Some who become interior designers are in it for the money. Others because their parents told them to. And then you have the passion-driven ones; totally and madly in love with design, taking up impossible jobs for the love of it. Jackie Lai is one such person.

Founder of JIA Studios, a multidisciplinary design studio in Singapore with projects in multiple nations. However, that’s not all. His accolades and responsibilities are myriad; he’s got awards from all around the world – Germany, Italy, Taiwan, and, of course, Singapore – AND is a council member of both Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS) and Singapore Interior Designer Accreditation Council (SIDAC). A true believer in the future, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic to train up and coming interior designers.

There’s really no space here for everything else about him – there’s just too much. And everyone wants a piece of him. Which is why we drove up to him in a van and dragged him in to force an interview out of him before somebody else did.

Every artist has their humble beginnings. What was yours? What got you into interior design? Who is or was your inspiration in interior design?

My initial education wasn’t interior design but in Marine Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic. It was through the module called Naval Architecture in the course that I took interest in design and architecture.

What made ID stand out in the course? What exactly was it that you liked?

From an engineer’s point of view, a lot of things have to do with mathematical solutions, forces, thermodynamics... that sort of thing. But with naval architecture, it was all about playing with spaces and structures that conforms well to the shape of a ship. It was different from the usual engineering stuff which I ended up liking. From there, I ended up chasing the dream of being an interior designer instead of continuing with engineering.

How did you end up in engineering in the first place?

My family business was in the marine industry; enrolling in Marine Engineering was a natural progression for me. However, it didn’t hold my interest and I decided to pursue design instead.

What then?

I applied for further studies in architecture at universities in Australia, namely University of Canberra and Curtin University. I passed their entry test and got offers to study. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to study overseas at that time. So I took up an internship at an interior design firm that allowed me to study interior design part-time. I ended up doing it locally at Lasalle College of the Arts to pursue my passion and got my diploma in interior design.

Every designer starts somewhere. What was your first hands-on interior design work?

The firm that I worked at got a job to design an exhibition booth for a company that was going to be at the Singapore Expo. I was selected to curate the exhibition space despite there being other capable designers around. It was pretty exciting.

Do you have an interior design project that you’re proud of?

I would say the Marina One Residences. That one won a lot of awards.

This project was unique because the owner came up with the concept: living in the future domain. I wasn’t the first choice; I was the fourth. The owner had met three other interior designers before me. Apparently the previous the first three refused to take up the project because it was too challenging and there weren’t many craftsmen locally who could fulfil the task. However, I took up the project without a second thought.

I spent a lot of time doing research, getting inspiration for the perfect form, and interviewing craftsmen and contractors to do it.  Not many were willing to take up the job. The standard I had set seemed impossible to them. Needless to say, I did find someone, and the residence is now one of my proudest achievements.

Who do you look up to?

I look upon Zaha Hadid for her forward-looking designs. The curves in her work are particularly sexy and served as the inspiration for my Marina One Residence project.

I also aspire to be like my teacher and mentor – Peter Tay. He taught me at La Salle and later, after I graduated, became Designer of the Year 2014 at the President’s Design Award. I remember being the only one to graduate from his course because it was too tough – the course catered to those who wanted to study while working but it proved to be too difficult for many to juggle.

What’s your design philosophy?

A design philosophy defines what a design should be able to achieve or accomplish, design should be able to feel and enhance human experience or even evoke human emotions. I hope to inspire and offer great design that can impact the environment and the community.

What inspires your work? Where do your ideas come from?

They come from everywhere. It’s an occupational hazard. As an interior designer, I think I’m more observant than the usual person. I observe everything in day-to-day life and the environment for inspiration. Nature is a great source of it. Even from a young age I’ve been drawn to great designs surrounding us. Beautiful things inspire me.

What is one advice you’d like to give up and coming interior designers?

Designing an indoor environment is a huge responsibility for an interior designer.

An interior designer must plan, research, coordinate, and manage these projects to obtain an adequately healthy and aesthetically pleasing environment for the people who use the space.

Passion is what would keep your fire going in this pursuit of excellence, stay hungry for knowledge and stay passionate!

Posted on 31 October 2022

Kenny Tan, 

SIXiDES Editorial Team