C : The vision behind Chanintr Craft is to offer customers a line of products that is pure in its nature, design and craftsmanship, and to work with brands that share the same principles of sustainability through timeless design, thoughtful materials, and earth-friendly production methods. When we began, our first showroom had only over 100 sq.m to display things, which was difficult to showcase all our products and to build a brand story out of. Now we have over 600 sq.m, so we have the luxury of being able to try new things and see what products our customers appreciate most.

How would you describe the concept of “Living Well” and how do you communicate this philosophy to your customers through your products, showrooms, and services?

C : Enabling living well is not so much a mission statement as it is just an answer to the question of ‘What do we really do and what have we been doing these past 28 years?’ Since opening our doors in 1994, the company has grown to represent more brands, open more showrooms and offer more services. At the end of the day though, all we really want to do for our customers is to enable them to live well. We are not here to just sell them a chair, but to really help them realise the home of their dreams. We do this by understanding their needs, their project and their challenges, and working with them to find the best solution.

Aside from its design, what separates Chanintr Craft from your other showrooms is the addition of a café, Café Craft. What kind of experience does this add for visitors?

C : Since we were able to build Chanintr Craft from the ground up — rather than leasing an existing space like some of our other showrooms — we decided to create a total experience that would engage customers.

This is clear from the large raintree in the open courtyard to the connecting walkways and, of course, the café. The café not only brings people into the space, making furniture browsing feel less intimidating, but also allows customers to experience our furniture in a real-life setting as many of the pieces at the café are available at Chanintr Craft too.

A brand’s region plays a major role in its growth. In your opinion, what characterises Thai design and how has this heritage influenced Chanintr Craft’s aesthetic and approach?

C : Thailand has a rich tradition of craftsmanship involving many fields of work and many dimensions to view them from. Without the eye of our gifted Design Director, Albano Daminato of STUDIO DAMINATO, Chanintr Craft would not be the ideal bridge we see between Thainess and the products it houses from Europe and Japan. It is an ideal place where East meets West.