Straw Takes Center Stage: East Village Studio Sunfish Reinvents Eco-Chic Design

On a crisp Thursday morning, the light on East 3rd Street glints off an unexpected material: straw, woven and lacquered into sleek, modern forms inside the atelier of Sunfish. The design studio, founded by partners Maya Stein and Jordan Lee, has unveiled a full collection of furniture and décor crafted entirely from straw marquetry—a craft more often associated with antique jewelry boxes than downtown lofts.

The studio’s windows reveal tables, chairs, and wall panels awash in golden hues, refracting autumn’s muted sunlight. “We wanted something tactile that felt both ancient and radically new,” Stein says, running her hand along a straw-inlaid coffee table. The collection’s launch has drawn a steady stream of design aficionados, some lingering over the intricate patterns that evoke both Art Deco glamour and rural simplicity.

Sunfish sources their straw from upstate farms, treating each stalk with natural dyes before flattening and gluing it by hand—a process that can take days for a single surface. “The city’s pace makes patience a rare commodity,” Lee admits, “but straw reminds us to slow down and value the process.”

This week, the studio hosted back-to-back evening workshops, drawing artists and curious neighbors eager to try their hand at marquetry. The events have become a small sensation, with reservations booked out through October. “It’s a way to connect with the city’s craft legacy—something you can actually touch,” says local architect Nina Park, who attended Tuesday’s session.

As the season shifts and New Yorkers rethink their interiors for cozier evenings, Sunfish’s straw collection offers a timely reminder: even the humblest materials, reimagined, can help us see the city—and our spaces—in a new light.