Business of Home Podcast Markor's Mark Feng on the AI opportunity in design
Nov 3, 2025
Mark Feng, Chairman and CEO of Markor, shares insights from his dynamic journey in the design and furniture industry, tracing his family's artistic roots. He discusses the promising role of AI in revolutionizing design workflows, predicting it could eliminate 80% of tedious tasks and uplift average designers. Mark emphasizes the importance of balancing high design with commercial appeal and warns against AI hype, advocating for practical, problem-solving applications. The conversation highlights how embracing AI may define future industry leaders.
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From Paper Models To A Global Furniture Empire
- Mark Feng recounts his father's rise from creating paper furniture models to building a major furniture manufacturing and retail empire in China.
- The family turned low-grade pine into high-end finishes and expanded into global wholesale and retail over decades.
High Point Through A Window
- Mark describes how his mother first visited High Point and was forced to photograph showrooms through windows because she wasn't allowed inside.
- That moment sparked the family's decision to enter international furniture exporting and retailing.
Brands By Ethos, Not Price
- Markor differentiates brands by point of view and ethos rather than price, treating them like lifetime assets to avoid cannibalization.
- The goal is to steward each brand toward becoming a centennial legacy rather than chasing short-term returns.
