By Melisa Ng | Oct 25, 2010
Photographs by Melisa Ng and QUEL International

QUEL, your source of ideas and inspiration

	Gallery

Director and founder of QUEL International, Ho Lai Kuan

QUEL, pronounced as Kel, means ‘source’ in the German language – a word that summarises the brand’s promise to its clients. “It isn’t your typical furniture showroom. We want to be of your source of ideas and inspiration. We also want to be an innovative and comprehensive provider of furniture solutions. Our mission is to provide the best designs that balance form and practicality,” shares director and founder of QUEL International, Ho Lai Kuan.

A graduate of the University of New South Wales, Ho was awarded the university’s medal for being the top architectural student. She worked in Australia for six years before returning to Kuala Lumpur to work for BEP Architects. Subsequently, she started her own architectural practice, IDE Architect, with her husband. In year 1998, she ventured into the furniture business and started QUEL as a new international brand in January 2010.

Stylish and tastefully decorated, the double-storey spacious showroom spans over 10,000sq ft and much attention is given to the quality of products offered. Located at The Strand Kota Damansara, the showroom’s unique furniture and kitchen are sourced from various countries such as Spain, Italy and Belgium, among others. All products are carefully selected to cater to their customers’ requirements.

Contemporary designer furniture
The showroom showcases imported furniture designed by renowned international designers, namely Karim Rashid, Javier Mariscal, JM Ferrero, and Philip Starck. They also carry designer ranges from VONDOM which features mostly illuminated pieces of polyethylene (PE) made from rotational molding method.

Presently, the showroom features an extensive selection of work from Karim Rashid. One of his collections, The SURF was launched recently in July at ARCHIDEX 2010 – the international architect and designer trade show in Malaysia. Besides the SURF range, he has the Doux lounge seats and Lava which is the sculptural bench.

A specialist in furniture for the hospitality industry: Designs and furniture at the India Mumbai Airport (left and right) and McDonald's Subang (center)

According to Ho, their products are customised specially for hotels, F&B outlets, restaurants and quick-service-restaurants (QSR) such as McDonald’s, Starbucks and Kenny Rogers. They also specialise in providing furniture for the poolside and outdoor. In recent years, QUEL has established their mark in the developers’ market by providing kitchen and wardrobe for high-end developments.

“We also carry a range of furniture from China. We have factory partners in China, where our range of furniture is manufactured. We are very confident of our quality as we have stringent requirements for our products. This is critical as our furniture is for the commercial restaurant business and durability is a key criterion,” explains Ho.

Making a difference
Strongly believing that a personal touch often makes the difference, QUEL offers comprehensive services to ensure that each customer gets the best professional advice and recommendations to suit their needs.

Ho's favourite items in the showroom: The SURF chair by Karim Rashid and the KARATI kitchen

“With more than 12 years of experience in the field of contract and commercial furniture, besides providing the furniture, we also offer project management services to our clients. This includes consultation, right up to installation,"says Ho.

When asked about her favourite item in the showroom, Ho shares, “I love the SURF chair by Karim Rashid which is lit from within. This lounge chair is unique, stunning and sculptural. The flowing wave that composes the seat and leg rests exudes a sense of calmness. This is made by VONDOM, one of Spain’s leading brands that specialises in outdoor furniture. There’s also the KARATI kitchen that I absolutely adore! With its latest textured finish called Scacca Motto, it stands out from all the kitchen finishes that are available in the market.”

Prices for QUEL’s products range from as low as RM60 to more than RM10,000.