What happens when four celebrated interior designers are given almost complete creative freedom, with just one request: create something in wood that incorporates LALA CURIO wallcoverings?
The result is UNBOUND, an extraordinary limited-edition collection from Jiun Ho that brings together the creative visions of Jamie Drake, Nicole Fuller, James Hunter of The Wiseman Group, Francis Nicdao of Pembrooke & Ives, and Jiun Ho himself. The collection was formally unveiled September 17 in New York as part of the New York Design Center’s annual What’s New What’s Next.
“The project reflects an increasingly important facet of Jiun Ho” said founder Ho. “Our ability to serve designers not simply as a source for customizable furnishings, but as a creative resource for entirely original, one-of-a-kind design. Working collaboratively with clients, we can explore new forms, materials, techniques, and methods of fabrication to bring ideas from initial sketch to finished piece.”
The final collection features five distinctly personal visions:
• Jamie Drake — Paravent Cabinet
• Nicole Fuller — Orbit of Love Urn and Pedestal
• Jiun Ho — Forma Pendant Light, Whisper Pendant Light, Yuan Yang Side Table
• James Hunter, The Wiseman Group — JH+JH Game Table
• Francis Nicdao, Pembrooke & Ives — Reveal Side Tables
While the finished works appear effortless, their apparent simplicity belies the technical complexity behind them. Each required an intensive process of design development, experimentation, engineering, material exploration, and extraordinary craft.
Acting as both collaborator and creative director, Jiun Ho worked closely with each designer throughout the process. After receiving their initial concepts, Ho engaged in a series of conversations with the designers to refine ideas and develop increasingly detailed drawings. He then worked directly with craftspeople to determine how each concept could be realized without compromising its original intent—often identifying ways to make the finished piece even more beautiful.
That search for the right craftspeople became a creative journey of its own. Ho traveled to Asia and visited six factories in search of the ideal artisanal partner for each design. The process led him to specialized makers with the combination of technical knowledge, infrastructure, and handcraft required to execute pieces that challenged conventional furniture-making.
Returning to furniture production in China for the first time in nearly two decades, Ho was struck by the evolution of the country’s capabilities. New technology and vastly expanded technical expertise could now be combined with generations-old craft traditions, opening possibilities that had not previously existed.
Each piece ultimately found its own production partner, with the collection bringing together specialized workshops and artisans selected specifically for their ability to meet the demands of an individual design. The process embodies Jiun Ho’s larger vision for bespoke design: begin with the idea, rather than the limitations of an existing product.
“Customization for us is not simply changing the dimensions, finish, or material of something we already make,” says Ho. “We want designers to come to us with an idea—even something they aren’t yet sure how to make. We can explore the materials, the process, the engineering, and the craft together and find a way to bring that vision to life. UNBOUND is an expression of exactly that possibility.”
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