Dwell 24: Studio.Sunnykim

SeonHee “Sunny” Kim, the head designer at Bahk Seon Ghi Studio in Seoul‚ South Korea, is interested in thin‚ flexible materials‚ as evident in her paper Depth of Surface chair.

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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.

"Loop," part of the Light Light Collection by Sunny Kim

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.

Dwell 24: Studio.Sunnykim - Photo 2 of 5 -

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