After 20 years working in the advertising industry, Dennis Chan Siu-ming and Nigel Keung Kam-wing decided to channel their experience of building sets for commercials into running their own interiors company. Situated in a quiet corner of Wan Chai, Igloo Homeware sells beautifully crafted wood furnishings and Scandinavian lighting. Chan fills us in on some details.
"The idea came to us about two years ago. At the time, Nigel and I were very busy in the advertising business. This is our first store and our first foray into the furniture industry. We love this neighbourhood; it's a unique space in Hong Kong. There's no road outside and it's quiet. Maybe it's not the best for business but we love it here."
"Nigel and I met on my first job [in advertising] and our love of furniture started there. After 20 years, we were tired of the business and wanted to do something new. We wanted a space to sell the furniture that we love."
"We thought about names that were home-related and at the time I had a job that needed an igloo built for one of the scenes."
"At the moment we represent three brands, one each from Thailand, Japan and Sweden. The furniture lines we carry all have a similar design aesthetic, each working with the same oak wood, each following minimal lines. You can customise some of these pieces by specifying size or wood type. Our lighting collection is from a small village in Orsjo, Sweden. You can't find these brands in any other stores in Hong Kong."