You may think the jet-setting team behind Thinkk Studio is busy swanning about at exhibitions and expos around the world, but they’re also getting in touch with their local roots. Sister brand Thingg by Thinkk Studio works with local craftsman to incorporate skills like rattan weaving into Thinkk’s signature designs. Products include woven pendant lamps and placemats, bottle openers and cement plant pots.

Pat Dharmajiva of Happ Design, the agent of home décor brands 248 Studio and Mamor, has now teamed up with Thinkk Studio for a new outdoor furniture brand. Veave’s products put the focus on traditional Thai weaving techniques with more modern color schemes and designs. Products incorporate lots of woven materials like polyethylene and string in dining chairs, side tables and a parallel easy chair with ottoman leg rest. The woven pendant lamp, meanwhile, is made from palm leaves.

 

Joint winner of Thai Talents Award at BIG+BIH 2014 (with Found by Trimode, see page 14), this design studio is headed by six guys with diverse backgrounds, from business to design and illustration. They specialize in branding, art direction, packaging and digital design and have been recognized for their projects for Urbaan Home Showroom, H-2 Villa, Sriracha TV and Niche clothing brand.

The brainchild of designer Piboon Amornjiraporn, this brand initially launched with a curved wood collection at TIFF 2014 back in March and joined this year’s BIG+BIH as part of the Hospitality Objects Thailand zone. Plural caught our eye with their minimal designs that play with geometric shapes and forms. The new collection re-works their previous Line range, swapping curved wood for steel in stools, while side and dining tables are topped with glass. We particularly like the spiral Weave Lamp that comes in rose gold, gold and metallic black.

Joining this years’ Asian Talents section at BIG+BIH was Singapore-based design consultancy Studio Norm. Founded by designer David Tham, it offers custom design furniture, food and beverage displays and operational furniture that adopts lots of triangular and V-shaped forms, as in the metal and wood stools, stainless steel Branch vase and functional shelves. We really like the steel-molded stools which are designed to be easy to set up and transport.

Founded by product designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo, this Indonesian-based furniture studio combines traditional Indonesian design with modern presentation. At BIG+BIH, they displayed their main daily indoor furniture line, which makes heavy use of thick molded rattan with some woven details in chairs and sofas. Steel pieces like the Kawong Rhombus coffee table feature modern laser cutting techniques in traditional kawung batik patterns.