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‘That’s Ith Interior’ has got hip living down to an art form. The boutique design firm – which was founded in Bangkok three years ago – is responsible for the “ooh” and “ah”-inspiring interiors of some of the Big Mango’s most high-profile modern developments. Recently, however, founder Ith Palach Painupong was charged with creating the concept for Sansiri’s ‘The Base Height Khon Kaen’, Isaan’s first high-rise condo. Here he talks to Coconuts Bangkok about his creative process and the challenge of respecting local culture while constantly striving for innovation.
Photo: That’s Ith Interior
How do you describe your personal style philosophy?
I love art, design and fashion, so everything I do reflects that, including my design. My personal style is actually very simple – clean and understated but always with one little twist to create interest. I love something unexpected. I also like mixing old and new elements together but it’s got to be a reinterpretation and a statement on current design.
But when it comes to design it all depends on the client and the project brief. I believe that designers are like tailors, we cut a suit to fit the client’s body not our own. I suggest styles, details and patterns that I think are suitable, but eventually the client has to feel comfortable and confident in my design.
What are some of the memorable projects you have designed?
We [That’s Ith Interior] are considered very young – only three years old – even though I’ve been in this industry for 15 years. My team and I always do our best to make every single project memorable, not only to us but also to our clients. We attempt to make each project unique according to character of the project. We do lots of research, which inspires us to come up with a cool concept. But it’s our duty to take it to another level and create a unique design.
We have recently been working on a few high-end projects for Sansiri, each one of them is very special from outside to inside. They will truly create a new benchmark of living standard in Thailand.
A private residence
Photo: That’s Ith Interior
What was it like working on The Base Height recently?
We just finished construction on The Base Height Khon Kaen and The Base Height Udonthani. These are the first Sansiri Condos in each province, so we needed to deliver high living standards that would blend in with the local lifestyle.
The Base Height Khon Kaen is the first high rise condo in Isaan. Local professionals are returning home to the province after spending their lives and careers in Bangkok or abroad.
Our interior concept was to weave a new colored yarn back into the famous local Khon Kaen silk to create a totally new fabric. The interior design is quite modern, with a high contrast of black and white and bold linear graphics. We symbolized the main concept with one slanted feature against a conventional direction pattern in the lobby.
The Base Height Udonthani reflects the strong history of the area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Baan Chiang pottery is an icon of the area, but instead of the obvious we chose to highlight the process of making the historical pottery rather than the finished item. Sculptural semi-fluid shapes and imperfect layers were translated into the interior spaces in refined materials and finishes that reflect the luxuriousness of the city’s history.
The Base Height Khon Kaen
Photo: That’s Ith Interior
How do you incorporate local elements in your design?
One of my design criteria is that the project should blend harmoniously with the context. That’s why studying the location of the project is very important; culture, local art and craft, lifestyle and tradition are the ingredients that inspire our creations.
We inject each project with local elements depending on the brief and overall character that we are trying to achieve. Local elements should be reinterpreted in a way that is in line with the main concept either by exaggerating a small detail, playing with scale, distorting the proportion or recomposing the old elements and making it our own language.
How do you play with light and shadows when you design interiors?
Lighting design is one of my big interests in every single project. It can make or break the good interior. I love playing with layers of illumination, with visible or invisible lighting objects. Different lighting can set different emotions in the room. I always try to create lighting sculptures that can work as an art piece in the space and compliment the overall interior.
How do you find inspiration for designing new projects?
My inspirations usually derive from information and project research. Once you digest those, you‘ll get the idea of the story and experience you would like to create. There’s no fixed pattern to come up with the concept, it depends on what info draws your interest and how you play along.
Do you have any tips on how to be more creative in daily life?
For me creativity is like a blank sheet of white canvas waiting to be drawn once all ingredients are ready. It should be freshly made so it’s always new and unique, not something off the shelf. But you do not need to be an artist to be creative. The easiest tip is changing your perspective. Try to see things from different points of view and always question the norm. There might be something better, maybe not for others, but for you.
Chatrium Hotel Yangon
Photo: That’s Ith Interior
What do you wish for Bangkok designers in the future?
I believe most designers around the world get inspired by visiting and learning from other designers’ works. People all over the world look up to Western designers, who already play a big role in the world design industry. Thai designers are actually very talented but have less opportunity to expose themselves to the world. As the globe gets smaller, I wish Thai designers’ work would be the first choice when the world wants to get inspired.
The next place to look for That’s Ith Interior’s unique designs is Sansiri’s newest high rise project in the heart of Thong Lor. The project is still confidential, but stay tuned to www.sansiri.com for more details soon.
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