ASC Interior have been shortlisted for Hotel Design – Asia Pacific and Hotel Under 50 Rooms in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2023. Read more about founder and Director Anita Srisakulchawla:

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Name: Anita Srisakulchawla 
Company: ASC Interior Co., Ltd
Position within the company: Executive Director & Founder

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc) I have a BSc of science from Philadelphia College of Textiles now called Jefferson University, then followed by a Master in business administration from Bangkok University. The foundation for my career was set in a well-known international design firm base in Thailand, P49. Thereafter I created my own design firm in accordance with handling a few properties for the family real-estate business. 20 years down the line, I have still a well-established interior design firm focusing on mid-range hospitality, commercial and residential projects.

How would you describe your personal interior design style? I have a fondness for the classic style of design with touches of modern elements. However, my taste changes every hour! But currently, I love what I refer to as ‘relaxed luxury,’ which is a design that uses furniture that is not too formal, but still gives a sense of luxury. Most importantly it should give the look that reflects the locations, owners, and bated personalities. It would be the kind of place you can walk into and feel comfortable sitting in, as opposed to pure luxury which can often feel unapproachable.  

Where does your design inspiration come from? Inspiration is everywhere. My inspiration comes from my travels, the different types of cuisines I try, and the books and movies I experience. For example, for one project, I used a print I had seen on a lady’s jacket in one of my favourite series. I wanted the same pattern as a mosaic print on the countertop, so I took a screenshot and sent it to my team and mimicked this pattern in the interior space.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving in a general sense?We see designs focusing on more bright and bold colour spectrums. Organic and sustainable design seem to be gaining more traction in all fields of design, from interior, product, and fashion design. We see more designers focus on wellness, as people concentrate more on self-care and creating calming spaces beneficial for health and peace of mind. We also see an incorporation of old celebrated styles being revisited, creating connections with traditional design styles. The pandemic has also changed the focus on creating multiple multifunctional spaces, in hospitality, commercial and residential spaces, allowing designers to be more flexible in designing one space for many different types of work. We have noticed a lot more elements of curvature in design layouts, for instance, curved sofas and curved tables, mix with an asymmetrical shape and the use of vibrant spaces with colour spectrums of baby pinks, yellows, and accents of gold brass or silver or brush metals being incorporated.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2023 and beyond. Sustainable, Multifunctional, User Experience, Serenity & Human reconnection. 

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to interior design schemes, what would it be? Never stop being updated with the latest trends and practices: travel, read, constantly improve yourself and keep dreaming. Be passionate. Be curious. Be persistent. Push for what you want and be confident in your ideas & learn human behaviour of different ages for what they valued Room If you believe in your design, push for it. Always fight for your design!

How important are The International Hotel & Property Awards as recognition of talent and achievement? Designing projects be they small or big is teamwork so I wish to see my team be recognized for their hard work and dedication. Most importantly I would like our work to be recognized beyond Asia and it will motivate them to think outside the box when it comes to design, yet match the brand’s expectations and owners’ visions. Matching each new designer to be a confident team especially has always delivered work on time and this gain the perspectives from the design community, what are current and needs and the same time understand the owner’s perspective. Regardless of the result, I am very proud that we already pass the shortlist phase and that says something about our work, it is a personal achievement for my design team to be acknowledged and gives them confidence and the ability to work with no limitations. For us participating and the possibility of being awarded is important and has a great impact on everyone from those involved in the project: suppliers, contractors, Project managers, and mostly to our new and existing old clients. 

What projects are you currently working on? We are working on several high-end residential projects, a luxury hotel project in Oman, and two Hotel projects that are in the middle of negotiations with owners in Chennai.

What was your favorite project to work on and why? Dream Hotel initially was my favorite as it was only 3 of us working on the hotel. It was our first hotel project and it has a place in my heart we sold the design in one presentation. The struggle to match the sense of design with the New York properties was a challenge due to the material availability of those days. We won the Asia Pacific Award and that was the new beginning for ASC and my goals have shifted from just any projects. We knew that 5-6 stars is definitely not our target as that’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Those days hotels were booming and 3-4 stars were the right project type for us. There were plenty that sometimes we and our design colleagues have no capacity to accept the job. Later in 2019, we completed Sharma Service Apartments 2 buildings with turnkey for tower B and a total revamp of tower A. It’s not the design but the process. It was an old Somerset Service Apartments/condo onlooking over the lake. In this project, we compete with 5 big giants as we walked into the board room 40 Male Japanese alongside with ONYX CEO and their team of 10 and us 3 women. We were the 1^st ones to present. Thanks to my parents and taking me to explore the world from a young age as much as they can and sending me overseas for my graduation. You learn about cultures and behaviors which prompt us to prepare our design with an exact budget per room. This was bought over by a Japanese Railway company and Japanese once they set their budget, they will make sure before starting it has to be so. One month of design but 6 months of value engineering and completed within 6 months. Precision, budget, sourcing, and project management help the project to succeed on time and within the budget. Designers tend to specify expensive materials and it’s a fact but with this project, our team learns to improvise and study more about costs which is an important factor for any investors. 

What was your most challenging project to work on and why? The Deck, Sukhumvit 20 which we completed in 2022 April. It’s a family-style restaurant that has a limited budget but that’s not just the issue, working on a 30-year-old house to convert into a restaurant with an extended deck. Definitely, a challenge as this project was awarded as a turnkey project. There were lots of restrictions on using old floors, ceilings, and the kitchen. In the end, a collaboration between our team, MEP Structural, and local artists and we completed this project as a turnkey and managed to open the restaurant for the scheduled date. Being our major turnkey projects, it was a lot to deal with as a design or budget for the company but in the end, we all had each other back and worked day and night to complete it. 

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?Internet, LinkedIn, Instagram & Twitter. It helps me broaden my horizon and knowledge of what is happening around the world and group discussions in each group. Some are design related and some are Harvard business group discussions or even NFT or IA technology for our business. I like to keep myself updated and share with the team what tools can help us work and design more efficiently and go through the process faster. 

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months? We wanted to consolidate our international portfolio expanding in Laos, Cambodia and at the same time reinforce our presence in the local market and became a predominant interior design company, and expand ASC Studio to the market which we will learn in Thailand.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations: My inspiration has always been my team & my children. Most of the team has been with me through thick and thin over the years and that gives me the energy to try past the pandemic time. As for my kids, they grew up seeing me be it a family trip dropping kids in boarding school I never stop even as we speak it’s 2:44 am in France and I am filling out this form. I have crossed a point where I want to let someone run and I work for them the deal almost went through and my middle child asked me if I would be happy making more money or creating the firm for the cause that I started the firm in the 1^st place and that was building and supporting the young Thai designers to grow. As I was not happy with the environment when I graduated from the US but my pay was higher than Thai senior designers and more experienced. The differentiation was a big gap 25 years ago and the values of designers were measured by where they studied from. This does not only happen in Asia it is also around the world. So, I made a promise to myself that if I ever have a firm I will try to promote and push them to do better as all are capable but being Asian speaking up did not seem as polite. 

Your most treasured possession? My family, ASC team past and present & my values of supporting the growth of the community. 

Your favorite holiday destination? The holiday is overrated; you can have it at home, where your mind is at peace. So, I go with the flow be it Europe Beach drive to our golf course. 

Your favorite hotel, restaurant & bar? Amanpuri and Mandarin Oriental for their authenticity and service. Restaurant- Paesano Italian Restaurant has been established for more than 30 years it’s comfort food for our parents and kids. If Soho House is a nice place to hang out abroad, in both New York and Mumbai as I get to meet different age groups mingle, and talk with them. 

Your favorite book, film & song? Movie – Gone with the Wind & 3 Idiots (Indian) Songs – Rivers Flow in You, Canon in D major, Think of Me – Phantom of the Opera, Dream of You / Selena, Cormo La Flor / Selena, Books – Jane Eyre, Surrounded by Idiots 

Your favorite food and drink? Herbal Drink, Coconut water, Simple Noodle cup, Açaí Bowl, Papaya Salad, Tomato Bruschetta, Penne Pesto, Thai Green Curry, Paneer Bhaji

Your favorite way to spend an afternoon? Sit and enjoy my plants, Watch emotionally tears jerking movie, true-life story, Massage & Gym.

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? Not sure probably import business furniture or children’s apparel.

Is anything else interesting? As I got older I have become more adventurous as I would like to spend time with my boys and so I started skiing and very afraid, and this year paragliding hopefully by next year can do scuba diving with the kids.

ASC Interior

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