Malaysian designer Peter Lam

I was surfing the net looking for some inspiring design ideas....when I stumbled upon an article mentioning a designer named Peter Lam, a Malaysian born Chinese designer and his design company called Hot Dog Decor!. Intrigued by the name I visited his website and almost did a double take...not just for his fun attitude to design, but that he has 2 dogs exactly, and I mean EXACTLY like mine, a black and a red doxie. So of course, being the dog crazy woman that I am,  I had to contact him and let him know....I mean here was another human being on the planet as nutty about the 3D's as I am - Design, Doggies and Dachshunds - in that order!

Peter was nice enough to respond - within 10 minutes -  to my e mail and sent me some pics of his work. We even exchanged doggie pics! What a great guy! The interiors designed by him tend to be wildly minimalistic - spare, white and monochromatic punctuated with outrageous and dramatic pops and zings of color by way of funky furniture, bight artwork and accessories.

But what I liked best about Peter was his philosophy towards residential design..."I’m best at creating homely spaces that do not feel overly-designed. The space should feel like it’s been arranged by the owner to suit his or her personal needs. And decorative objects should feel like the owner has curated the objects over the years.
I believe it’s also important that the space say something about the owner of the space; that they amplify the personality of the occupant. Rather than just creating a space that looks nice, we should create one that really represent the homeowner’s character.
I’m not that interested in fads that are “in” today and “so yesterday” tomorrow. What I enjoy most is making classic elements look fresh. I get a kick out of taking something with its own history and making it relevant for today. It may sound a cliché, but good decorating really is about creating a twist on the classic look to give it a contemporary edge.

As you will see from my work, I try to create spaces that do not have a rigid style. I don’t like it when everything matches perfectly. I prefer designs that are kind of eclectic. Architectural details that are not typically seen together look surprisingly good when matched. Decorations appear to have been collected over time and from different places - vintage pieces matched with contemporary pieces, metal used together with velvet, Shanghainese paired with European etc. However, it’s also obvious that there’s a central theme that holds everything together. The spaces feel organic—whatever elements work well together are used, which means that the resulting space doesn’t look overly-designed. Mixing different styles and elements together to create a unique look that will be completely different from others. And this clever mix of eclectic elements usually results in a surprising feast for the senses…"

Peter - I couldn't have said it better myself! Peter is currently working on his own furniture collection line....here are pics of Peter and his doggies followed by pics of his work!

To see more of his beautiful commercial spaces visit his website at http://www.hotdogdecor.com/