Award winning designer is a Virtual Worlds fan

Monita Cheung and her team of designers use Virtual Worlds software to create amazing designs for C.P. Hart clients.

”I enjoy using Virtual Worlds to create photorealistic 3D images. The software allows you to create your own products and tile templates if necessary and the fast and efficient features make my life easier with the large amount of retail projects I work on day in and day out. I love the fact you can adjust the lighting very easily and that rendering time is very quick.”

Having very recently featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms Magazine with her bathroom designs created using Virtual Worlds, we caught up with Monita to find out more about her style and inspiration.

Background

Monita graduated from Middlesex University with a BA (hons) Product Design degree and came across C.P. Hart whilst searching for a summer placement during her second year of studying. Her eight-week placement was extended to 10 and then to 12 weeks. Monita worked part time for C.P. Hart during her last year of university and upon graduation was offered a Junior Designer position at the Waterloo showroom. Having won the KBB Young Designer Award she has also been a finalist for the Designer Kitchen&Bathroom Award. She is delighted to work at C.P. Hart.

How would you describe your style?

“I’m certainly a more contemporary styled woman with the love for minimal, bold architectural lines with hints of warmth using different materials and textures. Maybe it’s within my Chinese roots but I love the oriental styles with the sense of peace and well balanced feng shui in the room”.

How do you approach a new design?

“I start by spending a good amount of time getting to understand my client, it is by far the most important thing to do. To understand what style they are searching for and how they will be using the bathroom is very important. The great thing about my job is that I get the opportunity to visit my clients in their home which is the best method of finding out their styles and their way of living. If the option of visiting their home was not available then I would invite my client into our Waterloo flagship store to walk through the showroom and discuss what sort of style they will be wanting”.

What current trends are inspiring your designs?

“I love using stone fronted drawer units within my designs. It provides a sharpness to the product edge that shows the skill of the manufacturer and this creates a high quality expectation for the rest of the room to follow. Very clever wood effect porcelain tiles are very on trend too. There are many available out there but if you manage to find a very high quality wood effect tile it will help to add all the characteristics of a real wood floor with the warmth of the colour but becomes very practical to use for the bathroom areas. Having recently returned from the Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy, it has become apparent that warm stone units and wooden floor tiles are very hot on trend”.

What has been your biggest design challenge to date?

“I can think of a few. One of the most common ones are when I have been given the loft bathroom space to redesign where the slopes are extremely low and I am working with many different angles and the client is wanting a large shower area with a freestanding bath. Another one is having to work with an octagon shaped shower area with slopes forming into the centre of the room. I had to liaise with my installer several times to make sure the shower area will be designed and fitted to perfection. My tip on dealing with situations like these is to double check that everything is what it seems to be, then only to triple check it with possible worst case scenario options”.

Do you have a design icon?

“Since I was 12 I have been in love with Tom Dixon’s S Chair, 1988, steel and wicker. At that age, I promised myself that I would work very hard in life so that eventually I will get to purchase this beautiful chair for my beautiful home and have it in my beautiful living room to admire and to be in awe of”.

What is your own home like?

“I’m currently living with my fiancé in a good sized apartment with a great view of Canary Wharf. It’s a very clean, modern and warm textured apartment where you can really indulge in a glass of wine with friends around the sofa area. The two bathrooms that we have were designed by ourselves and it suits our busy lifestyle very well with a very large shower enclosure fitted with ambient lighting”.

Describe your perfect room, fictional or otherwise?

“Hmm, my perfect room?…Think it’s got to be a fictional one and I will need to add all sorts of characteristics in there…Maybe it could include a large window overlooking a beautiful red sunset, a huge fire pit for the marshmallows, a brazing hearth to create my silver jewellery, a skilled chef on demand for cooking my seafood on a teppanyaki and a large cloud sofa for my friends and family to enjoy their dinner feast”.

Look out for further designs from Monita in future Virtual Worlds posts!

Want to be a Virtual Worlds Featured Designer? Contact Jackie – jackie.bryce@virtualworlds.co.uk