TikTok's King of Sandwiches Had One Rule for His Kitchen

owen han
Owen Han Had One Rule For His Kitchen Aaron Wojack


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Owen Han has always been drawn to food. Having learned to cook from his Nana during summers spent in Italy, the kitchen is the content creator’s number one comfort zone. But after sharing a small apartment with a fellow food creator, Han knew it was time to find a permanent set-up—a solo set-up. Han was admittedly a bit nervous about living alone, but his desire for an entire workspace to himself eventually won out.

The only requirement Han had for the apartment was no galley kitchen. “I swear that every house in LA has a galley kitchen,” he says, laughing. “But I film overhead and I need space for box lights which makes the traditional hallway layout impossible to work in.” After weeks of searching with no luck, Han received the fateful invitation to see the apartment. (He took the call while at a gas station, refueling after yet another unsuccessful viewing.) “I saw the kitchen and I knew,” he says. That enthusiasm proved fruitful when the landlord said that he was the most memorable applicant.

The industrial range, while not originally on Han's wishlist, was a welcome surprise and sealed his interest in the space. There was no explanation for the commercial-grade appliances, but Han saw this as a fateful opportunity to further his culinary skills and test his recipes on appliances he would have never had access to prior to moving.

Han has lived in his California studio for almost a year (he celebrated the publication of his first cookbook, Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich, here), and he still doesn’t believe in a separation between work and play. And in his cooking, the two are often intertwined. His filming setup stays up 24/7, even the bulky box lights and his overhead tripod. “I’m filming every day,” he explains. “I want to be able to go when inspiration strikes rather than wait to put everything back up again.” Luckily, mealtimes are content gold, and entertaining more commonly takes place elsewhere.

A person adjusting a light setup in a kitchen studio
Han’s filming set-up stays up 24/7 to allow him to film when the inspiration strikes him. Mealtimes are content gold.Aaron Wojack

Across the apartment, the living room is also set up to allow him to work comfortably. Han often sits on the sectional sofa to edit his videos, plan his content, and write emails. “Because I work at all hours of the day, I wanted the rest of my apartment to have a very zen energy,” says Han.

Inspired by surf culture and his family heritage, Han’s design style leans very casual. Of course, there are nods to his Italian upbringing, cookbooks from his grandmother, a poster of his father, pianist Derek Han, and countless other pieces of memorabilia scattered throughout the open shelving.

The very first item Han brought into the space, before a bed frame, and even before a sofa, was a large, counter-height kitchen island. “I needed a space to film,” he says. “A surface to continue making videos has always been the priority, everything else can come later.” For a while, the island was the only furniture Han had, and it remains his command center for filming, cooking, and recipe ideation even after more comfortable seating entered his space.

In the kitchen, there aren’t any cheesy quotes or large-scale pieces of artwork. Instead, Han showcases his chef’s knives and a stack of wooden cutting boards. Everything is within reach for Han to strike while the inspirational iron is hot. It may be chaos to some, but the tools are part of what gets Han excited about working in the kitchen. “I know it’s not very neat, but something is inspiring about having all your ingredients on display,” Han says of the controversial kitchen storage method.

“The first box I unpacked was all my pots and pans,” Han says. “There’s a pot rack hanging from the ceiling and it brings me so much joy to see all my tools out in the open.” In fact, Han’s housewarming present to himself was a green Le Cruset Dutch oven, something he had always wanted, but never had the space for before. His work is his greatest pride and joy, and it rings true throughout the apartment.

cozy living room scene with owen han lounging on a sofa
Because of the welcome chaos in his highly trafficked kitchen, the rest of Han’s living space was designed to be as zen as possible.Aaron Wojack



Grooming: Jaime Maloney


Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

You Might Also Like