OUR FOUNDERS

 

 

It's fitting that our founders Lu and TJ's first meeting took place in an empty bedroom. It was the summer of 2008 at Columbia University and they had just been admitted to the literature department as Ph.D students. While waiting for a lunch delivery in an unfurnished dorm room, the pair bonded over a shared love of interior styling and design - especially bedrooms. "Maybe because I only had a bedroom back then?" is TJ's half-joking explanation. 

 

Throughout their studies, as the friends lounged around those dorm bedrooms reading, studying, writing and playing the ukulele, Lu and TJ quickly realized how, more than any other room, the bedroom is the most personal space one can have. “It’s a place where you can let your hair down and really be yourself,” says Lu. “So it should really reflect who you are.”  

 

After graduating from Columbia, the pair decided to get lost traveling around the world and discovered cultures with rich textile traditions, colorful artistry, craftsmen employing techniques handed down through generations, and the inspiration for a purpose-filled business: Flaneur. 

 

Named for the French word to describe dreamers, idlers, and strollers of cities, Flaneur was born out of the belief that the people should look beyond the standard bleached white bedding and express themselves through bold, beautiful color and a product that reflects the expertise, talents, and dedication of craftsmen from all over the world. 

 

Inspired by the ancient Chinese proverb: "Read tens of thousands of books; travel tens of thousands of miles."  Be Flaneur.