All Hands On Deck: A Family’s Boat Home

Photography by Brit Gill

Designer & natural dyer, Sophena Kwon has spent the last ten years living on a boat moored in Vancouver, Canada while running textile business Maiwa, started by her mother in the 1980s. Time has seen her become a mother herself, raising her brood Boden & Calico aboard and experiencing the many seasons that come with parenthood, a role she shares with husband Kristyn. When dry land calls their name, the young family share their time in an off grid cabin, Moonshine Kingdom less than an hour away by boat. We’re excited to share this incredibly unique story on the Journal, a tale of lineage, craft, adventure and the never-ending allure of nature.

Sophena cosies up in our 100% Linen Duvet Cover in Chestnut

On life aboard a ship…

“For the past 10 years, Kristyn and I have lived on a boat, and over the last five, we’ve been raising our family aboard. Both of our children, Boden, now five, and Coco, now three, were born on the boat - with the support of an incredible midwife team and a doula. We’ve also shared this life on the water with our giant St. Bernard, Tzou. He’s been part of our journey from the beginning, he passed away of old age in 2022.

“We also spend a lot of time on our off grid cabin on the west side of Bowen called Moonshine Kingdom. It's right on the ocean and we've built most of the structures ourselves. The original owner built this incredible 16-sided glass yurt that is the central space on the property.  There is also a kitchen area, wall tents with wood stoves, and a wood fired hot tub. It took us 5 years to get running water to the property - what a huge effort it was!  But now we get to enjoy spring water from the tallest mountain on the island. 

For the past 10 years, Kristyn and I have lived on a boat, and over the last five, we’ve been raising our family aboard. 

“In November 2023, we experienced a sudden loss in our family and immediately moved in to support my mom. We’ve been living with her in a two-bedroom apartment for most of the year. It’s been a big shift for all of us, but I’m incredibly grateful that our family was able to adapt so quickly. Having spent years living on the boat, we are naturally very flexible and comfortable with small spaces. Processing this deep grief together … leaning on each other … sharing the weight of it all … as a family… has been a profound experience.  

“Having a chance to live off the boat has given us the opportunity to work on it, preparing for future sailing adventures - as our kiddos grow they will be able to help hoist a sail or help us stay on course.”

On Sophena's perfect bedroom…

“For me, materials are everything. I’m drawn to natural materials - textures that have a soul and tell a story. I lean heavily into wood and cloth, brass and clay.

I love peering into the world through a circular window.

“Of course lighting also plays a crucial role in the bedroom. There is nothing quite like the stream of light that pours in from our boat’s portals when the sun hits just right.  I love peering into the world through a circular window. The reflection of the ripples on the ocean hitting our ceilings.  In the winter we light up our oil lamps and have the wood stove going. The wood stove is in the center of the boat where we all sleep. Warm, glowy, cozy. Kristyn also installed a tube amp and vintage speakers in our bedroom so the sound feels like velvet.”

Sophena's cosy bedroom is complemented with our 100% Linen Fitted Sheet & Pillowslip Set in Dove Grey, Flat Sheet in Grey + White Stripe and Duvet Set in Chestnut.  

On objects of significance…

“Textiles. Cloth. Vintage quilts, linen, embroidered pillows, handwoven tea towels (pure luxury). Each piece tells a story of a place or person. I love my collection of ceramic mugs - each one connects me to a friend or experience of finding a piece that fits perfectly in my hands and resonates with good energy.  I love my stack of enamel plates I hauled back from Mexico. They are both beautiful and super practical for boat living - they stack easily and don't fill up the sink so quickly.”

On the deck: our 100% Linen Duvet Cover in Chestnut & Flat Sheet in Grey + White Stripe

On the boats interior…

“My interior style is grounded in natural materials with integrity, objects whose origins connect me to friends and functionality. A boat feels alive and the boat itself provides a unique environment where everything is integrated—furniture is built into the vessel.  There is a place for everything. Kristyn did a lot of work on the boat to make it feel more open as traditionally these boats have a lot of cabinetry.”

A boat feels alive and the boat itself provides a unique environment where everything is integrated—furniture is built into the vessel. 

“We opened up the center of the boat considerably and installed a wood stove and have one giant bed we all sleep in with lots of storage underneath.  We have a big enamel sink we put into our bathroom so that the kiddos could bathe when they were babies. We also have a shower which is a total game changer when living aboard!”

On her family business, Maiwa…

“Maiwa was founded by my mom the same year I was born - in 1986 - and I really have grown up in the family business.  

“My mom started down her journey of natural dyeing after she got blood poisoning—septicemia—and had to have multiple blood transfusions because of the chemicals, heavy metals, and leads in the inks and solvents used in the printing shop she worked in in her 20’s.  

“My dad worked as an airplane mechanic and they could fly standby - opening up her world!  And because there wasn’t a lot of literature on natural dyes available in the early 80’s, she would travel to sit with dyers and learn recipes and techniques right from the craftspeople that carried the knowledge. As she traveled, she was inspired by what she saw and the quality of the artisan craft she was exposed to and would bring things back to sell in her shop alongside her own textile works.

“About 25 years ago, my mom shifted the business from creating her own work to supporting artisans by finding markets for their exceptional crafts, with a particular focus on India. This shift both preserved and celebrated traditional craftsmanship. 

“Today, Maiwa collaborates with thousands of hand-weavers, block printers and dyers across India. We incorporate their exquisite handcrafted cloth into our clothing designs, creating a space in fashion for slow cloth - together keeping ancestral techniques alive and thriving in the modern world.

Today, Maiwa collaborates with thousands of hand-weavers, block printers and dyers across India. 

“We are also committed to natural dyes - we sell them, teach with them, and use them in our clothing line. We work directly with farmers who specialize in the cultivation of natural dye plants, creating a line of dyes that are both sustainable and accessible. Our Maiwa School of Textiles teaches people all over the world the art and science of natural dyes.”

…and on her creative workshops, Indigo Social…

“Indigo Social began as a small gathering among friends to explore a creative process together, and it quickly snowballed into this big, fun social thing that people were stoked on.  For many who attend it is their first experience working creatively with their hands - which to me is such a human way of connecting. Craft at its core is community. We bring together 60 to 80 people, a project, great music and delicious beverages, for a four-hour experience. I hope to take it on the road one day!”

On this world traveller's favourite places to visit…

“India of course. We go annually and sometimes twice a year. I keep falling in love with India every time I go and learn more, experience more, understand the history more. It is such a dynamic country and the people we know there are the salt of the earth. Now when we travel there it is a whole family affair - 3 generations traveling and working together. 

“Oaxaca keeps bringing me back and the whole of southern Mexico I find incredibly interesting. It was the first place I traveled on my own as a young person and it keeps calling me back again and again. I love getting to know a place deeply.”

On motherhood…

“Motherhood is all the feelings all the time. You just have to roll with it and pour all the unconditional love, patience, playfulness and firm and fair boundaries you can into your little ones. It's wild how anything - absolutely anything can take a moment sideways. And you just have to take a deep breath and deal with it.   

Motherhood is all the feelings all the time. You just have to roll with it and pour all the unconditional love, patience, playfulness and firm and fair boundaries you can into your little ones.

“One of my biggest fears heading into motherhood was lack of sleep… and I think because we lived on a boat and co-sleeping was intuitive and kind of necessary - we have all benefited. Also, my kiddos can sleep anywhere in any situation… they stay up late and sleep in late. Sleep is what keeps us all on course. 

“Since moving in with my mom we now have 3 adults to 2 children which I highly recommend.  This whole micro-family thing is such a disservice! I know it is a moment and chapter in our lives but I am so enjoying it and the kiddos are thriving.” 

Sophena & family stay warm under our 100% Linen Duvet in Chestnut

On what an ‘average’ day looks like…

“Both Kristyn and I work for our own businesses. Kristyn builds signage and has a fabrication workshop called Franklin Sign Company. We work everyday in the week and I get to bring my kiddos to work with me where we have incredible caregivers that are part of Maiwa. Big highlight to having a family business.  It allows me to stay connected and also witness them in their own lives growing and learning and connecting. 

“I do a lot of the photography for Maiwa so I am often organizing photoshoots, styling, and editing. I also head up the clothing line at Maiwa and we are constantly in connection with our production studio in India and working on designs, grading, finishing… Once a week we have carved out a studio day where we test dye recipes and develop workshops for our Maiwa School of Textiles.”

On the perks of life in Vancouver… 

“Vancouver is a little-big city and it's so easy to get into nature. We have a commuter boat that allows us to get on the water quickly so we do a lot of crabbing and prawning and swimming in the ocean. It also allows us to zip over to Moonshine Kingdom in about 45 minutes - our little piece of paradise. Access to the ocean is definitely a game changer when living in the city. 

“Initially, I thought we might move to an island to raise our children, but I’m so grateful we stayed in Vancouver. The city offers so much. Being here allows us to enjoy the best of both worlds—the wonder of the ocean and the energy of city life.” 

On what’s next… 

“We’re on the cusp of a big adventure as a family. We’re planning a seven-week trip in Northern India, driving from Jaipur to Amritsar, then on to Srinagar, and finally over to Leh, Ladakh. This trip has been a dream of my mom’s, one that she and her late husband had planned and planted a lot of seeds for. It feels deeply meaningful to fulfill this dream together as a family. We will be spending a week on the Changthang Plateau with the Changpa, nomadic Pashmina goat herders. We are researching and filming for another Maiwa documentary - it is in the works. Stay tuned!”