At first glance, most of the products at Precious Qui don't look
very different from those you can find elsewhere. The wide range
includes bowls, plates, tableware, lacquer boxes, combs and
hairpins made of horn, aluminium furniture and leather
interiors. but look a little closer and you'll see they are all
original creations, designed by the shop's owner Michelle, a
former French model, ahd her husband Khanh, a designer listed in
the French Larousse Dictionary.
 Michelle and Khanh share a apassion for beautiful arts and
crafts. "I have been collecting fine old objects for a long
time, but I'm not interested in producing imitation or fake
antiques. I must create my own designs," Michelle says.
Images taken from the various places to which she and her
husband travel provide the inspiration for Michelle's creations.
But the translation from the idea to its realisation takes time.
"First we design the pattern, then we have to study it and
discuss it with our friends who are Vietnamese artisans before
we can proceed to the finished product. I just add some
contemporary touches to create an original product," Michelle
says.
The furniture at Precious Qui is created by Khanh who has had
success with works such as inflatable furniture (1967) and a car
of cubic design made of plexiglas. His collection includes
tables and chairs made of aluminium called "Nervures" which
feature the veins of a leaf as decorative pattern on the chair
backs.
Michelle has created an impressive backdrop for their products
(which are mostly black with gold or silver plating) by painting
the shop walls red. Products such as classic carved chopsticks
and luxury lacquer tableware bearing the motif of the "Ngoc Lu"
drum in fine gold stand out against the dark red background.
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