Ya know how some people bring something to the table? Well Phantila Phataraprasit (she/her), co-founder + CEO of Sabai Design, does that and designs them (sustainably, might we add). “Sustainability has always been a huge part of my life,” she says. “Growing up, I watched my mom run eco-lodges in Thailand, spent a lot of time outside, and was obsessed with Animal Planet. When it comes to sustainability at Sabai Design, we have always tried to look at everything as holistically as possible, because there are endless ways in which we as people and companies can impact our planet.”

For our last Have You Eaten Yet? feature, Phantila shares why her brand was born, the women that helped inspire her career, and a beloved Thai meal for when she’s feeling homesick.

How did the company come to be?
My business partner and I co-founded Sabai Design in 2019, while we were young professionals living in New York. During this time, I was going through the process of furnishing my own apartment for the first time and realized that there weren’t sustainable, design-forward, yet affordable options that aligned with my values (and budget). When we looked more into the practices of the furniture industry, we were even more shocked and motivated to find a solution when we saw how much waste and negative impact the industry creates—not only in the production process, but also at the end-of-life stage. So, we decided to make the product we wanted when we were outfitting our homes. We wanted to create a company that spoke to the generation we were a part of—a generation that grew up acutely aware of the climate crisis, that was spending more time in their homes, and that wanted to feel good about how they were creating those homes.

The Essential line was our first and most accessible offering. In 2023, we launched two new seating collections: Evergreen, a more traditional slipcovered design, and Elevate, a modern farmhouse design. Fun fact: “Sabai” is a Thai word that roughly translates to comfortable or relaxed!

What are Sabai Design’s sustainability practices?
We consider this impact at the design stage—designing around sustainable materials, manufacturing practices, shipping constraints, ease of assembly, and repairability. We have two end-of-life initiatives—Sabai Revive and Repair Don’t Replace. Sabai Revive is the first furniture buyback program in the U.S., which helps limit the amount of products that go to landfills. It’s our way to ensure every phase in our product’s life is accounted for. With our Repair Don’t Replace program, we offer replacement components to keep furniture feeling fresh and allow our customers to repair their pieces if life happens and anything is damaged (ex: furniture legs, slipcovers, seat cushion covers, and more). We use non-toxic, natural, recycled, and upcycled materials and produce domestically with family-owned manufacturers on a made-to-order model to keep our environmental impact to a minimum.

Was there a special someone that helped inspire your company?
I’m incredibly grateful to the matriarchs in my family for setting such amazing examples for everything from entrepreneurship to compassion to passion. As I mentioned, I grew up watching my mom run eco-lodges in Northern Thailand, taking into account both the surrounding environment and communities involved in making those experiences and properties a reality. My grandmother, on the other hand, is also an entrepreneurial woman but was always more focused on the operational and financial side of things, driving growth and efficiency. I’m inspired by both these examples, and can definitely see how they have influenced my own career aspirations.

We’d love to hear even more about your culture, along with a fave Thai dish of yours.
I’m from and grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. This is of course a generalization, but to generalize, Thai people are incredibly collaborative, creative, and scrappy. Professionally, I think this has served me very well, especially when starting a company from scratch—you really have to exercise your creativity in stretching every last resource or sometimes creating something out of nothing.
 

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 eggs
– 1 tsp fish sauce
– ¼ cup vegetable oil
– 1 finely chopped scallion
– Jasmine rice
– Minced protein of choice (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, add the chopped green onion, and 1 tsp of fish sauce. Beat together vigorously with a fork until well mixed. If adding a protein, mix it in after the eggs are beaten.
3. Make sure the oil is hot! You can test this out by putting a drop of the egg mixture into the oil. If it sizzles right away, then it’s ready.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the pan all at once. You want the entry into the pan to be slightly ~dramatic~, rather than slow and smooth, because that helps to create the texture and bubbles. Fry for about 1 min. or until golden on the bottom. Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.
5. Serve over jasmine rice. Enjoy!