About Us | Niche Handmade Furniture
Meet the Maker
“Building Niche is about continuing something bigger than furniture. It is about carrying craftsmanship, culture, and storytelling into homes around the world.”
Eskinder
Our Story
Eskinder co-founded Nor Handmade Furniture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2019—a brand rooted in craftsmanship, storytelling, and bold cultural expression. Nor became known for its handmade furniture, distinctive use of African textiles, and a flexible approach to custom design. With a small team, Nor turned clients’ visions into pieces that could be lived with—furniture as storytelling, where every pattern, texture, and material carried a heritage of African tradition and artistry.
In 2024, Eskinder moved to New York with a clear mission: to continue building that dream on a global stage. Nor continues to operate in Addis Ababa, preserving its roots and craftsmanship, while Niche Handmade Furniture launched in late 2024 in New York City as the next chapter of that journey.
What We Do
Niche creates handcrafted cushions and furniture as collections, made in New York City from fabrics collected from African artistry. Each piece is designed, cut, and stitched by hand, created with intention to add warmth, texture, and bold personality to modern interiors.
Niche is also open to custom design furniture. Drawing on years of experience from Nor Handmade Furniture, where clients’ visions were built into real pieces, Niche can make what you imagine.
Our Vision
Our vision is to bridge African craftsmanship with global design — creating handmade pieces that honor tradition while fitting seamlessly into modern spaces.
We believe cultural design deserves a place in contemporary interiors, not as something traditional or distant, but as something bold, elevated, and timeless.
From Addis Ababa to New York City, the mission remains the same:
To create handmade furniture and home pieces that bring bold design, craftsmanship, and culture into everyday spaces.