Preechaya Chavalittumrong has always had a knack for home design.
It's a passion which led her to pursue a bachelor's degree in architecture. But it was during her time studying real estate at Cornell University, however, that she realised the unfulfilled needs of the ever-growing industry.
After returning from the US, she began working as a real estate analyst in Thailand. She also is a university lecturer on real estate industry. Neither job, though, could quite satisfy Preechaya's inner artist.
Noticing how real estate investors want the perfect room to let but do not want to go through the tedious process of finding an interior designer, hiring a contractor (and making sure that contractor doesn't run away with the money), Preechaya created a new business — 10DK.
"I actually don't know what to call it, because it is such a new thing. For now, total room decoration service is probably the best definition," she said.
With her business, Preechaya transforms an empty condominium room into one that is beautiful and ready to move in. The catch? She guarantees to finish the job in 10 days, a rarity in the business and even more so the country, where contractors have a reputation for lackadaisical work ethic and dishonesty.
"What I do is a cross between interior design and home furnishing. There is a gap between the two industries — interior designers do not typically have furniture at hand, while furnishing services don't always design the best rooms. With the connections I have built over the past decade working in the real estate industry, I know the right suppliers who can supply me with the right furniture," she said.
Most of her customers are investors who buy condominium units to let. They want the room to be beautiful enough to attract potential renters, but do not have time to mull over the details.
"From my experience, beautifully furnished rooms are easier to let because renters do not have to do as much. It also helps increase the rent, because people are usually willing to pay more for a beautiful room," Preechaya said.
Her service is not called total decoration for nothing — she covers ever detail, from the bed to the cutlery. She also has knowledge about cultural preferences, such as that Japanese renters expect Japanese electrical appliances, while Western renters want a clean and uncluttered room. These are things she has learned from over a decade of letting rooms to renters from various countries.
She positions her business above mass furniture brands but below designer brands — a gap in which she believes needs go unfulfilled and potential untapped. Thanks to websites like Pinterest and design magazines, people have higher expectations as to what a beautiful home should look like. On the flip side, they are not always willing to fork out a fortune to realise that dream.
"Designer pieces can be very expensive, and some of them are made in Thailand. Thai suppliers are actually very good, and there is no need to rely solely on foreign brands. An exception would be leather furniture — Italy is hard to rival," Preechaya said.
The secret of her business. she said, is to keep her suppliers sweet. Without them, there would be no 10DK.
"Other people in the same business usually pamper the clients and neglect the suppliers. I think if the rooms are good, the end result speaks for itself and more customers will naturally come," she said.
Is she worried about potential copycats? Hardly.
"If someone copies me that only means my idea is brilliant, and shouldn't I be pleased in that case? Also, I have spent several years building up a database and contacts, so copying my business won't be a piece of cake."
