Darren Chew, Creative Director of District Eight, sitting to chat with us at Journey East.
Darren Chew is truly a jack of all trades. He was trained as a chef, opened a garment factory, restored and sold motorbikes for a while, opened a cafe and now designs furniture for a living. It was from designing the rugged industrial furniture in the cafe (using parts from old Japanese looms found in junkyards) that District Eight Design was born. The name refers to the location of the café in Ho Chi Minh city.
After falling in love with the architecture and culture of Vietnam while he was backpacking around Asia in his 20s, Darren decided to set up shop there upon meeting a local shopowner. As a result, most of his designs are inspired by the industrial age and the French Colonial period, reminiscent of old Vietnam. The furniture also has a masculine edge to them. One of Darren’s favourite pieces is a foosball table crafted from reclaimed hardwood, uses volcanic basalt stone for the playing field and stands on cast iron legs.
Check out District Eight at Journey East.
Looking for furniture and accessories that would fit in your industrial-themed interiors? Click here to browse our gallery of industiral-style products.