By Choi Tuck Wo | Dec 27, 2009
EUROFILE
Nik finds his niche
IT started with a fish tank. Then it erupted into mother-and-son “friendly wars” over what was seen as a house turned upside down.
Nik A Ramli’s childhood days can be described as vibrant and colourful. And the Kuala Lumpur lad has gone on to become one of Malaysia’s most successful interior designers in Britain.
Welcome to the surreal world of Nik who has carved a name for himself at design shows and exhibitions as well as in magazines, newspapers, radios and promotional films, mostly in the United Kingdom. Yet his fame today all began with the fish tank that he received from his parents on his 10th birthday.
An animal lover who used to rear fishes and ducklings, Nik said his first ambition was to be a veterinary doctor. He recalled that he used to admire the aquarium’s display at a veterinary store near his Taman Tun Dr Ismail home and borrowed the ideas for his fish tank.
“That inspired me to create my own decorative items,” said the 39-year-old (www. nikaramli.com) as he recalled his first taste of designing.
He then turned his attention to the house, waiting for his mother Wan Nik Aminah Wan Sulaiman to go out before quietly rearranging the furniture and decorative items. When she returned later in the night, it was to a house almost turned “upside down”, often resembling a bachelor’s pad! “Sometimes she would love it but at times, there were friendly wars between mother and son,” he quipped.
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Impressive designs: Nik with his laid-back glamour look for the living room (left), dining area (centre) and master bedroom. — Picture courtesy of Nik A Ramli
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Contemporary designs
Nik also spoke of being inspired by posters of Donny Osmond and other celebrities put up by his sisters and decorative items on his brother’s table.
“Our house was very colourful then. I got lots of ideas from those posters and gadgets,” he said.
As the family shifted several times due to the nature of his father’s work, he was also inspired by the photographs he took during his travels.
“I quite enjoyed each house, which had a different block of space. I can still picture our old house in Lucky Gardens in Petaling Jaya,” he said.
Nik has come a long way since he arrived in Britain in 1991 to pursue higher education, obtaining a Masters degree in interior design from De Montfort University.
After working in the UK for nearly 20 years, he is now a respected interior designer known for his laid-back glamour look with bespoke contemporary designs.
Among others, he has waltzed round to the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing set and to Casualty star Georgina Bouzova’s London home on an interior design consultation for her lounge.
Nik was also the conceptual designer for South Indian actor Sri Chiranjeevi’s bungalow in Hyderabad, India, and designed a bedroom for BBC Radio1 deejay Chris Moyles.
He also writes a monthly interior design column called “Laid Back Glamour” for IDDigest magazine in the United States.
“I’ve been approached to design a new Malaysian restaurant-cum-hotel in London but negotiations are still ongoing,” he said.
Nik’s other projects included the London Matrade Commissioner’s office and The Visage apartment in Swiss Cottage as well as the Bayu Villa bungalow in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“I’m also writing a music bio-book on Donna Summer’s music chart success for release next year,” said Nik, who is a big fan of the American star.
Visual delight
On what makes a good designer, he said it all boiled down to within the person, creativity as well as the ability to fulfil the clients’ needs.
“Meeting clients on a one-to-one basis is like having a psychotherapy session where you have to bring out what’s in their mind. “Sometimes you may not know what they want but as a designer, you must know how to portray that,” he said.
Nik advised aspiring designers to be openminded, take criticisms with an open heart, and analyse both positive and negative comments to improve themselves.
He said designing was not just about “beautiful things” but also the ability to work within the client’s budget and have good knowledge of furniture products. Nik said Malaysia’s interior designs were comparable with those of the UK and the US due to the people’s multi-ethnic and multicultural background.
He, however, said lack of marketing and branding opportunities could have resulted in the public’s misconception that only Europe and the US had the best designs. “When I was in Malaysia for three months recently, I was struggling to find a display of Malaysian furniture or wallpaper,” he said.
A department store’s design, for instance, should portray the country’s multi-cultural heritage and craftsmanship rather than promote something foreign, he said. He cited the London Liberty department store which was noted for its “classic Tudorstyle frontage, very British and a visual delight”.
As for his ultimate goal, Nik said he hoped to one day stamp his mark worldwide with his own Nik A Ramli brand of bespoke furniture designs.
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