by Julia Sinikova

Phuket has undergone drastic changes since the pre-COVID times, and even more significant shifts have occurred compared to a decade ago. “This island is not half the place it used to be,” expats grouse.

From the height of his 35 years in Thailand, Michael Dietvorst smiles at this. The founder and director of Oriental Living, southern Thailand’s leading interior design company, has sailed through an ocean of change and doesn’t even mind when Phuket newcomers call his business a furniture store, while what he does is best described as full interior design service from start to finish.

“Thailand has been very kind to me, and I never doubted it. Of course, you have good days and bad days like anywhere else, but I do feel I belong here,” Michael says.

As a designer myself, I can distinguish great design from average. What I lack, compared to Michael, are those 30 years of living in the Orient, exploring the region, making connections, learning lessons, and absorbing local knowledge.

Michael fluently speaks Thai and understands how things work here. He knows not only which sofa would fit best in a room, but also where to order it, how to arrange timely delivery, and how to be sure of its quality.

“I am not a designer; I am more of a compiler. I have a team of designers and other professionals working with me, my role includes a great deal of sourcing and supplier relations,” Michael explains.

Initially, Michael’s business was more of a souvenir shop, then it evolved into a small Asian art gallery. You can still buy an amazing lamp or a painting at Loft by Oriental Living, but the team’s main business is the comprehensive interior design of private villas as well as hotel and restaurant renovations.

Oriental Living does around 30-40 private villas in Phuket and Samui per year. Which requires a perfect supplier network – and this is where Oriental Living excels. Michael says he is inspired by traveling, but this is also his way of enriching his knowledge and developing connections.

Oriental Living started after Michael went to Chiang Mai and discovered many beautiful crafts there. Northern Thailand is still the go-to place for many décor pieces. Java is where he turns for more competitive furniture offers. Some items are best ordered from China, while fabrics – from sofa surfaces to curtains – are local.

Fabrics open Michael’s top-3 professional insights:

1. Choose quality fabrics and use quality materials only. They are available now.

2. Do not shy away from color. A fresh, clean look with bright accents is best.

3. Prioritize comfort over both over-design and minimalism. Think resort living.

The interior design sphere has evolved immensely in the past two decades, with both sides – the designer and the client – now more knowledgeable. So the Oriental Living’s approach is based on first learning how the clients see their dream home and then proceeding to embody it.

“It all starts with listening, grasping, and developing the original client’s idea. We are not trying to push something to the customer; our primary task is to extract. We aim to understand what the client wants, even if all they have is a vague image,” Michael says.

Money-wise, interior design and furnishing comprise around 10% of the villa cost, Michael explains. But the result matters a whole lot more in terms of the overall feeling the owner gets from their new life in the Orient.

oriental-living.net
info@oriental-living.net
Phuket +66 7632 5419
Samui +66 7742 3877
instagram: orientalliving