To Kenny Hong from 11H, design is a delicate balancing act between the logical and aesthetic.

“Design is a problem solving skill. It has to balance not just practical function but also in an aesthetically pleasing manner.” 

Having founded his own design studio in 2014, Kenny’s trademark works showcase a pared-down, contemporary but characterful aesthetic combined with a democratic belief in good design for all. His designs are also based on a principle to serve his clients’ goals and challenges – listening attentively to their pain points and striving to realise their clients’ aspirations. 

Problem solving is definitely an indispensable skill, as designers constantly have to overcome spatial and logistical constraints with creativity and flexible furniture in order to realise their designs. One such instance was when Kenny was recently tasked to design a penthouse unit of a condominium. A logistic problem emerged as the air conditioning unit was situated right above the dining area, in place of where he had originally wished to place a hanging pendant light. As such, Kenny sought out a lighting fixture that would be able to resolve this pain point.

“I have known Zenterra and Jonathan for some time already, and I have been buying some lights for projects. So I went there to see if there is anything I can use from their range.” This led him to find out Zenterra’s modular and easily customisable White Hadley Hanging Linear Light (Similar to Aluminium Profile on Creativ-Space), in which the light could be cut up to various lengths. Kenny also went on to design a customised external casing for the light as well, to adapt it more towards his ideal vision. He extended two panels at the opening area to hide the internal structure, as well as allow the light to flare out instead of glowing directly down onto the dining table.