INSIDE BY PORTFOLIO 2020

51 What is an ideal starting point for you to design a show suite?  Show suite design is very competitive. Many designers try to outdo each other in creating a unique design with attention- grabbing elements. However, it is important to understand that show suites are meant to be a representation of a real home; therefore, a successful show unit design is one that marries the developer’s vision – the theme, architecture, landscape, etc., and the buyer’s aspiration – how they imagine living in the unit and identifying potential improvement that could elevate their lifestyle.  In general, is there a stronger commercial push in designing a show unit? Yes, people are looking for the finer things in life; there is more pressure on us and the developer to bring out the unit’s potential. People today are more resourceful, and there are many online critics, which push interior designers to be more sensible with their design. It is not just about cosmetics, but captivating buyers with honest and practical design. With the recent pandemic, people have started to treasure their house more by finding ways to beautify and appreciate them – not merely as comfortable shelters but more as an expression of the refined lifestyle that travel and glamorous events used to offer.  Therefore, there is a call for better design that is personalized and lifestyle- oriented. Our job as designers is to help create the perfect, one-of-a-kind place that is meant for the owner. How do you preserve the integrity of your design while presenting it appealingly? A designer is a problem-solver first. Apart from being aesthetic, we need to address a problem or brief – and those are inseparable. The appeal comes from being able to handle a problem through artistic solutions. A design that birthed from a problem and serves as a solution is more meaningful than one that exists out of nothing.