I would describe it as “I don’t know.” Or “stay humble. ”I'm often inspired by simple things like playing with my kids, going for a walk, cooking, listening to music, visiting museums, reading books or even random Wikipedia articles about a bridge in my hometown. There is never a single right answer to a design approach, it can come from anywhere.There is no formula for design. I try to stay open-minded and let the inspiration come to me.

My daily life. My kids and my partner are the biggest inspirations. My kids draw quite abstract things and sometimes I see interesting shapes and colours. The other day, my two-year-old was eating an apple and only ate one part, leaving a large arc shape balancing on the dining table. I was fascinated by it. The more I try to “design”, the harder it becomes to “design”, so I try to maintain a good work-life balance. I find I can't force design out of me, it almost feels like it comes to me when least expected, even in dreams.

Mess! Just kids' books and toys everywhere. My partner and I clean, and five minutes after my kids get home, it looks like Pompeii after a volcanic eruption. I'm not sure if it directly shows up in my work, but I try to maintain a childlike curiosity. My favourite thing to do is read random Wikipedia entries like the history of screws, shipwreck survival stories, and UFO sightings. Maybe that indirectly plays into my design.

Authenticity. I wanted to make sure the pieces wouldn't overwhelm the room—not too much of a 'main character.' I wanted them to blend nicely into many different rooms and environments. But this doesn't mean my designs are sidekicks, they can still shine in the background. I'm hoping for 'supporting actor' roles.

As a trained furniture maker and woodworker, I consider this one of the most important things.I come from a woodworking background, so UX and functionality are as important as aesthetics and durability. Furniture should be for everyone, for everyday use, for generations. In other words, it should be timeless—both in aesthetics and durability.

As a woodworker, wood is always my first choice. I think it's one of the earliest things humankind learned to use. There is a certain warmth to it. I often imagine cavemen and women making cribs by collecting wood branches.

For both the Double Feature and Get Closer Coffee Tables, proportion was the most important detail. It’s one of the elements in furniture design that’s perhaps overlooked. I sketched and changed the balance between the legs and tabletop over and over to see how it looked. If the proportion is different, it gives a different feel just as if the song is longer or shorter, it gives you a different impression even if the main melody or lyrics are the same.  

For the Square Up collection, the wide box joint details make me proud of my background as a woodworker. It shows craftsmanship. And the combination of square and round co-existing in this collection, from the round drawer pull with the square overall shape to the rounded-over edges and lines of the box joints.

My honest answer: I don't know. Some say 'minimal' or 'classic' equals timeless, but when everything is the same, it becomes redundant. Perhaps the one timeless element is personal connection. I still remember certain furniture from my family's home growing up: the couch where I napped, the desk my parents gave me for studying, the chair my dad always sat in. Furniture keeps memories. I would be truly honoured if any of my pieces stayed in a family's home and were passed from generation to generation. That would be truly timeless.