After more than 20 years of working as an architectural consultant and interior designer, architect Tran Anh Cuong - Chairman of Vietnam Interior - has traveled across the country to contemplate, understand and preserve each traditional beauty of the nation.
He always has a concern: How to skillfully integrate the thousand-year-old quintessence of Vietnamese culture into modern furniture products, thereby reaching out to the world, not only as a commodity but also as a unique cultural symbol.
In search of an answer to that question, Mr. Cuong and his team did not hesitate to roll up their sleeves and go to traditional craft villages such as Ha Thai lacquer village (Thuong Tin district, Hanoi), which used to be one of the most famous craft villages during the subsidy period with shipments exported to Eastern Europe. Businessman Tran Anh Cuong witnessed the image of the craft village now becoming quiet, no longer having the bustling atmosphere as before. Meanwhile, the craftsmen are still working day and night, preserving every meticulous and careful handcraft line according to the traditional way of doing the job. Faced with the difficulties that the craft villages are facing, he is even more determined to make his wish come true: Bringing Vietnamese culture into high-class interior products, on par with major brands in the world.
From that determination, the Vietnam Interior brand was born, carrying the mission of spreading Vietnamese identity. Vietnam Interior has created a line of high-end interior products with modern style, sophisticated shapes, meeting strict European standards, but still deeply imbued with the traditions of Vietnamese craft villages. Each product is crafted from natural materials such as wood, cowhide imported from Italy or high-quality fabric from Belgium, combined with traditional materials such as lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlay, cast bronze - all handcrafted by skilled Vietnamese artisans.
“We want to bring consumers international-class interior products while still preserving the spirit of Vietnamese culture. By integrating the quintessence of craft villages into each modern design, Vietnam Interior hopes to bring customers a living space that is both luxurious and close to national culture,” shared architect Tran Anh Cuong.
Thanks to continuous investment and innovation, Vietnam Interior's products have quickly attracted the attention of domestic customers. To date, more than 5,000 customers have made appointments to experience the products in the fourth quarter of this year. However, Vietnam Interior's ambition does not stop at conquering the domestic market. The brand's larger goal is to bring Vietnamese-style furniture products to the world. This year, Vietnam Interior plans to export 1,000 lacquer and mother-of-pearl decorative products to international markets. To realize this, Mr. Cuong and his team have cooperated with import-export units and received support from the Vietnam Furniture Association to build a sustainable export-trade channel, gradually bringing the Vietnamese furniture brand closer to international friends.
Businessman Tran Anh Cuong recalls his business trips abroad, when standing in front of the furniture booths of the world's leading brands, he cannot help but wish that one day products with the "Made in Vietnam" brand will be present there, shining alongside the big names. That is not only his own aspiration, but also the aspiration of many professionals, wishing to bring national identity to the world.
“Culture is the door that helps us open the path to integration and exchange with other countries. On that journey, the quintessential values of Vietnamese culture will be a special mark left in the hearts of international friends. Whether in Europe, Asia or America, everyone has a place to return to after the hustle and bustle of life - that is their home. And a beautiful, warm house with its own mark is what everyone desires. Vietnam Interior hopes to accompany everyone, bringing a living space imbued with Vietnamese culture with youthfulness and modernity,” Mr. Cuong shared.
Not only a furniture manufacturing enterprise, Vietnam Interior also carries a higher mission: to preserve and promote the traditional values of Vietnamese craft villages. Each product is not only the result of creativity but also the crystallization of the talented and skillful hands of the artisans of the craft villages. From Ha Thai lacquer village, Chuon Ngo mother-of-pearl inlay village, to Dai Bai bronze casting village..., Vietnam Interior has been striving to contribute to preserving, developing and honoring the precious values of Vietnamese culture.
Architect, businessman Tran Anh Cuong and his colleagues are still working hard on each design, each drawing, together with skilled workers, breathing life into each interior product. That journey will continue, every day and every hour, so that each product created not only carries the beauty of art, but also becomes a messenger to convey Vietnamese culture to all over the world. With Vietnam Interior, each product is a story, a message of pride, of the quintessence of the homeland of Vietnam.
