May 16, 2017

Meet Yaoyu Tong of Five Elements Home in Lincoln Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yaoyu Tong.

Yaoyu, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Tomatoes and eggs! ‘Tomatoes and eggs’ is possibly the most common dish you’ll see on a Chinese dinner table. It’s simple, but tasty and heartwarming, and something that every Chinese person grows up knowing and loving. And yet, it’s a dish very few Americans have even heard of. To me, this is a symbol of how there is so much interesting stuff going on in China today, far beyond what is suggested by an Asian antique furniture shop or the ubiquitous “Made in China” label. At Five Elements Home, we’ve taken on the mission of introducing authentic yet in-the-moment Chinese housewares to the United States. We showcase the creations of over 50 artists, craftsmen, and small family-based workshops in China, Japan, and Korea. We started our store in Chicago in the summer of 2016 and we are looking forward to celebrating our one year birthday in just a few months.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running a company is nothing like working at a 9 to 5 job! Challenges come up 24 hours a day, from satisfying customer requests, to thinking of brand new projects to launch, to making sure our existing efforts run smoothly. Every day is a mix of keeping the good things going, while challenging ourselves to do better.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Five Elements Home – what should we know?
Five Elements Home is a lifestyle concept store in which we curate and offer fine Asian housewares with traditional beauty and contemporary aesthetics. We specialize in hand-selected, small-batch, Asian housewares from individual artisans. We offer tableware, textiles, home decor, stationery, books, journals, and other personal items. We also assemble our collection with a respectful eye on the five classical elements of Chinese Feng Shui: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Keeping these five elements in harmony allows us to offer balance and beauty in both home and lifestyle.

We’re most proud of the customers we have the privilege to serve, and of all the complimentary things customers have said about us.

What sets us apart is what we offer. The vast majority, well over 95%, of the products we offer are available exclusively in the United States through Five Elements Home. And every customer is familiar with our Word of the Day cards! With every purchase, whether it’s a gift or something for themselves, the customer receives a hand-lettered word or phrase of their choice in Chinese calligraphy. This has been a real hit.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have to give credit to my business partner, Will, who is the navigator of our adventure. He takes care of much of the mundane parts of running the business so that I can focus my efforts on the needs of our customers, on maintaining the relationships with our artisans, and on assembling an excellent collection and a wonderful in-store experience. I also credit my parents, who taught me about entrepreneurship. They tell me every day to do the right things and to be happy. And finally, I give credit to our customers, who adore us, and who help spread the word and sing for us, and bring their dads, moms and friends to our store whenever they are visiting them in Chicago. They truly make Five Elements Home grow and prosper.

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