When did you know that you wanted to go into design?
I was running a Michelin Star restaurant in London and fell in love with the interiors, so I signed up to take a design degree part-time in the evenings—and I never looked back! At the time, I thought to myself, “One day, I want to own a restaurant and design the interior”. That was over a decade ago and I feel I’m getting closer to that dream.
Who/What are you most inspired by?
Mario Bellini, Carlo Scarpa and Roberto lazzeroni are my favourite designers and they continue to inspire me on a daily basis. I’m greatly inspired by Japanese traditional joinery methods. I also find urban landscapes and local architecture in my surroundings a source of great inspiration.
What inspired the Gathering Table?
The Gathering Table was inspired by the monolithic forms of the Raffles Hotel—currently, my balcony looks out on it. I wanted to create a table that would ship well, was easy to put together, and celebrated volume and scale. It needed to be functional but not obvious in its approach. I love the film “HER” and how technology is everywhere, but nowhere. All the amazing things about this table’s functionality—like the built-in cable management trench and the removable weights—are concealed, leaving only well-proportioned shapes interacting with each other.
Where did you study design?
KLC school of design in Fulham, London.
What are you doing in Singapore?
I’ve lived in Singapore for eight years and while I’ve been here, I’ve worked for some of the best global architecture firms. Then, I was approached by WeWork, and I just wrapped up a stint as their FF&E Director for Pacific, China, Japan, and India and now, I am looking forward to pursuing my dream of creating my own furniture consultancy/design firm in London, my hometown.
Tell me about your design philosophy.
Simple, honest shapes and volumes, built with manufacturing, scalability, and sustainability in mind.
What will you miss the most about Singapore?
Singapore is a hot pot of cultures, languages, and architecture. It’s been a very inspiring place to live. And who knows? We might come back in a few years. I will miss the food, the blend of cultures, and the fact that Singapore, for me, was a gateway to Asia. But, we are moving back primarily to raise our newborn son. I have a huge family and my wife and I are both very keen for him to grow up in abundant love and support. I’m also very excited to continue my design journey in London, there is a very real design scene there that I can’t wait to be a part of.
