Ou Baholyodhin

It takes a certain something to make your mark in the cut-throat competition of design nowadays. It's not just enough to be a master craftsman, or a visionary or even particularly media savvy. You have to be something of a renaissance man. As far as architects of a new vision for the twenty first century go, Ou Bhaholoythin fits the bill perfectly. First and foremost - and more by accident than design - he's got the perfect pedigree of East meets West. With Feng Shui fever sweeping through the homes of Europe's bohemian set, the fact Ou was born in Thailand but educated and graduated in London, the design capital of the world, has given him an immediate head start over most of his peers. Unlike designers of yester year who spent aeons dedicating themselves to one particular medium, Ou has eschewed the traditional route of honing his particular craft, instead establishing himself as more of a ‘director' and turning multi-tasking into a fine art form. He's got a knack for simple ideas brilliantly executed, of taking familiar everyday objects and giving them a touch of class - even the way he's dressed (Nike trainers and designer silk shirt) denotes a certain street nous and pragmatism tinged with up-market sophistication. And finally...like any designer worth their column inches in the annals of design history - Ou's got his legacy. Alessi have their cartoon figurine. Conran the Habitat concept. Philippe Starck the ‘alien' juicer. Ou Baholyodin made his mark with a humble chair

HK97 was designed to commemorate the handing over of Britain's last colony Hong Kong back to the Chinese in June 1997. The chair itself is an updated version of the Ming Scholar's chair created in stainless steel, the historic form representing the refined Chinese tradition of 500 years ago and the steel capturing the essence of Britain's former glory in it‘s steel industry. Together the whole concept neatly delineates modern Hong Kong - clean cut and industrialized but at the same time still steeped in ancient culture. The chair was made in a limited edition of 97 pieces, commanded an extremely high price and was sold exclusively at auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christies.  It resurfaced once again when Prime Minister Tony Blair inaugurated "Cool Britannia', launching Britain as the new design capital of the world and was used to seat luminaries such as the French President at the opening ceremony. HK97 was a stylish entrance - a cunning combination of style, ingenuity, perfect PR and being in the right place at the right time. Not bad for someone who stumbled into furniture design as an escape from the humdrum, nine to five existence of everyday living.

Although Ou always had a penchant for creative arts, he wasn't exactly born into industrial design. His childhood isn't peppered with memories of swooning over furniture or melting down plastic soldiers into vases, instead his creative fire was sparked was by the desire to escape expectations. Ou simply knew from an early age that he wanted to take a different career trajectory to that of his parents who are both extremely successful business people operating in the heart of Bangkok. His was a gentle rebellion of wanting to buck the Asian tradition of following in his parents' footsteps. After enduring the rigors of boarding school and obtaining what he calls the ‘crowd pleaser' of a degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics, Ou was pretty much free to explore any avenue he wanted. It took him a while to find his creative voice. Initially he tried architecture in the hopes he could exercise his creative skills and also please his family's business sensibilities but found the course too intense, compounded by a sense of frustration that 90 percent of projects never come to fruition. Eventually Ou drifted into furniture design which he found much more spontaneous and rewarding, and after months of slaving over a draught board was enamoured by the fact he could realize a product in much shorter time frame.

Regarding himself more as a design consultant or art director, Ou decided the best way to make his mark in the competitive world of interior design was not to limit to one particular material such as wood, metal or ceramics but to explore every avenue open to him. He's made it his business to explore all the possibilities of furniture design in terms of technology and materials. His work is more a process of collaboration. Depending on the project in hand, he teams up with technicians who are experts in their particular field, gleans their in-depth knowledge and through a process of trial and error becomes familiar with the boundaries he can stretch. Subsequently he's raided Suntory distillery in (Japan) to reclaim oak whiskey barrels to make multifunctional and thoroughly modern nesting tables, re-appropriated the scorched pine look of log cabins to create futon style three piece suite and for his latest trick woven silk with bamboo and rattan and a whole host of natural fibers for the new Jim Thompson home furnishings collection

Cast a cursory glance at his portfolio and even someone who's idea of design stretches no further than Tupperware can discern that Ou's creations are thoroughly modern - minimal yet functional, beautiful yet practical. He may have lived for most of his life in the west but he's still firmly rooted in Thailand. An unavoidable Asian aesthetic always seeps through in his designs, which is infused with a sense of space, light and proportion. If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery that Ou can bask in the knowledge that he's set the prototype. He may not have lived in Thailand for years, but you can see his influence everywhere His style has been appropriated and copied from the smooth, cylindrical fruit bowls and vases found at local market stalls to the multi functional occasional furniture on sale at upscale emporiums.

For his latest project Ou was able to finally get back to his roots, commissioned by Jim Thompson - Thailand's internationally renowned silk manufacturer - to oversee the design and manufacture of a whole range of home furnishings. Having already employed the skills of fashion designer Narada to realize the potential of their fabrics, it seemed a logical step the Jim Thompson team would enter the world of sofas and lampshades. The new store works on the premise that - like Habitat or Ikea - one can furnish an empty shell of an apartment without having to go to any other store. And who better to realize Jim Thompson as a lifestyle concept and continue the East meets West equilibrium than Thailand's most internationally renowned designer. For the best part of a year Ou's been in a terminal state of jetlag, commuting between Bangkok and London in a hi-tech collaboration involving emails, faxes and DHLing samples back and forth several continents. In his own inimitable style Ou also totally immersed himself in the world of silk, visiting factories, speaking to technicians, combining techniques and employing his unique structural approach to create a whole range of desirable objects.

It was a task of mammoth proportions however Ou seems to thrive on the challenge. He confides the secret to his success isn't so much his exquisite aesthetic sense, but the more pragmatic value of being open to every kind of job offer. He's worked on both private commissions and also larger contracts, from one off pieces to furnishing whole bars and always been open to every kind of job offer. His furniture provides the welcome respite at London's Kensington hotel, it's his designs that characterize the trendy Soho and Chelsea K bars (famous celebrity nightclub frequented by the likes of Madonna) and he's a firm favorite among the fashion cognoscenti such as Kenzo and Josef for installations at London's fashion week. Ou seems to thrive on challenges most interior designers would balk working to incredibly tight deadlines and finite specifications. But above and beyond the glitz and glamour of kitting out boutiques, nightclubs and sushi bars, his base and focus remains in the living room. Take the nesting tables for example. Once a hangover from the dud designer decade of the ‘70s he's taken a staple of every suburban household, given them some class and turned them into an object of desire. Ou's designs have captured the imagination of the general public simply because they'd look at home anywhere.

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Published on 12/19/06