Company: A Moxie Associates Sdn Bhd & Vistawood Industries Sdn Bhd

The TIMB3R Design Incubator Programme (DIP), touted as a first-of-its-kind incubation programme which is the brainchild of the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), Malaysian Furniture Council (MFC), and the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID) was launched to encourage partnerships among manufacturers and designers to drive the furniture and wood-based industry in producing high value-added Malaysian-made wood products for the international market.

One such successful collaboration was between Ms. Cayenne Lim, the Design Director of A Moxie Associates Sdn Bhd and Vistawood Industries Sdn Bhd where they developed “Cayenne Cot”, a piece of furniture that can adapt to a child’s growth stages.

Cayenne Lim is known for her unique design ideas and received numerous awards, such as the Designer of the Year (DOTY) Award, the Malaysian Interior Industry Partners Association (MIIP) Award, and the Atap Design Awards (ADA). Her recent award was the “Best of RIX Products” for the creation of Cayenne Cot at the REKA Interiors Exhibition 2022.

“I knew about TIMB3R DIP via MIID and was drawn to the programme as I always had an interest in venturing into furniture design. I wanted to challenge myself by designing a piece of furniture for children and moreover, with my previous experience working and teaching children art, it is something that I am passionate about. Collaborating with Vistawood Industries Sdn Bhd which is one of the leading children’s furniture manufacturers was a pleasant journey as the company was willing to explore and was receptive towards new innovative designs,” said Cayenne.

Cayenne Cot is a piece of furniture that can be transformed to cater to various stages of a child’s growth, and it is available in four distinct configurations, which begin as an infant cot. One of the key features of the Cayenne Cot is its modular design where depending on the users’ needs, the product can easily be converted to a sofa, study table, or a single bed. It is a versatile product and has a long span of life as it could be used for babies up to teenagers. Parents can purchase this single product that could last for many years, rather than having to purchase multiple products as the child grows.

“The goal is to create a product that could “grow” and move along with the child’s development. It also creates a memorable experience for the child by providing a piece of furniture that gives comfort and safety as they grow from being reliant to independent. In addition, using durable timber as the main material ensures that the product could last longer and provides warmth for the child,” said Cayenne.

Ms. Ivy Chew, the Director of Vistawood Industries Sdn Bhd said: “It took us four months to complete the production of this product. Before we start designing the product, we invited Cayenne to visit our factory and showroom, so she could understand better the safety requirements for baby products and customers’ needs. Extensive research and development processes, trials and errors were conducted to ensure the configuration works.”

“TIMB3R DIP is a great programme where manufacturers are able to collaborate with professional designers and challenge our manufacturing capabilities. It helps the company to be creative and develop aesthetic products for the local and global markets. Both parties need to have a clear direction and it is important to understand the market needs prior to designing the product,” Ivy added.

TIMB3R DIP continues to be an avenue for the industry to collaborate with aspiring designers to design and produce wood-based furniture products. The end products of TIMB3R DIP 1.0 and 2.0 was showcased at Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE) 2023 from 7 to 10 March 2023 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).

For more information on TIMB3R Design Incubator Programme (DIP), visit http://timb3r.my/