Today we’d like to introduce you to Vy Truong and Han Dang.
Hi Vy and Han, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Our story began in college at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, where Han and I both majored in Interior Architecture. We worked amazing together, but once our professional journey began, we drifted apart and pursued different realms of design—Han worked in the Education sector at Stantec Houston, and I started work at Zeigler Cooper in corporate interiors and eventually moved to Gin Design Group to work on Hospitality Design in restaurants and bars. During the pandemic, we got the opportunity to come together and create fun design prompts during the work lull of the lockdown, and we never looked back since. Very Handsome Studio was born out of our desire to freely explore our creativity and bring more refreshing takes to the design world with our collaborative styles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We don’t think anything worth fighting for, and anything that lasts is ever a smooth journey. However, we are extremely grateful to have a much smoother and much more positive journey than most design start-up firms around the world. We quickly saw extreme and diverse growth that allowed us to naturally expand our portfolio. There were certainly struggles, expectedly so, but those are also learning moments that allowed us to develop our ability to be great business owners and designers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We specialize in Residential and Hospitality Design, specifically restaurants and bars. Our firm provides services that range from concept design, design development, construction administration, furniture selection & procurement, and decorative staging based on the requirement of the projects.
We would like to think that our company’s special charm is our desire to unify the client’s story to their business/space’s identity. We value storytelling through design, and that is often our driving force which allows us to have genuine conversations with our clients and generate genuine end results that everyone can experience and feel. We are also very unique in our individual design styles, which helps to add a final “umami” touch to all of our projects. We coin our collective style as “umami design essence,” which refers to an overall balance of something that cannot be easily explained but can be easily understood.
We are definitely most proud of the great designs that our brand identity has garnered over the past three years. Clients and contractors return to us because our unique take on their story is what we proudly offer without ever reducing the quality of the end result.
As an Interior Design company, we offer much more than just surface-level assistance. Our team is commercially and architecturally trained to take on projects from conception to construction. Although we are not turn-key, our services feel as close to full package as possible without us building the space ourselves.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
For inspiration, we love reading design magazines such as Yellowtrace, Dwell, Architectural Digest, and Interior Design Magazine.
We also gather lots of inspiration from project videos of Never Too Small, The Local Project, and AD’s Home Tours
A great inspirational read is “Ganbatte! The Japanese Art of Always Moving Forward” by Hector Garcia: In our fast-paced and information-driven society, the sluggish pace of daily life can dampen our inner enthusiasm.
Another moving book, “Ganbette! The Japanese Art of Always Moving Forward,” is a refreshing read that presents a constructive outlook on life. It inspires us to release the chains of overthinking and instead embrace the gradual unfolding of experiences. The book fosters self-compassion and imparts insights into the natural rhythm of time. It underscores the value of consistent effort, portraying each small step as a commendable achievement worthy of recognition.
“Daily Rituals – How Artists Work” by Mason Currey is a collection of narratives that illuminates the lives of diverse artists across the globe. Within each concise story, we glimpse into the daily routines of painters, poets, writers, composers—regardless of age or gender—as they navigate existence in their quest to craft brilliance. Each story discovers the personalized ritual that harmonizes each person’s life and their passion. Despite the unchanging nature of their habits and the repetitive cadence of their rituals, they harness the practice to immerse themselves in creativity, giving birth to innovation anew.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veryhandsomestudio.com
- Instagram: @VeryHandsome.Studio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/
veryhandsomestudio
Image Credits
Michael Ma
Fajar Hassan
