Fah Thai Magazine May June 2019

ANCHANA THONGPAITOON
Talented Thai designer Anchana Thongpaitoon considers herself a
best friend to animals and a guardian of the environment, both of
which influence her design world. She worked for renowned Thai
architect Duangrit Bunnag before setting out on her own venture
with a partner who happens to be an interior designer. Like the furniture duo
of Margaret Macdonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh (or fashion maven
Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren – in case you’re a big fan of punk),
Anchana and her interior designer partner, Pipidh Khowsuwan, have a
common vision on art and design. The passion burns bright; both of them
share the label of “Talent Thai” a designation by Thailand’s Ministry of
Commerce. Their dog sleeper or bed design won Thailand’s Design Excellence
Award (DEmark 2016). Their Sputnik Collection of chairs and tables give new
look and new life to traditional weaving patterns added to modern, sleek steel
tubes and frames. With all that versatility, Anchana Thongpaitoon is a big
proponent of artisan craft, and believes it is fundamental to product design.
Top Right
Duo designers -
Anchana and Pipidh.
Counterclockwise
from Below
The Arrangement
Collection - DEmark
2016 winning
product design.
Sputnik Collection
SS2018.
Hand-woven
fabric vases
Why the name “Salt & Pepper” for
your design studio? Did hunger play
a role in thinking of a winning name?
With Salt & Pepper [studio],
everyone thinks of food. Actually, I
got the name from a Schnauzer, our
family dog. Max has fur the colour
of salt and pepper. With our comical
thinking and playfulness, we named
the studio after the colours in our
dog. My partner, Pipidh, cannot
agree more with the name Salt &
Pepper because he [also] has a strong
passion for cooking.
Salt & Pepper Studio is committed
to the “Design Meets Craftsmanship”
concept. Can you tell us how
the philosophy works for your
product design?
In Thailand, craftsmanship plays
a major part in home décor and
design. This is true all over the
world. Many global brands start from
the most exquisite craftsmanship.
We at Salt & Pepper are Thailand’s
home-grown brand. We want to
keep working on local materials and
with Thai craftsmanship – not what’s
inauthentic or conservative. With the
skill of Thai craftsmen we add the
sense of style, artistry and beauty to
the products, making them fit into
the modern lifestyle. It’s challenging
working with the local craftsmen
who have followed the rules of
traditional crafts way too long.
They leave little room for new
techniques and creativity. Anyway,
it’s worth trying. We once tweaked
and played with the traditional
ceramic ware of “Benjarong”.
Inspired by Ambrosius Bosschaert’s
paintings of bright and vivid flowers
in a low-key background, we asked
the artisan to paint colourful
flowers on a black background for
our Midnight Garden Collection.
It took me a long time to convince
the artisans to give it a try
because it breaks a traditional
custom. Thai artisans would never
paint a Benjarong piece with a
black background.
What direction do you want Thai
design to take to make it stand
out? How do you incorporate
“Thai-ness” yet make it approachable
and of international standards
so that it does not come across a
subpar or exotic?
Branding is important because it
deals with design and marketing.
Many global brands in fashion and
furniture industry come from a small
unit with excellent craftsmanship.
They simply keep moving and
developing their brands and products.
The problem of Thai craftsmanship
is that the artisans have been doing
the same old thing repeatedly without
trying new ways of creativity. Let’s
say, if you are in charge of painting
flowers on ceramic ware, you keep
painting the same flower and the
same patterns. To add the value to Thai
crafts, a Thai entrepreneur has to
create a healthy brand and redesign
products to make them fit into the
modern lifestyle.
Who inspires you in their work and
their approach to design?
I enjoy the works of Patricia Urquiola,
a Spanish designer and architect. With
unique techniques and skills, she
always creates a distinctive piece of
work from ordinary materials. So many
times I have discovered that we have
a similar style and design language.
Patricia is excellent at working on
traditional craft and a modern lifestyle.
Top Left to Right
Sputnik collection
- an indoor and
outdoor sofa bench
design for Corner43
collection, winning
the DEmark 2017
Award in customised,
and mix and match
colour combinations.
The Silent Roar
- inspired by a
black panther, the
furniture blends art
and function.
Sputnik Dining Chair.
Below
The colourful
rattan stools can be
converted to storage
baskets.
What are people looking for in
product design?
In the global market, the clients
are concerned about price,
fresh ideas on creativity and
environmental impact. The
product designers and distributors
have to work under these
circumstances if they want to catch
up with the global market.
Do you create what people want
or what you feel they should have?
What do you consider good design
to be?
When I was younger I did what I
really wanted to do. Now I balance
my desire with a customer’s wants.
Personalisation is a key to success
because it connects customers to
the brand. We have learnt from our
successful Sputnik Collection – a
set of chairs and tables with a woven
pattern – that the customer wants a
design that can be personalised.
The personalisation makes the
design unique to each customer,
and it gets the customer involved
in the end product. With an option
for different colours and weaving
patterns, the customers have fun
with their choices and design that
fit their lifestyle.
Is your life or lifestyle similar to
your design projects?
Yes, it is. I don’t design or create
products that will hurt animals.
Do you travel much? Has any
place or experience influence your
design, please name a favourite
place and why it inspires you.
We have big trips two times a year,
which combines business and
leisure. France and Italy become
our popular destinations in the
past few years. Milan Design Week
is a must. This mecca for all things
design is a paradise for a designer
who wants to get updated with
trends and innovation on product
designs and interior design. I
also enjoy visiting museums and
galleries. I like Renaissance art.
I can revisit Florence again
and again.
What is your proudest design or
product you’ve ever made?
And why?
A dog bed or sleeper for “Mha
Dog and Living” – our brand for
canine living and lifestyle products.
I love dogs, and I am happy to
create something for them. This
cuddle dog bed is functional but
straightforward. It is made of highquality
materials to fit into modern
home décor and urban living.
Please tell us more about your
passion project on arts and crafts,
and elaborate more on Fine Craft.
I am working on “The Silent
Roar” – a special art project
with different portraits of a
black panther and leopard. I like
Renaissance art, the art that
increases awareness of nature.
The collection of black panther
drawings represents the beauty
and spirit of nature with a strong
sense of wilderness. I will use a
black panther on my next product
design collection.
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