Our Story

Chao spent over a decade as a software engineer in Silicon Valley — most recently at Meta. In 2021, renovating his own home, he went looking for doors that were both beautiful and built to last. He couldn't find them.

The idea stayed with him. In 2023, he left Meta to pursue it seriously — spending over six months in hands-on research, consulting local professionals and visiting door and hardware manufacturers. He learned every detail of what separates a great door from a mediocre one.

In February 2024, Chao opened the doors of his Santa Clara showroom with one standard: if it's not good enough for his own home, it's not good enough for yours.

But the learning didn't stop there. Every product at Velno is continuously refined based on real installation experience. Our invisible hinges are now in their second generation. Our magnetic locks have been upgraded. Even our door stoppers have gone through three iterations. Small details — but details that matter.

Previously known as Modern Home Materials, we rebranded to Velno to better reflect who we've become — a premium, design-forward door company built on craft, precision, and care.