Hey there! I'm Jay, the founder of Motata - a lifestyle gift shop with a passion for great design and craftsmanship.
My wife and I share a deep appreciation for design and craftsmanship. In late 2022, we spent a month in Tokyo, and what truly captivated us wasn't the Michelin-starred restaurants or the picturesque Mount Fuji, but the exquisitely crafted everyday items we discovered in boutique shops and home goods stores. From enchanting rainbow-colored glass windchimes to elegant hardwood chopsticks and porcelain plates with distinctive finishes—each piece tells a story and sparked joy in us.
Upon returning to the SF Bay Area, our search for similar stores left us empty-handed. That's when the idea struck: why not create the very shop we longed to frequent? Why not infuse our daily lives with more of this design and craftsmanship? And thus, Motata was born.
We've carefully curated a selection of our favorite finds, and I'm excited for you to discover them too.
Fun fact: "Motata" means "slow-moving grandma" in Shanghainese, my first language. Embracing life's slower pace is something I aspire to in more aspects of my life.
Follow us on Instagram @motatashop for a dose of everyday beauty, behind-the-scenes glimpses of running a small business, and plenty of gift ideas and inspiration! Looking forward to connecting with you! 😊
Jay Huang
One of our first pop-up shops at a local flea market in Cupertino, California