AsiaLIFE

Glass-fronted and filled with the latest in contemporary style, last month’s opening of the Beyond Interiors showroom could almost have been the launch of a new gallery. To get the lowdown, Sam Campbell caught up with Bronwyn Blue, Beyond Interiors director.

A furniture store with a difference, the Beyond Interiors showroom does indeed go beyond mere mercantilism. “I’m trying to create a business that makes life easy for people,” Bronwyn Blue tells AsiaLIFE in the airy Street 306 showroom. “We’ve created ranges of home living products that basically fulfill everybody’s needs.

Each collection contains a bed, a dining table, dining chairs, a television cabinet, coffee table, sofa and bookshelf. The open plan store is like several complete rooms, without walls. The collections feature a range of styles, from Modern with its contemporary geometric feel; to Scandinavian, featuring blond woods; Italian with a dark, Latin feel; and Avalon including heavy sofas and bookshelves.

“We display ranges of designer collections through the genres of modern to classic in quality materials such as English oak and Indonesian teak,” says Bronwyn. “Our ranges comprise of all interior décor products necessary to complete any style of fit-out.”

Khmer Creativity

But there’s more to the Beyond Interiors concept than just furniture – Browyn calls it a labour of love. “The whole space was created as a kind of tribute to classic Khmer architecture from the 1950s and 60s,” she explains.

The showroom was originally a classic villa in Phnom Penh, Sangkum Reastre Niyum art-deco style. “It had some very nice elements of old school design that we feel very romantic about here,” she smiles, pointing out white-washed curved concrete ceilings that are distinctive of the period. “You see it everywhere but it’s perhaps a little unappreciated in this modern atmosphere of people wanting things newer and bigger and higher. I really wanted to tease out those elements from the existing building and reflect it throughout the design of the space to say: “look how special this is” and to create a feature that is appealing to everyone.”

But there’s no pretentiousness, just practicality. “We’re very low-key,” Bronwyn laughs, noting the handmade Khmer roof tiles that carpet the floor and glazed green pagoda roof tiles that adorn the wall. Definitely “not flashy,” as she puts it, but it is rather elegant – precise even – and at the same time welcoming and comfortable. “We took raw materials that are locally made and interpreted them in a different way,” she says. “Perhaps, rather than being a furniture shop that wants to flog you a dining table … we have a space that highlights the integrity of old-school Cambodian architecture and uses Cambodian materials in a way that is fresh and innovative.”

Store Concept

Beyond Interiors’ innovative attitude also includes a revolutionary – for Cambodia – change in customer service. “It’s more about different ways of living – what your home looks like now and what your idea of your dream space is,” Bronwyn says. “Obviously people have their own furniture – some people are just looking for a bed set for their new place or to fit in with their new home they’ve built, rather than needing a whole household. We can accommodate that too,” she assures.

Offering a comprehensive and unique service in Cambodia, Beyond Interiors source only high-end interior décor collections, and can manage the challenging process of interior fit-outs. “Through our collective 10 years of regional experience, we understand the challenges of working in and around the region,” Bronwyn adds. “From design concept through to import, transport, quality management, installation and follow-up support, working with our international management team, our clients rest assured that every challenge will be dealt with quickly and expertly.”

Ethical Buying

Most Beyond Interiors customers “are mindful of their home environment,” she says. “It’s for clients who want to be part of stylish home living space. They are investing in products that will last.” Durability is a feature that all Beyond Interiors products share – offering not just value for money but an ethical, green buy for those concerned about global issues.

“Beyond something looking beautiful we are looking to target clients that are conscientious of the origins of the raw materials that they’re buying,” she says. Such customers are usually clued up about environmental concerns, so Beyond Interiors offers a green guarantee. “They can be sure everything we sell here comes from government designated forests in Indonesia,” Bronwyn promises.

What wood there is, as well as being sustainably sourced, is conditioned to ensure longevity. “It will stand the test of time,” she assures. “It has been treated, fumigated, cooked, prepared for a lifetime of living in North London, or in South Carolina, in Laos or Cambodia.”


Beyond Interiors’ showroom is located at 14e Street 308, BKK I