Issue 52

Thai furniture manufacturers have received advice from Italian experts on designing and producing furniture for the European market.

In 2015, furniture exports from Thailand valued more than 35 billion baht (US$1.05 billion), with the US, Japan, Australia, China and the UK featuring as top destinations.

The DITP, seeking to develop new markets for hospitality products in European markets, initiated the Host & Home Project in 2015. The dual goal of the project was to promote quality Thai products to hotels, spas and restaurants, while revitalising the image of Thai products to be more stylish.

At the Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2016 (BIG+BIH 2016) held this April, the DITP unveiled prototype furniture designed and manufactured by the 23 Thai companies who participated in the project.

“This project began in July 2015 with the aim for us to provide product development for Thai companies in different fields,” says Marcello Massarente, CEO of Mitor Consultancy Services from Italy. “We have been working with the DITP and architects from Florence who defined the style and mood that is the most trendy and popular in Europe. Then, they tried to create the same atmosphere through different producers.”

Approximately 40 pieces of furniture were created as part of the project with the theme of retro glam, using palettes of white, black and grey to create an atmosphere of simple elegance.

“We collaborated with Thai manufacturers by providing input on trends, mostly in the 20th century style,” said Alberto Grassi, an Italian architect who was part of the Host & Home project. “Initially, we did a lot of research on current styles and we saw that the hospitality trend is trying to set a mood that feels like home. Even in large hotel chains, the trend now is to style the rooms to feel more charming rather than business-like.”

According to Grassi, the Italian team was impressed with the ability of Thai companies to understand and design furniture to reflect this mood and design.

“On this project, we had a chance to work with very good textile and furniture companies … to create the Host & Home collection,” he says. “The ability of Thai manufacturers is really good and the price is also good. Selling is not just a matter of design, but also about price and delivery time, so we are now working on marketing too.”

Massarente revealed that the next step is to bring the collection to the Maison d’Objet trade fair in Paris in September 2016, and then to Milan, before expanding sales to the US and Asia.

Other projects and highlights at the BIG+BIH included: products for older citizens, the 60+ Project; an ASEAN-Plus exhibition; the Top of OTOP exhibition; and award-winning designs from the Prime Minister’s Export Award and Thailand Trust Mark.

Organised twice each year by the DITP, BIG+BIH is widely recognised as Thailand’s premier trade event for lifestyle products, and ASEAN’s biggest sourcing ground for quality design products. The next edition of the BIG+BIH will be held from October 19 to 23 at BITEC Bangna.

Information courtesy of the DITP

Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub