Dwell 24: Studio.Sunnykim

A recent graduate of the Cranbrook Academy of Art‚ Kim‚ 34‚ has wanted to be a designer since her middle school days in South Korea. "I wanted a job where I could make things I imagined‚ but my parents said it would be hard to make money doing that—they wanted me to be a teacher‚" she says.

Kim has more than proved her parents wrong‚ with a client list that includes Mercedes-Benz‚ LVMH‚ and Samsung. "I like to experiment. When people see my workshop‚ they think I’m playing‚" she says.

Learn why Kim dreams of a folding house she can keep in her car, and read more of her responses to our Q&A, below.

Hometown: Kwangju, South Korea

 Current Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Describe what you make in 140 characters. I create voluminous objects from flat materials.

What's the last thing you designed? Paper card lighting

Do you have a daily creative ritual? I might play around with the materials in my hands.

How do you procrastinate? I plan, and I dream.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? For long time I have dreamed of a folding house that I can keep in my car. I have moved four times a year since I left my hometown to go to college. During these experiences, I often wished I could carry my house everywhere, just like the cartoon character Doraemon.

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, or in both)? My mother is my hero.

What skill would you most like to learn? I would like to become better at speaking English. I also wish I could read other people's minds.

What is your most treasured possession? The health of my body and mind.

What's your earliest memory of an encounter with design? When I was younger, I remember playing with a child-size house built out of newspaper.

What contemporary design trend do you despise? Personally, I don't think that I have a right to despise any design trend. Even if I think differently, something became a trend because other people liked it. I try to appreciate the diversity of design. 

Are you left-handed or right-handed? I am ambidextrous.

Rank the following: (1) Fun, (2) Form, and (3) Function 

Choose one: Less is More, Just Enough is Enough, or More is More? Just Enough is Enough

Finish this statement: All design should...start by understanding the human experience.

I sketch with a…pencil.

I work best with…silence.

I do my best work...first thing in the morning.

My studio is…a hive of productive clutter.

Instagram is...an amplifier for design ideas.

Choose one: Bauhaus, Memphis, or Brutalist? Memphis

Choose one: Past, Present, or Future? Present

If you had to pick a favorite material, what would it be? Marble

What’s in your dream house? A separate refrigerator just for ice ream, as well as a library and spa

You can follow Kim on her website or on Instagram. 

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