Maria Yee established her namesake design studio in 1988 in Scotts Valley, California. A design pioneer focused on California contemporary furniture, the studio focuses on wellness, material, and craft. Every element matters; from responsibly grown hardwoods, to eco conscious water-based finishes, to luxurious leather, to hand forged metal pulls, Maria Yee works hard to sustainably source quality materials. Maria Yee applies honed techniques, breathing new life into classic craftsmanship. Utilizing a modernized joinery system based on ancient Chinese tradition, Maria Yee has developed construction techniques that require no nails or screws. Acclaimed for California contemporary designs as well as advancing environmental and social responsibilities, Maria Yee believes in holistic design, and the idea that every step in the process material, craft, and environment matters.
Classic Joinery, Innovative Material and Modern Engineering. The artistic merit of Maria Yee’s furniture goes beyond beautiful lines and elegant shapes. Every item is handcrafted with sophisticated joinery techniques, honed through the ages. Maria refined these traditional techniques to create the proprietary BreathingJoinery™ system tailored to a modern manufacturing environment. No nails or screws mar the integrity of the raw, natural materials.
In addition to responsibly harvested solid hardwood, material innovation led to the development of patented BambooTimbre™.
Maria Yee’s Design philosophy centers on her belief that artistic creations made with natural materials are inherently satisfying. Our patented BambooTimbre™ is rapidly renewable. Our solid hardwood is responsibly grown and harvested. Our leather comes from the finest quality of hides.
Artisans shape these materials into beautiful works of art using BreathingJoinery™, where no nails or screws mar the integrity of the raw materials.
Our solid wood and BambooTimbre furniture is protected with our uniquely formulated finishes. The water-based and Tung Tree Oil finishes not only deliver ecological benefits (low VOCs and no added formaldehyde), but also possess high scratch resistance and exceptional durability.
Water-based finishes are used on wood species and BambooTimbre™. Water-based Polyurethane is used to finish steel products. These finishes are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and contain no added formaldehyde. The water-based finishes for wood and bamboo have a rich appearance that rival traditional oil-based lacquer finishes. The water-based polyurethane finish excels equally as the traditional polyurethane, only better for the environment.
Pushing the limits on what it means to be “Green””
Maria Yee pioneered ecologically responsible luxury furnishings also known as EcoLuxury™. The company is dedicated to protecting the earth by innovating green manufacturing and using sustainable materials in every handcrafted piece. In her efforts to protect the Earth’s limited natural resources while continuing to produce quality furniture, Maria Yee advocates forest management. No trees from tropical forests are used. The hardwood species are responsibly grown and selectively harvested.
To offset the devastating effects of deforestation, in 2005, Maria Yee introduced her BambooTimbre™ - a patented rapidly renewable material as an alternative to solid hardwood for furniture making.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an honored developer of international standards. The Central Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Among others, ISO aims to “make the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer, and cleaner.”
In 2008, Maria Yee’s factories were awarded the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification (Cert. No. A0014Q0074R2M, 00114Q27105R2M/4300). Consumers are assured that Maria Yee has established standards and procedures that comply with ISO requirements for quality manufacturing management. Moreover, via the mandated annual re-certifications, Maria Yee demonstrates unerring execution of its principles.
In 2010 our factories received the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification (Cert. No. 0070015E20894R2M, 0013E21949R1M/4300). This confirms that our manufacturing facilities abide by the international recommendations of caring for the ecology and follow strict environmental practices. ISO 14001 requires annual re-certification as well.
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Bhanu Sharma
Founder of Maker. Co-founded Wanadu (acquired by Cisco). Led products at Adobe, Macromedia , Sony, Latitude Communications and Skyfire.