Founders of Brownhouses Co. on colours and the Panton Chair Duo

“Colour is very important to the blueprint of designs.”

A subtle yet powerful communication tool, colours hold a lot of importance in every aspect of design. Its significance is seen in Verner Panton’s works, which state that colours have meanings and functions that affect one’s mood and perception. With that, the Danish designer has impacted the world with his contemporary designs, especially the Panton Chair. However, the infamous cantilever chair was made possible by the manufacturer Vitra. Moving forward to 2023, NORSE Republics has collaborated with Vitra as the official distributor in Thailand for the Panton Chair Duo. The limited edition chair features two contrasting shades, with only 999 pieces available. 

NORSE Republics has held a Panton Chair Duo exhibition at their Sukhumvit 49 store to invite Thailand’s leading designers to share their perspectives on colours and the Panton Chair. In this piece, we are here with the founders of Brownhouses Company as they explain their views on design, colours, and the works of Verner Panton. 

Brownhouses Company

Brownhouses is an architecture and interior design company where most projects are house-based. Founded by lead architect Korn Thongtour and interior designer Nartrudee’ Mui’ Treesaksrisakul, their success stems from their unique character and experience. Having worked in this industry for 20 years, most of their clients already know who Brownhouses are and their work ethics. One remarkable factor is how they treat all customers with the same standards. Everyone is equal and gets the same starting price and attention. 

Some of their work:

With that, our first question was, how does each project begin? “It starts with the owner of the house. If the owner has a clear picture or idea of what they want, it’ll be easier to work with. However, if our customer has none, we need to tune into what they like,” said Korn. Knowing what the client likes and their lifestyle is essential when building the perfect house. However, what’s more, important is the detail that goes in. “If a client wants a European house, we must ask what country? Because houses in Italy, England, France, and even Germany, they’re all different. We need to know if they also want a house like the city or countryside.” 

The process of design has such intricate details that are so profound. Yet, these little components, such as design, colour, heat, wind, and more, create the outcome. The couple further said production was the most challenging part, but their clients listened to their suggestions. For instance, when customers desire a big window in their house, with Thailand’s heat, it doesn’t work as the home would be too hot to live in. So not only do they have to compromise with their clientele, but also the country’s climate.

Using colours 

“Colour is very important, but it goes with the interior more, especially vibrant tones,” said Korn. For this company, they work with more natural, safe colours such as brown, green, cream, and any warm colours. Yet, if clients desire a more tasteful rich hue, the interior is where risks can be taken. “We never see red houses here because some Thai people always want to play it safe.” Mui further tells us she likes to use bright colours on decorations or furniture as if these shades are all over the house, it can hurt the eyes. However, these colours can be painted in the kid’s playroom to give a fun ambience. 

On the Panton Chair & inspirations

The two have heard of Verner Panton since school, as he’s the type of designer that everyone looks up to. Everything Panton did, people always followed. “We bought two Panton Junior chairs before we even had kids because we wanted our children to sit on that chair once we had them.” Korn further adds that the Panton Chairs are generational. Houses can deteriorate, but the chair is a timeless classic art piece. Panton’s use of plastic, vibrant colours and the chair’s design provoke a modern look. Although created in the 1960s, the fact that the chair remains contemporary today and back then is astonishing.

Brownhouses Co. does not follow trends like the chair; they will only go out of style if their work is a fashion statement. That said, Korn and Mui use the Panton Chair as inspiration for their company’s system— to be classic yet timeless. Moreover, with colour and form being the firm’s trademark, Brownhouses Co. is highly recognisable, like Panton’s work. Regarding the Panton Chair Duo, the couple did not want to question the designer’s intent to merge two colours. Being designers themselves, they trust in the choice that was made and said, “the colours were beautifully picked.”