With a reputation for luxury interiors, Joyce Wang has certainly made her mark in Hong Kong. Awarded for her creative approach to the fit out of restaurant ‘Ammo’ and later with ‘Rare” Table Collection selected for the Hong Kong 2013 Art Basel – Wang delights in a considered approach to design through the careful curation of existing space, introducing light and material selections.

“Rare” Table from Art basel Hong Kong 2013

IndesignLive Hong Kong: Can you start by telling us about your unique approach to design and what makes you stand out in the field?

Joyce Wang: Producing a successful project starts with having a strong understanding of the source. In the initial planning phases, I make sure I completely grasp the desired vision before moving forward; and I carry this wisdom with me throughout the entire creation. If I can imagine the positive first response to my work – then I am able to work hard at executing the right impact. I like to anticipate reaction.

Ammo Restaurant, Hong Kong

IDLHK: You’re known for engaging with raw and earthy materials – is this a design concept you inject into all your work?

JW: I’ve recently been inspired by the remarkable comparison between the body and earth – take my ‘Rare’ table collection seen at the Art Basel this year for example; normally used as a surfacing material in slab format, I worked with a blood stone marble that had a strong connection to meat and extracted thirty different cuts to showcase and highlight the intense and varied blush hues and veining. Although it’s not my signature style, I do like to implement marble into a lot of my work because of it’s adaptable qualities.

Ammo Restaurant, Hong Kong

IDLHK: You mentioned you don’t have a ‘signature style’ – what is something you carry with you from project to project?

JW: How I approach my decision to select materials. I’m a big believer in the combination of raw and urban elements with contemporary, luxury finishes. When selecting products, I like to go with materials that speak of their culture. How we extract material has evolved over the years and when used in the right way, can communicate an era. People will then experience an emotion either consciously, or subconsciously. I blend materials that other designers normally wouldn’t – making each project unique.

Ammo Restaurant, Hong Kong

IDLHK: You were praised for the Admiralty AMMO restaurant fit-out in 2011 – are you moving toward a future in F&B design?

JW: Ammo was one of the larger projects I’ve worked on in Hong Kong and I believe it was viewed in positive light due to it’s contemporary yet urban character – with each project; I do not replicate. I’ve since then had some off-shore enquiries to re-design and emulate the interior – however from a design perspective, where’s the fun in that? I learn from each of my projects and although I will take certain ideas and deliver them to the next, I choose to remain original. We currently have some new local works in progress set to be released late 2013.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles

IDLHK: Since opening your studio in 2011 you have engaged with a talented design team – what inspired you as a firm and how do you stay on top of industry trend?

JW: For starters, we try to stay away from direct media such as interior design magazines and online platforms to avoid staining our conscious with unoriginal ideas. What makes design brilliant is the fact that it is unique and personal; and without even noticing it, mass media can blur your vision and creative ability. As a team, we get together monthly to watch an inspirational film to open up our minds to our approach to design. How does design impact our lives? One of our more recent films named ‘Play Time’ questioned if modernism really does improve lives – and this brought our minds back to the basic fundamentals of design – an important factor to keep in mind when approaching any project.

Joyce Wang

joycewang.com

(Hero Image: Joyce Wang)