Harry Choi, Corporate SVP and Head of Design Team, Samsung Electronics
Samsung’s Bespoke Home vision offers consumers a home that is beautifully designed, full of flexible features, seamlessly connected and inspired by its user. In this first installment of ‘People Behind Bespoke’, Harry Choi, Head of Design for Digital Appliances at Samsung Electronics, discusses the origin of the Bespoke design philosophy and the role that it plays in creating appliances fit for every lifestyle.
Our homes are full of expressive elements. Everything from the architecture and the furniture to the decorative objects we place helps us express our individuality. However, even though they feature prominently in the interior, home appliances are still largely designed with a standardized approach.
If no two homes are the same, why should our appliances be? This was the simple question that sparked the idea for Samsung’s Bespoke – a lineup of home appliances designed to be a part of a person’s home décor, reflecting their aesthetic preferences and elements of identity. We focused on creating home appliances that are not just beautiful, but are also customizable so as to harmonize with all kinds of interior spaces, no matter the style.
The Birth of Bespoke
Our journey to elevate the design of home appliances began in the kitchen, a central space for many social activities in the home. The refrigerator is often the most visible and most used appliance in this social space, and yet, its design has largely been in stasis for many years.
With our Bespoke refrigerators, our aim was to elevate the design of refrigerators without compromising the reliable functionality and performance that Samsung products are known for. Taking inspiration from contemporary urban lifestyles and aesthetic trends, our designers created an expansive palette of colors for the refrigerator’s customizable door panels. They also developed unconventional finishes, such as matte steel and glass, to bring new textures to refrigerators and open up new possibilities for kitchen design.
But the Bespoke design philosophy goes beyond just colors and finishes. With a modular, built-in look, Bespoke refrigerators can be tailored to fit seamlessly into different kitchen layouts. Bespoke design has broken down the price barrier of built-in appliances and now, design is able to listen more closely to the consumer. By mixing and matching different modules, users can create Bespoke refrigerators that provide the right functionality for their lifestyle, dietary habits, and family size.
Creating Bespoke Lifestyles and Living Spaces
Building on the design and development process of the Bespoke refrigerator, we are now ready to bring the Bespoke design philosophy to the rest of the home, empowering users to create ideal living spaces while simplifying their everyday routines.
Take the Bespoke Cube air purifier, for example, which features a sleek, modern design that comes in various colors and interchangeable front grills in patterns like stripe and herringbone. The Bespoke Cube air purifiers are beautiful additions to any room, complementing your interior décor while quietly working to keep air quality safe.
Furthermore, the Bespoke Jet was designed with portability in mind. Unlike larger appliances, vacuums are meant to be carried around the house – but they are often hidden away when they are not being used. The Bespoke Jet’s meticulous design, with the body virtually floating above its round-shaped platform, gives the vacuum a sense of elegance that allows it to stand out in the open in living spaces even when not in use. Functionally, the Bespoke Jet’s all-in-one Clean Station and charging dock makes cleaning and maintaining household hygiene a breeze.
Designing for the Future
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all home appliance design. We at Samsung believe that the shift toward customization is not just a trend, but in fact is the emergence of a new paradigm. As consumers’ lifestyle aspirations evolve and grow more diverse, Bespoke will be right there with them, offering appliances that transform functional interiors into truly expressive spaces.
by Harry Choi
(Corporate SVP and Head of Design Team, Samsung Electronics)