There are brands, and then there are *it* brands. Fable falls firmly in the latter category. The Vancouver-founded homeware and decor company began humbly in 2019 with a small selection of dishes, and has since grown into a lifestyle must-have with dozens of product categories—and big things on the way.

Founded by Joe Parenteau, Tina Luu, and Max Tims, the B Corp Certified brand is synonymous with good design. From tasteful stemware to minimalist bowls of every size to the carafe you didn’t know you needed (but now you definitely do), Fable’s products effortlessly toe the line between beauty and utility. They’re meant to work for your life, and to work in tandem with each other, which takes the guesswork out of shopping. They’re also a joy to use—because pasta tastes better when eaten from a pretty plate, with a pretty fork. (Just ask BC icon Pamela Anderson, who recently featured the brand’s dishware in her new cooking show, Pamela’s Cooking With Love.) Below, CEO Parenteau discusses the company’s origin story, their exciting plans for the future, and their time spent right here at Pavilion.

Let’s go back to the beginning. What was the impetus for Fable?

We started the brand in 2019. We had all done a lot of shopping at Ikea, and felt that Ikea had made this really easy and effortless home decor shopping experience. But when you graduate out of your Ikea days, you ultimately turn to some of the traditional culprits, like Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel. They offer an abundance of choice; nothing’s really designed to match each other. And ultimately that what I was looking for was a very simple, timeless design, but also a product that had a bit of a story behind it: I knew who made the product, and ideally it had a focus on sustainability and ethical craftsmanship. I really couldn’t find that at Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel. I was sharing that story with my two co-founders, and they were facing similar issues, so we thought, “Hey, why don’t we change that? Why don’t we build a home decor brand that captures all of those areas?”

So you’d consider the brand to be a more ethical and sustainable Ikea?

Yeah, and an upmarket one, as well. Their pricing is so low; we’re never fighting for that. We’re much more focused on building premium home decor products that are going to be your forever pieces. When it comes to sustainability, what sets your products apart? All of our products are designed with sustainability in mind, and it really depends on the type of material we work with, whether that be wood, stoneware, porcelain, glass, crystal, or rugs. Let’s take ceramics as a starting point. We talked to ceramicists from around the world, from the Far East all the way through Europe, and ultimately landed with a partner in Portugal that we’re really excited about. They have been making ceramics for generations. A few of the things that really excited us about them is that the whole facility is powered on solar. They are also recycling their water onsite. And all the trimmings and clay shavings of all of their pieces are recycled and reused.

What’s coming up that’s exciting for the brand?

Later this year, we’re launching our full rug collection. We launched our rugs last year, but it was just one type of weave in two sizes. In addition to that, we're launching and working on our Fable Professional line, which will be a dinnerware series that will be high-durability pieces made for restaurants and chefs, and a little bit more upmarket in terms of pricing. You can, of course, buy them and put them in your house, but they’re really meant for high-durability, high-turn environments. And then, as we look into next year, building upon our current collections will always be top of mind for us. But when we start thinking about new hero SKUs in other rooms, bed and bath are two that we’re in the research phase for—as well as furniture and other pieces around the entire home. Anything you envision at Ikea is on the table.

Can you talk about your experience working at Pavilion?

Pavilion was great, and we still go back there when we are back in Vancouver for team summits. We’re a fully remote organization now, but when we gather together at these Fable summits, we find ourselves back at Pavilion because it has this level, in my opinion, of professionalism and design. We’re always looking to be inspired by design, and I think Pavilion brings that. The space is so stunning. Great people work out of there—we met so many other founders at the time that we still talk to today. The entire Pavilion community has always rallied around Fable. We’re big advocates of the space.

You said you’re a fully remote company now. What are your thoughts on the future of office work?

I think it’s changing for the better, where people are now able to work however is best for them in their lives. Remote work is not for everyone. One of the core reasons why people leave Fable is because they say, “I don’t like working remote anymore. I want to go to an office and see people and play on the softball team and go for beers after work.” That’s just not the Fable experience right now, but I think that’s okay. I think there should be room for both types of companies to exist, and I think there’s lots of room for the Pavilions of the world to thrive.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.