, Built for Calm

Japandi Supply House / Isolating Darkness, photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Japandi Supply House wasn’t born from a business plan. It was born from survival.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, like so many others, my husband Kevin and I lost the work we had built together over two decades—brand strategy, design, and marketing for clients large and small.

But what followed was harder than financial hardship: Kevin, a former elite athlete, began experiencing severe symptoms of presumed CTE, the long-term effects of brain trauma.

At the same time, I was battling severe mental illness—depression so deep it isolated me from the world and made even the smallest daily tasks feel insurmountable.

We lived in constant fight-or-flight.

There were many days we didn’t know how we’d get through. But in the middle of that darkness, I started looking for small ways to feel calm—photos of peaceful rooms. That’s when I discovered Japandi.

Researching Japandi became a lifeline.

What is Japandi, Japandi Supply House

And so we began our Japandi journey.

The minimalist aesthetic, the simplicity, the harmony, the quiet beauty—it helped me stay connected to life when everything felt impossible. We combined our 40+ years of design, marketing + brand experience.

We began building something new together.

As our days remained unpredictable—often painful, always uncertain—and with limited resources, we poured everything we had into building Japandi Supply House.

No outside funding. No safety net.

Just time, heart, our shared skill sets + a clear vision: to help others find calm through intentional living, and to create a new way to shop—one that honors people, the planet, and the quiet power of design.

Japandi Supply House is more than a brand. It’s a movement.

HAKAMA Round Table by CondeHouse

We believe design can be a form of care.

Japandi Supply House is for anyone who’s ever struggled to get through the day—and found solace in beauty, clarity, and meaningful connection.

Japandi embraces minimalism, nature, comfort, and neutral tones—qualities that help calm the human nervous system and ease the burden of a noisy world. We extend that same care to the planet by selecting only partners and products that align with our values of sustainability, craftsmanship, and long-term use.

Globally Sourced. Japandi Verified. Japandi Supply House®

Every item we offer is chosen with intention; not for trends and not for profit margins.

But because we believe retailers—now more than ever—have a responsibility to consider what they’re putting into the world.

We’re not just here to sell beautiful things.

We’re here to spark a movement—one that calls on retailers to shift from fast to mindful, from extractive to restorative, from selling more to selling better.

And this is just the beginning.

KEXP, Seattle Listener Powered Radio

Giving back is our purpose.

As we grow—and once we've paid down startup debt—we plan to donate at least 1% of all revenue to organizations that nurture emotional and mental wellbeing.

First on our list /
KEXP, a global music community that offers connection, joy, and healing through sound—something we believe is essential to human life.

Everyday give yourself a little kexp.

LISTEN + EXPLORE KEXP
Emily and Kevin Bishop - Japandi Supply House Founders

If you’re here, thank you.

You’re helping keep Japandi Supply House alive—and helping us bring a little more calm to the world.

WITH LOVE + GRATITUDE 😌🌱💕

Emily & Kevin Bishop / Co-Founders
Japandi Supply House

Image Credits 😌🌱💕

  1. Cover Image
    Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
  2. Wabi Sabi / Photo by Mariko Ebine on Unsplash
    Hygge / Design / @skin.interior
  3. Isolating Darkness
    Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
  4. Calm Serene
    Photo by Benoît Deschasaux on Unsplash
  5. Emily + Kevin Bishop
    Photo by really nice person who stopped to take the pic 

Ways to Support Japandi Supply House 😌🌱💕