JJ ACUNA / BESPOKE STUDIO
TOP 50 - Inside James JJ Acuna
Home Journal
WORDS BY
Home Journal
IMAGES
Jar Concengco, Nathalie Dunn & Courtesy of JJ Acuña / Bespoke Studio
PUBLISHED
23 May, 2023
Manila-born, Texas-raised interior designer James JJ Acuna came to Hong Kong in 2015 to start his own business, JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio.

Manila-born, Texas-raised interior designer James JJ Acuna came to Hong Kong in 2015 to start his own business, JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. Acuna’s multi-disciplinary interiors and concept architecture practice is based in Hong Kong and Manila, creating high-quality bespoke interiors for hospitality, restaurants, retail spaces, workspaces and homes. Its designs are for people who enjoy living well, seeing the world and experiencing different cultures. Elephant Grounds, Tate Dining Room, Honbo at The Mills, and Miss Lee are just a few of the studio’s most recognisable works over the years.

室內設計師James JJ Acuna於馬尼拉出生,德州長大,於2015 年來到香港,成立JJ Acuna / Bespoke工作室。Accuna 跨 行業的建築概念及室內設計以香港及馬尼拉為基地,為酒店、餐飲、零售、工作間及住宅,創造優質訂制室內裝潢。設計 以享受生活及不同文化人士之體驗為本。多年來著名項目包 括Elephant Grounds、Tate Dining Room、南豐紗廠內 Honbo 及Miss Lee等。

How did you get into interior design, and what did you do before becoming an interior designer? I got into interior designbecause of my love for changing the lives of clients through design at a more intimate scale. As a trained architect, I worked in corporate architecture for a decade. I've built towers, shopping malls, clubhouses, and master plans all over China – but I realised that I never saw anyone using the spaces I designed. And seeing others use the spaces as intended or in other ways is always a treat as a designer. I also enjoy good food, travelling, and the time between having to do anything. I enjoy meditation and to celebrate my own spirituality, and I love sharing these things with others. When I was able to design my first few restaurants, it was the first time in my life where I could be in those same spaces with the people I designed the restaurants for, and it was really a joy to be see real spaces being used in a real way, and I appreciate this so much as a designer. It was then that I realised I wanted to shift full time into the interior design space. I also love the more direct relationship to the client.

你是如何進入室內設計行業,以及你成為室內設計師之前曾從事過什麼行業嗎?我熱愛以設計 親密地改善客戶生活。作為專業建築師,於建築師樓工作已有10年,曾建造國內不少大樓、 商場、會所及大型計劃,發現很少人使用這些設施。設計師最期望所設計空間的真正用途,得 以發揮及使用。
我也喜歡美食、旅游、悠閒時光及進行冥想以培養靈性,並與他人分享這一切。當我第一次設 計餐廳,能和食客一起身享用空間的真正功能時,作為設計師,我感到非常快樂和滿足。我認 知到我希望全情投入設計工作,與客人建立更直接及緊密的關係。

How do you usually kick-start the design process of a restaurant project?
We try to align with the client and really understand where the client wants to be and where they want to go. This is where the intuitive designer comes in and uses their other senses to read the energy of the situation, of the space, of the neighbourhood, of the family, of the business – to uncover and come to terms with the full story of what’s really going on. This is not just listening with ears and seeing with eyes, but listening with all senses turned on. This is the only way that bespoke solutions are possible. The second is trying the food first, of
course, if possible. 

一般而言,你如何展開一個餐廳項目的創作過程?我們會了解客人想法和目的,並盡量保持一 致。設計師以其直覺,配合其他感官,探索空間及四周環境、家人或業務的能量,以呈現整 個故事發展。這並不是單純的耳聞目見,而是以全部感官去聆聽,才可達至定制方案。無論 設計餐廳或其他空間,聆聽也是最佳的開始方法。第二當然是嘗試餐廳的食物。

With projects spread throughout Asia, how do you keep a sense of place for each interior design project? Our company is a concept design studio, so each of our projects has its story. Our last five projects have the following stories: a European deli in the 1940s; Nonna’s Little Italian restaurant and bar in Manhattan Island; a concept built on the word “Joy” and joyful things; a concept built on the rise of mass production of hygienic spaces; and a concept based on the intersection between barn houses and the lines of Bauhaus aesthetic culture. Finding a story and working with the story allows us to think cinematically and theatrically. The narrative is the thread that guides us on everything from space planning to lighting to materiality. Because our studio was born out of the world of hospitality, this made a lot of sense. But when we transferred our conceptualisation to residential, workplace, healthcare– it even made the project more engaging. We always make a connection with what is going on locally with the intended narrative of the project. Sourcing locally is another way we can tweak what we do to the project's specific location. 

你主理的設計項目遍佈亞洲,你是如何確保每個項目的當地特色?我們是設計概念工作室,每個項目均有其故事。例如最近 5個項目概念源自:1940年代的歐洲食店、Nonna’s小意 大利餐廳及曼克頓島的酒吧、以喜樂為概念、潔淨空間大量生產之冒起,與及包浩斯美學 與谷倉交會的意念。故事帶來電影感及劇場感,並敘述空間以至燈光及物料等設計的一切。將這些酒店餐飲設計概念,用於住宅、工作間及醫療,往往令項目更出色。我們亦著重地道 元素及於當地採購物料。

Design trends you like and hate the most? We hate anything that looks too much like a design for a theme park, or anything that looks too ‘Disneyfied’. There's a fine line between crafting a narrative and outright creating a plastic Pinterest version of a great idea. There needs to be nuance and an elevation of a material beyond mimicking an idea.

你最喜歡和最討厭的設計趨勢?我們討厭主題樂園式的設計。用心鋪排,跟徹頭徹尾的 Pinterest式塑膠複製,完全是兩回事.

Do you have a secret skill when designing a successful restaurant project? I'm a foodie myself. I also love hospitality, travelling, seeing the world– basically I'm the market for the places I design. So I know what I like and don’t like through my own experiences as a patron of dining establishments. And whenever I go out to eat at different places, I always make a mental note of what works and what doesn't and I keep that in mind for my own projects. Putting yourself in the shoes of your chef and your diners is what makes or breaks a restaurant project, seriously. Are the seats comfortable? Is the lighting too glaring? If so, what can be adjusted. Is the paint peeling off the walls? If so, why? My friends always find it annoying eating out with me because I point all these things out, and it really destroys the fantasy of the moment for them. I’m so terrible sometimes!

成就一個出色的餐廳設計項目,有什麼秘訣嗎?我熱愛美食、酒店、旅游、探索世界,憑個 人經驗,知道設計餐廳時可行與不可行的地方。我腦海中常有筆記,以廚師和客人的角度,記下項目適用之處。例如座椅、燈光是否舒適?有什麼可以調教?牆身油漆如何?朋友與我 用膳時,經常會因而被我惹怒

“I always make a mental note of what works and what doesn't and I keep that in mind for my own projects”