Issue05 : 9 June 2014

BIG & BIH’s Asia Talents 2014 award winner buaDESIGN is transforming everyday Thai outdoor design into life-long handcraft art.

This year might just be the one for Thai furniture design to break away from the image of heavy, ornate Thainess and embark upon something fresh and exciting. Following its success at the Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2014 in April (BIG+BIH), where it won the Outstanding Asia Talents of the Year 2014 award chosen by ELLE decoration magazine, buaDESIGN is ready to present a totally unique concept of Thai furniture to the global market.

The company’s design philosophy is all about simplicity and the ability to merge in well with any ambience. “Our commercial furniture has a mild Thai identity that can be displayed anywhere, says Pariwat Leesakul, co-founder of buaDESIGN. “We think that our designs are unique, but they shouldn’t be too different from others.”

Beautiful, durable, and affordable are the keywords Leesakul uses to describe his design concept. “We aim to produce something that will be strong and last long,” he says. The brand uses high quality Siamese Sal wood to produce the outdoor benches, chairs and table sets in its GOMES, NARIN, buaSTEEL and buaSTONE series. All are handcrafted.

Together with his older brother Thanathip, Leesakul founded the compact outdoor furniture family business in mid 2012, kicking off with the high-end LukaSEEL brand. In 2013, the company introduced the buaDESIGN brand to sell quality furniture at affordable prices along with made-to-order products.

The prices are surprisingly cheap, ranging from 4,900 baht (approx. US$150) to 14,900 baht (approx. US$460). “Our clients at the BIG+BIH fair were amazed by our products’ low prices,” says Leesakul, adding that in two days at the exhibition, they made about 180,000 baht (approx. US$5,600).

This is very much a small-scale enterprise. The brothers employ six people at their factory in Bangkok. Around 10 to 20 pieces of furniture are produced each month, which are sold via buaDESIGN’s Facebook page. There is no mass production. Even the brand’s name has a familiar twist. "Bua, which means lotus, is my mother's name. That's how we got our idea," explains Leesakul.

The low prices and the simple yet difficult-to-copy designs, topped with the quality of the wood, make buaDESIGN a potential Thai furniture brand for every client.

Leesakul is appreciative towards BIG+BIH for both the Asia Talent Award and the opportunity to see the potential of the furniture export market. Knowing that there are many potential clients in the world beyond the realm of social media, buaDESIGN is now ready to create more designs which will be easy to sell to both domestic and international buyers.

"We are developing new series including lightweight models and furniture made from eco-friendly recycled wood,” says Leesakul. “Also, we will begin to produce interior furniture and custom-made furniture,” adding that buaDESIGN's target customers are anyone who loves to buy durable furniture.

For more information, please visit http://www.buadesignstudio.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/buadesign?fref=ts

Words by Phraewphan Puangkasem