My name is Watson. Ever since young, I've loved interior design. Whenever I travel, the interior design of hotels and buildings is what gets me excited.

However, I majored in marketing while in college but in 2019, I finally made my dream come true: I started an interior design firm and hired an interior designer.

Unfortunately, the pandemic slowed down business. But I took it as an opportunity to learn 3D drawing from online courses. I'm happy to say that I completed my first design project right after the Movement Control Order, which was a great achievement for me. Since then, from 2020 to 2021, I've completed 11 projects on my own involving 3D drawings.

I've always been intrigued by the intricacies of design and the harmony of colours. There is so much beauty in all that and it never ceases to amaze me how it can come together to create such masterpieces.

As a designer, it has always been my wish to have my own identity and style in interior design.

My design firm, Design and Build, is involved in renovation works as well as interior design projects. As the owner/founder, I work very closely with my team to help homeowners achieve their dream homes through passion and dedication on our part in providing the best.

Through service to our clients, we are able to assist our clients in making their dreams come true.

To be able to create a better lifestyle for all that is not only functional but also beautiful.

I lean towards a natural style so Japandi and Wabi Sabi are two styles that resonate well with how I want my design to look like. This style expresses peace and unity, and it is as close as nature as you can get.

A good design in my opinion has conviction and a vantage point. It should stand out as the only one and cannot be easily replaced.

More natural using the texture and impression of materials that exist naturally to provide a sense of peace, comfort and relaxation.

I often combine colours to create a soothing effect that is at the same time energising.

First, I have a meeting with the client to better understand what he or she is looking for in terms of a home. Then I will do some research on my end to come up with a few ideas to discuss with the client further.

When starting a new project, I believe in building a story first. This will help with the subsequent planning as we then already have a theme/overall idea on the look and feel.

I try to look for new materials and ideas to work with for every new project I am entrusted with. If possible, I try to involve a new creative member for a different synergy from the previous project. I believe this can help with creativity and ideas that I might never have thought of exploring before if not for the influence of someone new.

Definitely! Malaysia is a multicultural country and this has always been an inspiration for me. To have the different cultures and their influences serve as inspiration for my design as well as Malaysia's lush nature that is close to my design style.

This is our company's first ever international award, which is very meaningful to all of us.

More so because I won this award just eight months after completing my online course 3D drawing course. It took a lot of effort to complete that course, learning it almost 24 hours a day. I am glad that it has finally paid off.

It was a very simple project but nevertheless, I spent a lot of time doing research for it. Especially for the lighting, which I wanted to try a different effect to create a cozy mood.

I also used different materials and transformed them to create a character/identity. There were a lot of trials to see what the results were like. Suffice to say, what you see in the project did not look like it at all in the beginning.

A lot of work and thought went into it to make it look different and unique from anything I've done before.

I actually loved every step of the design process but it was also challenging as I had to run my business full time. I am not a full time interior designer, which gives me only night to work on this project. So that was challenging, the time it took and the effort.

Naturally, clients are more confident in us and have more trust in what we do. It has also brought in new clients who are happy with work with an award-winning firm.

First, I love it our clients are happy and appreciative of what we do for them. It definitely makes me feel good about being in the industry.

Second, when we win awards. This affirms that we are doing the right thing and that we have definitely grown leaps and bounds.

Finally, when we work on new ideas. There's nothing more inspiring than trying out something new and have it actually work

Definitely the different cultures and influences in our arts. We have many different unique identities in Malaysia and these have all helped inspired the design industry as there are many ideas to work with.

I like that we can fuse different cultures and come up with something completely unique. Or that we can just take one culture and use it as inspiration for the entire project. Being exposed to these different cultures definitely give designers here an advantage in that we are used to exploring ideas that are completely different from what we know.

Be open to ideas. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Design is everywhere and it is up to us to look for that inspiration and passion to drive us to be better at it.

Do your research. Read a lot. Travel when you can to be inspired. Watch movies, read books, speak to people. Open your eyes and look around - beauty surrounds us and it is up to you to interpret that in your work.

My dad. When I was 4, he gave me a doll and told me that one day I would design a better doll.

Love what you think, love what you do. Let passion be your key to success.