As OUT OF STOCK enters its 12th year, co-founder Ian Louie looks back at his love affair with Nordic design.
As OUT OF STOCK enters its 12th year, co-founder Ian Louie looks back at his love affair with Nordic design.
In the past decade, Nordic design has taken Hong Kong by storm with its philosophy of creating happiness by making all things simple and streamlined. However, in a hectic and expensive city like Hong Kong, pursuing a life of simple pleasures is easier said than done, as we are increasingly drifting away from the people around us and treating our homes as nothing more than a commodity or investment. Since its establishment in 2007, OUT OF STOCK has become a leading force of modern Nordic furniture design. Guided by its motto, “Good to be home”, the company aspires to help users strengthen family bonds by reexamining the concept of “home” with awareness and practicality.
Co-founder Ian Louie has always had a passion for interior design since childhood; growing up his understanding and supportive parents gave him free reign to change up the furniture layout from time to time, keeping their home fresh and interesting. Louie was also an early adopter of upcycling and once transformed a broken bicycle into an original piece and sold it to a classmate. When it came to applying for colleges, he followed a school counselor's recommendation and picked architecture as his major, this served as the beginning of his love affair with design. Upon graduating and spending 10 years in the UK, Louie returned to Hong Kong without a moment of hesitation, convinced that he needed to bring his knowledge and skills back to his home city where he completed his master's in architecture. He started to dig deeper into architectural philosophies and techniques and found his own work style. At the age of 39, Louie met engineer Eric when working on the construction of Hong Kong International Airport's Terminal 2. Eric was younger and had plans to start his own business, and Louie—impressed by his intelligence and determination—decided to help him out. Two more partners came on board and the four of them opened a small shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, selling furniture and homeware.
Home is where the heart is, and for Louie, OUT OF STOCK has become his home.
That humble boutique has now evolved into OUT OF STOCK. Louie admits that the company's big breakthrough came after a period of serious hardship. Back in 2009, the shop was struggling badly, forcing him and his partners to rethink the future; not ready to throw in the towel, they set up a showroom in an industrial building in Fo Tan where they showcased products from Nordic and Japanese furniture brands, and began designing their own furniture and participating in conventions and exhibitions overseas to gain more exposure. Having visited Scandinavia, Louie believes that in order to understand the essence of Nordic design, one has to know that after WWII, a group of Danish designers began focusing on making durable and highly-functional furniture using clean lines and a streamlined aesthetic as a way to rebuild the nation and help its people move on from the pain and sorrows of the war. He noticed that Scandinavians put a lot of time and effort into creating a cosy and beautiful home of their dreams, so family members loved to stay home and interact with one another—yet it was a completely different world in Hong Kong. Louie believes that a home is much more than its physical space so he focuses on the visual design, texture and even scent of the materials with his creations. In the past 12 years, Louie has gained plenty of experience and accolades, but professional success comes with a price—his total commitment to the brand has cost him a lot of quality time with family and at one point gave him anxiety issues. Moving on from those days, he has now learned to lead a better, more balanced life. Home is where the heart is, and for Louie, OUT OF STOCK has become his home.