
Meet The Mama & Chocolatier Behind Zenbunni Bunni Nishimura
Written by James Kicinski-McCoy
Photography by
Photographed by Nicki Sebastian
If you haven’t yet heard of biodynamic, small-batch, and insanely delicious chocolate company, ZenBunni, allow Mother to make the introduction. An artist and creative in more ways than one, Bunni Nishimura, Co-Founder behind the health and wellness brainchild created with her husband, Zen, and mother-of-one to Alchemy, 6, has been stirring up the chocolatey good stuff in Los Angeles for years. Join us, below, for a first look inside of Nisimura’s stunning mountain home, and get her take on motherhood, entrepreneurship, and more.
- “Zen and I looked for eight years for a place we would call home. When we stepped onto the property, then with baby Alchemy attached to one of us, we both knew we found it. What we didn't know is that we would be rebuilding our house for four years into our fairytale dream home.”
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“Bohemian eco-gypsy. Our whole house—the floors, the furniture, the appliances—are all recycled.”
Bunni wears a vintage robe. Alchemy wears a Petit Bateau nightgown and Sloomb bracelet.
- “No.”
- Morning mommy-and-me tea time!
- “We do it all together, and are blessed to like all the same things.”
- “I couldn't answer that question. I love everything!”
- “All of our rooms do because our house is pretty inviting in that way. Although, I’d probably say the kitchen!”
- “I love my photos that I have taken through the years—gentle memories. I also love this glass Ganesh that Zen and I bought on our honeymoon. It’s hand-carved from a little shop in a seaside town down in Goa. I like to put a candle behind it, and light it up.”
- “I'm down for whatever. Alchemy always knows to clean up when she is done with one of her ‘set-ups’. She has her own room and a play room, but sometimes, she may just get down in the living room or on the kitchen table. And, it’s all good, as long as it's cleaned up when she is done.”
- Dreamy stained-glass window scenes.
- “She has a bedroom and a playroom. Both are very magical.”
- “I really like everything. As she goes through her stuff and grows out of it, I learn to like her new stuff, too.”
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“For me, being a mother has been the greatest gift and the best creation Zen and I have ever done together. It's changed my life being able to share in the beauty of nature, unconditional love, and expansion of my patience. The only thing that has changed about having Alchemy is that Zen and I don't spend as much time together as we used to. We both miss that time.”
Bunni and Alchemy wear vintage Edwardian dresses.
- “All the questions Alchemy has about life.”
- “I stay out of that realm as much as possible. Exposing Alchemy to emotions that she is not ready to process makes me a little nervous, but you can't control that. You just have to stay open to how to explain it as it happens.”
- “How amazing it is.”
- “Easy, sophisticated, and eclectic. No rules, and adornment. I try to source as much vintage as possible. And, Alchemy says, ‘pretty.'”
- “I used to like to wear everything tight and tailored. That metamorphosed into loose and flowing, although sometimes tight.”
- “Dresses—I love all my dresses. I always tell Zen, ‘It's like a one-stop shop. My whole outfit is done.’”
- “Raquel Allegra, Ulla Johnson, Gucci, and vintage finds.”
- “Anything with flowers, stripes, and paisley.”
- “Vintage shops, Barneys, and Neiman Marcus. And, either as a family, with Alchemy, or with my sister.”
- “I don't really have a want list. I guess more dresses!”
- “Pratima, Living Libations, Poppy and Someday, and Shiva Rose everything.”
- “Anything Zen puts in front of me including: ZenBunni, Moon Juice, and Sun Potion.”
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“I am the Co-Founder of ZenBunni, which started as a gallery and brand of many things, from clothes to jewelry, and our own art forms—mine being fine art photography and printing, all traditional, non-digital. But, then we made these healthy, biodynamic chocolate bars that took off, have become what we are known for, and takes most of our time. Although now, I'm starting to return back to my gift, and focusing on photography.”
Bunni wears a vintage Afghan dress.
- “My husband’s name is Zen and, of course, I'm Bunni. We love to create together, Alchemy being our best creation! But, before her, there was an organic t-shirt line, art gallery, eco-interior design, jewelry line, then biodynamic chocolate. Honestly, it all happened so organically, it's hard to say how it all came together, except we were in the flow.”
- “I graduated from Brooks Institute Of Photography in Santa Barbara. Photography is in my bones.”
- “Sharing truly healthy chocolate with the world; it really doesn't get better!”
- “Motherhood comes first, then my career path.”
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“I think it’s a very interesting balance. Because Alchemy has the ability to roll, it just works. She has come to meetings, worked events, and been on conference calls—it’s pretty amazing. Zen and I always look at each other during these times, and are floored by how lucky we are.”
Zen wears a vintage Charizmatik he designed himself. Alchemy wears a vintage French dress.
- “Yes, we all love our close knit of family and friends.”
- “Expansion, and more expansion. We want to touch as many people as possible with biodynamics.”
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“Chill and open.”
Bunni wears a vintage tee and Levi's. Alchemy wears a vintage dress.
- “Not chill and open.”
- “Move into the consciousness of patience and unconditional love. This will make everything easy.”
- “Her full name is Alchemy Wolf Wyldeflower. I had a wolf for about 16 years. The night he passed, I asked Zen, not knowing if we would ever have a kid, ‘If we have a child, can the middle name be Wolf?' Of course, Zen said yes. Her first name came from Zen, since I picked her middle name. The only thing I asked is if Zen could use an ‘A’ for the first letter, in remembrance of my baubee, Adelle. We also didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, so we wanted the name to work for either. So many ‘A’ names later, Zen reached for a book on alchemy and mysticism, and said ‘Alchemy’. We both thought ‘yes!’”
- “Ballet, creating art, creatures, fairies, unicorns, and rainbows, as answered by Alchemy.”
- “Honestly, anything. We call Alchemy 'the roller’ because she can roll with anything and make it fun.”
- “Her laugh, her smile, her sense of self, her questions, and her art. Dancing with her, or watching her dance. Her snuggles and her kisses. Our family hugs. Her sense of awareness, her openness to roll, watching her interact with people. I can keep going.”
- “I don't keep up with any kind of politics. I have enough going on. Occasionally, someone will mention something happening in that arena, and it's just weird and depressing, not something I want to have bouncing around in my head. Given my druthers, I would rather keep it all positive.”
- “Be like a river, and get into the flow.”
- “Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.”
- “‘Me time’ happens when Zen and Alchemy have papa-baby time. It's always one day a week, for sure. And, anytime I ask, Zen makes it happen. My time can be anything, like going to a dark room to print photos from negatives like they did in the old days! I was a photographer before I became a chocolatier and mama, and I never crossed into the digital world. Otherwise, it’s just basic chilling at home.”
- “Sushi, or a quick salad that we call a ‘throw it together salad’, which pretty much means lettuce of some sort, and anything else in the fridge.”
- “I love living a bit outside of a metropolis, where we can dip into the city for culture. Things like LACMA, Griffith Observatory, Barneys (ha!), to a concert, and then back to our country home.”
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“Anywhere in nature.”
Alchemy wears Bonpoint dress.
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Sweet embraces.
Bunni wears an Ulla Johnson dress, and Jamie Joseph, Pade Vavra, Armenta, VK Lillie, vintage, and handmade jewels.
- “In the city, we would eat sushi and shop or snoop around.”
- “Malibu Cross Creek. It’s so easy and everything is there—a little park, a place to go for a walk, a place to eat, a toy store, light shopping, and a drive on the PCH.”
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