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Young Designer: Khoa Nguyen of Design Poets

By Jen Bishop •

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Our Young Designer series aims to inspire those who are yet to get their first foot on the ladder in this fiercely competitive industry.

At 27, and with a couple of jobs under his belt, Khoa Nguyen now works for himself at Brisbane-based Design Poets. He also teaches wannabe designers at Queensland College of Art (QCA).

khoa nguyen

While he learned a lot from working for other people, the self-confessed design nerd and young father just had to give being his own boss a go. So far, it hasn’t been as hard as he imagined.

So, when did he know you wanted to be an interior designer? “I was doing my building course and next to us were some students studying interior design. I popped my head in to see what they were learning about it and it appealed to me so much more than cyclone ratings for timber framing. That was the day.”

He has some pretty strong views on the relevance of design qualifications though! “I’ve studied quite a few different things, from building design to interior design to digital illustration at various different places and I am currently contemplating whether to do my Masters in Design. But I tell my students the first day I meet them, that the piece of paper you get when you graduate doesn’t mean anything to any employer. It is 65 percent personality and 35 percent portfolio.”

khoa nguyen 2

When it came to Khoa’s first job, one of his design teachers asked if he was interested in a graduate position and he said why not? He passed a CAD test, got shortlisted and had an interview. “In saying that, there was a lot of work in the industry back then. If it was as quiet as it is now, I may not be doing this interview with you!”

His typical busy day involves running around to meetings, answering emails on the fly (always trying to squeeze in lunch with his family), meeting suppliers and sales reps. “At close of business, I have dinner, play with my daughter, get back to answering emails, doing some design and CAD work, go to bed, stay awake thinking about work… and repeat x 5!

“I am my own boss now, however, I have learnt a lot not only from my previous bosses, but my seniors, my colleagues and my students. You never ever stop learning in this industry or in life. The best part of my job is working for myself. Whilst it is hard to run your own business, it is super rewarding. I once said that running your own business feels like you’ve just had a whole chocolate cake to yourself: satisfying, fulfilling, heart-stopping, tiring and life-changing.”

A frequent struggle is balancing the amount of time and effort he spends obtaining work versus the amount time and effort he spends on the work he already has. Like everyone else in this Young Designer series before him, Khoa says people outside the industry wrongly assume the job isn’t much more than picking curtains and cushions. “What people don’t understand is that our job requires us to have quite an extensive knowledge base about everything there is to do with the built environment, not just interiors. Picking curtains is the last thing we worry about!”

When it comes to graduates getting their first step on the ladder in the interiors industry: “The ladder they’re trying to climb at the moment is too full. Build a spiral staircase and climb that instead. You will get to the same place as everyone else, just differently and in style.”

In five years’ time, Khoa would like to be sharing his chocolate cake with a small team in a warehouse somewhere, perhaps New York. His parents remain his biggest inspiration. “We came here to Australia as refugees 20-odd years ago with nothing, and for my family to be where we are now is a credit to them. From their struggles I’ve learnt that everything I have in life now is a bonus.”

Design Poets

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER YOUNG DESIGNERS: Brendan Guy, Connie Condylios and Lauren Rugless.

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February 26, 2014

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Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 10 years. She is mum to two young boys and lives in Sydney.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarKirsty Moren says

    March 2, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    Well done Khoa!

  2. AvatarSharon Kwan says

    March 3, 2014 at 11:46 am

    Be blessed Khoa, you have such a refreshing attitude. You deserve to do well!

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