Sunny&Ted Founder Jasmine Williams Is Spreading Holiday Cheer With Her Diverse Line of Home Décor

Courtesy of Sunny&Ted

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Holidays at home are complete when the halls are decked and filled with merry, bright lights. This has always been the festive philosophy Jasmine Williams, the founder of SUNNY&TED, has followed over the years. The mere presence of seasonal décor is her way of spreading joy as she welcomes guests into her space.

When expecting her first son in 2018, she made it her mission to find a Black Santa Claus mug that she could use with her growing family. Unable to find one, she decided to take matters into her own hands by conceptualizing SUNNY&TED that year. She officially launched the brand in 2020 with her bestselling Cocoa Santa Mug in three shades of brown: honey, caramel, and chocolate.

SUNNY&TED is a holiday company rooted in celebrating Black and Brown communities, and was inspired by Williams' children. "When we launched in November of 2020, I was pregnant with my second son. I decided to name my brand after my two boys, Sunny (Sunday) and Ted (Theodore)," she says. "Ensuring they can see themselves in the home goods, books, and art around our home is a big deal to me."

Related: Quick Holiday Decorating Ideas That Will Make Your Home Festive in 30 Minutes or Less

'Tis the Season

Research and patience were at the core of William's process when making SUNNY&TED's goods. The work ranged from exploring manufacturers to going through several rounds of sampling to get the details just right. "The most important part for me was perfecting the shades of brown that you'll find throughout our entire product suite," she says. "I really want people of color to see themselves and their loved ones represented in SUNNY&TED products. After thumbing through Pantone Colors, I found three shades that I felt represented the Black and Brown communities wonderfully."

An Empowering Empire

After years in the making and with support from her family and friends, Williams' dream of bringing SUNNY&TED to life finally became a reality. "When we launched in 2020, we were on the cusp of the Black Lives Matter movement, which peaked earlier that year," says Williams. "The world was rallying around Black people and Black businesses, which really helped propel us forward."

—Jasmine williams

As a Black woman and mother to her two young Black sons, she has made it her intention to expose herself and her children to role models that look like them and represent the whimsy and joy of the holiday season. "I want to give myself, my children, and the Black and Brown community every opportunity to see the magic and joy that we inherently possess," she says. "The spirit of Christmas is alive through loved characters like Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and the Nutcracker, and Black and Brown people deserve to see people who look like them and to know that people with brown skin can embody holiday magic."

Made With Care

Williams describes SUNNY&TED goods as the essentials for "memory-making moments" with loved ones during the holiday season. Since these pieces are keepsakes, she uses an array of quality materials to ensure they last. "For example, I decided to make The Nutcracker Collection in melamine after receiving so many messages from parents who were disappointed because their children broke their Cocoa Santa Mugs (which are earthenware)," she says. "I steered away from traditional plastic, which is more prone to damage, because I want families to be able to use their SUNNY&TED pieces for years to come."

The entrepreneur partnered with Ashley Murphy of Kinfolk Dolls to create a digital prototype for her Cocoa Santa Pillow. "We bounced ideas off each other until we felt the art was right and then Ashley created the physical prototype," says Williams. "I wanted the pillow to look and feel like something Grandma made, so we used wool felt and embroidered the facial details." The gilded details are so special: Gold-tone thread was used to make the pillow's "beard" and gold scallops appear on the Mrs. Cocoa Claus Mug collar (she also wears a matching gold bow in her hair!).

Courtesy of Sunny & Ted

Hopes for the Home Industry

Although Williams has seen more inclusive lines emerging in stores in recent years, she hopes to see further forward movement in the diversity of the home goods industry. "It is also important that Black business owners are given the opportunity to take up shelf space," she says. "I hope to see an increase in the number of Black business owners creating exclusive products for big box retailers so that more people have access to products they can see themselves in."

Jingle All the Way

Williams biggest piece of advice to business builders is to not be afraid of failure. "As entrepreneurs, we are constantly learning as we go; if you let fear of failure paralyze you, you will never know what could have been," she says. "I have seen so many ups and downs since launching SUNNY&TED, and instead of stopping, I use each 'failure' as an opportunity to learn, put measures in place that will prevent that event from happening again, course correct, and keep going."

In the future, Williams will continue to grow SUNNY&TED so it can become a part of your family's key memory-making moments—holiday-related and otherwise. "We would love to see that sentiment traverse past the Christmas season in the future," she says. "Whimsical characters can be found in almost every season, and we would love the opportunity to represent Black and Brown communities year round."