Bangkok luxury furniture importer Chanintr has turned his latest Bangkok restaurant into a tribute to craftsmanship. Studio Daminato teamed up with Bangkok-based architecture and Design firm Tierra Design to create the showroom, which looks like a residential property. Two separate building wings are a courtyard, surrounded by an old tree that the architects wanted to preserve. Connecting walkways surround it, while a glass extension on the ground floor slides right through its branches.

Inside, Daminato's signature minimalist style and earthy tones dominate. Walls are covered in natural cork from Portugal and ash wood from Danish brand Dinesen, providing a backdrop for exhibits such as Japanese and paper ceiling lights. An ash staircase connects the cafe to three whitewashed showrooms, whose large Windows provide plenty of natural light and whose furniture is arranged in a setting that mimics a living room. "We didn't want the design to distract people from the products we were selling," explained Albano Daminato. "It's a blank canvas."

While the space has a distinctly Scandinavian-Japanese character, a closer look reveals distinctive Thai details. The oatmeal colored terrazzo floor and bar, laid by local artisans, are the hallmarks of a traditional Chinese-Thai shop. Hand-made terra-cotta tiles from northern Thailand adorn the ceiling of the cafe, while local Thai fabrics adorn the bar and showroom.

"There are a lot of great Thai handicrafts around, but they are often not used for display," says Albano Daminato. "With its handicraft brand, Chanintr really wanted to celebrate its beauty and quality." So the showroom is not just a place for wealthy Bangkokians to decorate their villas. It provides a barrier-free exhibition space for artisans from all over Thailand and abroad. Albano Daminato summed it up: "We're not just selling things, we're showing things we like." It's a complete story.