In the Zone
Tastemaker As part of a special series with Okamura, we gather tips on how you can craft a conducive workspace—terri Tan of Designworx Interior Consultant reveals the key elements
“A positive outlook and adaptability”—together, these qualities are what design director Terri Tan considers the keystone of her business. Founded in 1998, Designworx Interior Consultant has crafted a wide variety of luxury homes and commercial projects. Under Tan’s stewardship, the firm has received numerous awards across the years; it recently bagged the Best Show Unit (Readers’ Choice) accolade at the Tatler Design Awards 2021.
The studio believes in creating holistic, human-centric spaces that are personalised for each client. “It’s important to us that the architectural language and interior expression should be aesthetically compatible, and the interior has to be functional and timeless.” The firm is currently designing the interiors of several landed houses, a boutique hotel, dining concepts and an office.
What are the biggest challenges interior designers face today? Particularly for public projects such as restaurants, hotels, and offices, our biggest hurdle is how we can ensure that users feel more secure and safer through contactless features and safe distancing measures. The current challenges are also opportunities to think about what wasn’t working, so that we can design better spaces.
How would you design a conducive home office environment?
A well-designed office should have quiet areas, noise control and good lighting, preferably with some daylight—it will make all the difference to your overall productivity. Do incorporate ergonomic amenities into the office, such as chairs that properly support the back and keyboards that prevent wrist injuries from computer work.
What are the key qualities of a well-designed task chair? Mid- or high-back chairs provide better comfort. Also consider the adjustability of the chair: the recline angle, seat height and depth, and tension control.
In 2013, we bought ten Luce chairs from Japanese manufacturer Okamura for our office. Eight years later, they still serve us well, so we are keen to recommend their chairs and conference tables for an upcoming office project.
I also appreciate the seat comfort and lumbar support of the Contessa II model, and was most impressed with how Okamura located the seat controls conveniently under the armrests. The choice of colours is another plus point; the orange and sage hues of the Contessa II are not something we see often in task chairs.