‘Urban’ can be defined as “relating to, or characteristic of a city or town”, whereas suburban relates to “the residential area outside a town or city.” However suburban can also mean “contemptibly, dull and ordinary”.
Urban Living launched brand new premisesin Hua Hin on the evening of 5th September.Both the opening and the business modelon display were far from dull and ordinary,certainly not suburban. The companymantra of ‘anything but ordinary’ was therefor all in attendance to experience andunderstand.This is a combination of business acumenwith German national Joachim Drewitzboasting a background of internationalfinance banking whilst SubphatonKaewprasitchok (Matt) is Thai and providesthe flair and understanding of interiordesign planning and execution.
After enjoying the opening at the spaciousshowrooms on Phetkasem Road, next doorto the Plearn Wan shopping village market,Hua Hin Today returned a few days later totalk with the partners responsible for thisnew venture; Joachim and Matt.HHT: The opening of Urban Living (UL)seemed to be a very successful event, areyou pleased with the response?UL: “Sure; we wanted to see guests fromdiverse backgrounds and that proved to bethe case. There were developers, interiordesigners, hotel and resort managementpeople and even local celebrities. Everyoneseemed to having a good time and wehope that they managed to get a clearunderstanding of the Urban Living concept.It’s very early days, but the enthusiasticresponse we have received within this shortperiod has been fantastic.”
HHT: Why did you set up UL in Hua Hin?
UL: “Our first intent was to get startedin Bangkok, however this proved to bea frustrating undertalking. There wereopportunities, but the tremendous amountof competition and constantly evolvingscene gave great concern that a sustainablebusiness concept may prove challenging.We were then introduced to the furnituresector in Hua Hin which we thoroughlyresearched over months from every possibleangle. In the end, we could see that here isan opportunity to take part in a growing,vibrant residential property market that isseeking stylish premium furniture. We havealso developed a tailored marketing pitchfor property developers and the responseto it has been very encouraging.”
HHT: What is the theme or design stylethat UL is offering, how is this reflected inthe showroom?
UL: “We offer premium quality designsthat are very modern and bright in colorwith a clear Scandinavian influence. Ourfurniture has been designed by in-housedesigners of our suppliers who have anemphasis on quality for each element of aproduct, such as hinges and suspensionsfrom Europe, timber from Chile and NewZealand, and highest density foam. Wevisited the factories of all of our suppliers tosee with our own eyes how much manualcare goes into the manufacturing processas opposed to industrialized or CAD-basedhigh-volume manufacturing.We have also recognised that the Thailandmarket has changed. Young Thai peoplehave been exposed to internationalinfluences and worldwide trends. We canrespond to the need to integrate whatis desirable for both Thai and Europeanrequirements.We have also recognised that the Thailandmarket has changed.
Young Thai peoplehave been exposed to internationalinfluences and worldwide trends. We canrespond to the need to integrate whatis desirable for both Thai and Europeanrequirements.Our showroom gives a real flavour of thisstyle. Of course we can never have ondisplay all the options, but visitors canquickly understand what they can expect ina relaxed and uncrowded environment. Thisallows for comfortable consultation abouthow to achieve an outstanding interiordesign, whether that is for a developmentproject or an individual home.”
HHT: Moving forward what does UL hopeto achieve in coming months?
UL: “We will continue to research andunderstand how the Hua Hin market isdeveloping. This includes meeting as manyrepresentatives in the hospitality industryand of course developers as possible toreally understand their needs. We want toget a complete handle on the demographicsof the market and our business plansare constantly evolving. We want to beinvolved in the planning process early andestablish an ongoing dialogue with ourcustomers to ensure full alignment in aproject development. A variety of flexiblefurniture packages are available to projectdevelopers that cater for all budgets.”
We will soon expand our furniture range tooutdoor furniture and selected accessoriesand will introduce more interactive onlineservices to allow customers to review ourofferings and make some pre-selection inthe comfort of their homes or offices.Urban Living is offering another dimensionin interior home services from themajor project level down to individualrequirements. Joachim and Matt are twofurniture entrepreneurs giving Hua Hin ahigher standard of services in their chosenfield. Both the partnership and what’son offer is certainly ‘far from suburban orordinary’!
