Our promise of Better Design puts an emphasis on offering our customers the ideal combination of trendsetting style and high contract quality performance. This has led us to work closely with several international award-winning designers from all over the world to give our customers authentic, original designer furniture that is exclusive to KIAN.
Their collective creative genius allows our designs to constantly remain relevant to ever-changing trends and tastes, and yet not lose touch with the past. The result is a dynamic, broad and diverse range of furniture choices that will stand out in various market segments, from HORECA establishments to workspaces, education institutions and aged care centres.
In an interview with none other than our very own Design Director, Enrique Martí, we picked the mind of the genius behind our designs to give you an insight on the inner workings of a master and what inspired him to create KIAN Design Studio (KDS) and its versatile, timeless furniture selections.
Enrique Martí
An Interview With Our Design Director
Enrique, the founder of Enrique Martí Studio, is an Industrial Design Engineer and he holds a Master’s in Design and Product Development from Cardenal Herrera, CEU University, Spain. When he left Andreu World SA in 2006 after nine years with the Spanish company, he was managing the Design and Technical department as Product Manager. Enrique has extensive experience in the furniture business as well as in-depth knowledge of market needs.
How did the idea of KIAN Design Studio range come about? (KIAN Original Designer Furniture)
The KIAN Design Studio concept came to me after a few years of focusing on new and innovative ideas. Originally, our design strategy was to create separate product ranges that were unique to each of KIAN’s target markets and verticals (HORECA, Workspace, Hotel, etc.). However, we later realised that this strategy was also forcing us to create different identities, policies and marketing tools for each and every vertical, which doubled our work and diluted a big part of our efforts and investments.
Even so, the design philosophies for each vertical, as well as the designs themselves, were not greatly dissimilar from each other. Modern, cultured and market-oriented designs that could be considered the best value from a monetary perspective.
And that’s how our perfect solution, the KIAN Design Studio, was conceived. Agglutinating only the best designs, all with similar and complementary philosophies, into one powerful tool that could be used as an umbrella for all the verticals. A single nexus reinforcing each vertical and wholly showing the harmonious synergy between them. This master catalogue would be our push to grow the KIAN brand with a stronger, clearer identity. The KIAN Design Studio range would finally be ready after years of working to make the different verticals stronger and singular, an important task that is now focused through KIAN Design Studio.
In your opinion, where do you think the KIAN Design Studio stands with regards to the existing strong European brand names in the market? How is the KIAN Design Studio different from them?
From a design standpoint, I believe the KIAN Design Studio range is at the same level as the best European brands, such as Pedrali, HAY, Muuto or Andreu World. But what really makes KIAN Design Studio different and unique is the wideness of our range, which covers from fine dining indoor chairs to luxurious outdoor seating, with every piece following a coherent and coordinated language that is guided by our design philosophy.
Left: Birdie chair
Right: Bobby chair
Left: Malena chair
Right: Noon sofa
What will our customers be expecting from this range in the coming days?
Fulfilling our customers’ expectations is always our biggest goal that we strive to achieve. KIAN Design Studio’s target market is comprised mainly of professionals who value our functional yet contemporary designs, our fresh selections of colours and finishes, and the wide range of materials we offer. Most importantly, our customers enjoy the fantastic value for money they receive, as well as knowing that we have the perfect seating solution for all their needs in the KIAN Design Studio Catalogue.
From my experience, it is much harder to retain the interest of an existing audience than to capture new ones, but that is exactly the kind of challenge that keeps me going as a designer. To continuously give our target customers what they need and want.
What are the possible ways/plans that you have, as part of your design inspiration, to add in the element of sustainability, or to contribute to a circular economy?
In these current times, sustainability is not simply just an option anymore, but a necessity that everyone must pay heed to. And that is why it is always present in the new collections I design. As such, during my design process, there are three sustainable angles that I always consider.
The option of using recycled or ecological materials.
The optimisation of manufacturing processes and the quantity of materials used.
Adopting a zero-waste policy for all the materials used in a design, either to be reusable or biodegradable.
Fortunately, most companies and suppliers are becoming more conscious about the need for sustainability, making it easier for us to source for affordable material options as well as to adopt eco-friendly processes. It honestly fills me with joy that designing sustainably has become such a breeze!
Nordic chair
Made using FSC Certified Timber
Dewakan Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur was ranked in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2022
How is this range contributing towards a Better World? (sustainability)
From my perspective, sustainability is just one of the perks that the KIAN Design Studio range offers to the world. It´s something tangible, practical, and very important. But of course, the other aspects are no less important, such as performance, durability, and the joy of building your own environment, which all comes together at the end to create a satisfying experience. After all, a Better World isn’t just about preserving the environment, it is also about attaining our own happiness.
Why not view our KIAN Design Studio Catalogue and see the mastery of our designers for yourself? Just as mentioned above, this catalogue is a carefully curated compilation of our best designs that are fit for any business. Seeing is believing!
Or check out our Ocean Plastic (OP) range if you’d like to know more about our collection of sustainable furniture. In this catalogue, we’ve taken our popular PP products and manufactured them using recycled ocean-bound plastics. Go green and Opt For OP!
Last but not least, get to know our talented plethora of world-renowned designers that give KIAN our exclusive range of designer furniture. Click here to visit our Original Design page!