We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Per Ploug ("PP").
Pemara Design is an Irish furniture and design company with roots deep in the Danish furniture traditions, focusing on developing their own unique designs. The company was founded by Danish designer Per Ploug, who has worked in the furniture industry for more than 20 years as a kitchen designer. Combining his many years of experience, his engineering skills and his knowledge of good interior design, made him form and create a unique dining table, which soon after was put into production. Other products, such as a complimentary bench and chairs, coffee table, bar stool and more have since followed. The products are available through selected furniture retailers in Ireland, UK, Denmark and UAE. Pemara Design is always looking for new retailers who would take on the products.
Per Ploug Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Per Ploug.
Per Ploug Design - Veizla Office Desk
Designer Interview of Per Ploug:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
PP : I Was born and grew up in Denmark. After school I went through third level education receiving a B.sc.Eng. degree, with emphasis on house building. However, both through school and third level I leaned towards art and design - In hindsight, I should have gone the route of architecture or industrial design... but I did not have the necessary points to qualify for those courses.During studies I got an opportunity to go abroad as an Erasmus student and came to Ireland for a year, studying building services engineering. There I met my wife to be. Went back to Denmark for two years to finish my studies and came permanently to Ireland in 1992. At that time there were no engineering jobs to be got, so I (a bit by chance) got the opportunity to set up my own business as a kitchen designer, being the agent/retailer of a Danish kitchen brand.... Looking back, it was probably the best thing that could happen. I would never have survived the routine work of an engineer for long. By having a creative mind, I was able to design beautiful kitchens that were a lot different from the competition. I gained a lot of recognition for that. Having the engineering mind as well though gave me another advantage. I could go to a client's house and see opportunities to further enhance a space by proposing some relatively simple amendments to the structure of the building.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
PP : I have now been a kitchen designer for over 20 years... Designing furniture is a new venture. I needed a table for my kitchen showroom and thought it would be fun to design my own. I really liked what I designed and decided to make one. The reaction from people seeing it (even without prompting for one) was incredible and I quickly sold the first two to kitchen clients... I then designed a bench to compliment... and then I thought it would a great opportunity to set up a separate company to my kitchen business... Pemara Design was born. Subsequently I designed a chair as well, which I am considering entering into next year's A' Design awards. I am (so far) a one man operation, aspiring to grow this business into something bigger, developing export markets, other products, other material combinations, outsourcing, etc.
DI: What is "design" for you?
PP : I am very much influenced by the Danish design philosophies of the great masters of the 1950's. Arne Jacobsen, Hans J Wegner, Poul Kærholm, etc. Design was about form and function going hand-in-hand. Three most important words, Function, Comfort and Ambience. If a furniture piece does not tick these three boxes, it is nothing but a piece. Good design draws the eye, good design sparks reaction, good design tickles the senses.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
PP : I am a lover of furniture design... That's what I will stick to... For now. I think I will have to back to college and study design more seriously if I was to attempt anything else.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
PP : I love wood... It is organic, renewable, environmentally sustainable.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
PP : Late afternoon/evening... That's when I doodle, and sometimes come home late because I have suddenly found a spark. Once I am on the right track I work very concentrated... Most of my work is created within hours or a couple of days, rather than weeks or months. However, tweaking and re-assessment can take months, but the basic idea is born within hours.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
PP : Initially a lot of pondering... My engineering brain kicks in early, to keep a design rooted in practicality (making sure of the structural soundness), but once the spark is there I feel energised and excited... and creative.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
PP : It is always a proud and exciting moment when you see the finished product... and that the product has turned out to be everything you visualised and hoped for.
DI: What makes a design successful?
PP : FCA... Function, Comfort and Ambience
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
PP : Design is hugely influenced by looks, so the visual is the first thing... If a design looks good (from all angles), I will explore its function and comfort... If the latter two fails, it is a bad design.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
PP : A designer's first and foremost responsibility is to create happiness and wellbeing, without compromising our environment.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
PP : I like to think of my style as being playful but with an underlying seriousness, as being informally elegant. I approach design with questions, such as why, how... Why should it be shaped like this? How can that be made ergonomically excellent? Having an engineer's brain probably holds me back somewhat, from exploring design from a more artistic point of view. But then again at least I know that what I design will have down-to-earth function and strength. I have no desire to design something wacky just for the sake of it. Then again, maybe some day I should try that?
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
PP : My kitchen, my sitting room chairs, my Georg Jensen beer bottle opener, my artist wife's mosaic fireplace, my Veizla bench in the hallway
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
PP : I develop my designs, but my artist wife is a good critic... Usually though I create a design, prototype it and then show it to a select group of people whos opinion I respect.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
PP : Just finished a chair, which I am very happy about... A three legged chair with a back rest inspired by the Graphium genus of butterflys - again made from wood.
DI: How can people contact you?
PP : By email - per@pemaradesign.com