Musée 的 core value 源起於歐洲的古典博物館 ( Museum )，秉持著為了延續同樣經典的概念而持續前進的開拓與革命精神，這是由一群30世代的年輕人所引領的另一波家具設計新思潮。「Musée」命名自法文博物館之意，以個人博物館為空間靈感，透過歐美現正引領潮流的select shop形式為概念，集結生活中美好的蛛絲馬跡呈現給眾人。一件罕見的設計師作品、一個訂製款的骨董家具、也或許是一種美好年代風格想像，獻上過去的傳奇、今日的經典、未來的設計力。 傳承自啟蒙時代博物館精神，並且秉持包浩斯學派主張設計價格平民化的必需品，Musée 將藝術設計工業商機結合，努力創造價格與品位間的完美平衡；Musée以獨特工業風復古造型家具呈現呈現法式慵懶風情，透過重新搭配改造，將老件賦予新的意義，新元素注入老靈魂。
木材：Musée 使用許多環保再生材料，不僅僅是為了這些歲月的痕跡、質感、歷史或耐用性，而是因為它環保。大部分的木材是從老房子的屋頂、樑脊、屋架或是穀倉及倉庫拆除的，經過幾十年的歷史，甚至是世紀的洗禮下，他提供的強度及穩定性大大優於新的原木。而關於新的木材使用，則是選則高品質的柚木、芒果木及一些較堅硬的熱帶硬木，來帶出歷史的溫度。金屬：在Musée的收藏裡，你能看到有許多金屬的元素、零件，大多是從廢棄的工廠、老舊的船隻及世界各地搜集回來的，經過重新手工整理、設計，讓他們再次從容地跨越時空展現。
Derived from a European museum concept, extend and going forward with such revolutionary spirit and ideology, this is a furniture design nouvelle vague that is started by a group of Taiwanese youth in their early 30’s. Musee is a French word that stands for museum, their muse and goal is to provide a platform for everyone to build their personal and intimate museum. Inspired by the select shop trend started in Europe and North America, blending with the beautiful details in every aspect of our daily lives. Let it be a rare piece of designer’s work, a custom-made antique furniture. It represents a wonderful nostalgia for a certain period in time, Musée is dedicate to offer and present to you the legends of world class craftsmanship, the modern classics, and futuristic design. Inherited from the true spirit of a time museum, and insisted on Bauhaus’s design affordable to all price tag, Musée combines artistic design and industrial business opportunity, and strive to maintain the perfect balance between pricing and tastes; Musée’s unique industrial retrotistic furniture that showcases a laid-back French salon or lounge vibe and aura, via reinvented and reconstructed vintage pieces, giving these pieces a modern twist and vintage soul.
Musée used lots of recycled material, not only because these material captures the essence of time, its mark, texture, history and durable, also because they are environmental friendly. Most of the wood are taken and collected from old houses’ roof, ceiling, or from a warehouse and storage spaces. These materials have years or centuries of time within them, the endurance and stabilities are much stronger than newer wood. Regarding the usage of new materials, Musée pick high quality wood from mango and teak trees, or others harder woods from tropical forest, with the warmth of history and time. Metal: In Musée’s collection, you can see lots of metallic elements, parts, and they are mostly taken and collected from abandoned factories, vintage boat houses, and acquired from somewhere around the world. After we remodel, reconstruct, repair and redesign them, allowing them gracefully be presented beyond the hands of time.
Musée& Mr. Screaming Eye Exclusive Interview
Mr. Screaming EyeJack from Musée
Mr. Screaming Eye
Most furniture store or the current store location trend will choose to have their store located around stores selling similar products，such as furniture stores will mostly located near 文昌街、南昌街、內湖, and some very stylish stores are located at 民生社區，why did you guys pick this location?
Musée
This is a question that many of neighbors asked when they first walked in, we do love 民生社區, but it is not as convenient，we picked this location because this is an community with history and it is very convenient. People here are very friendly, be it 7-11’s store clerk or noodle place’s workers, everybody says hi to each other on the street。 When we needed help, they had all been very helpful. We just love the peacefulness in this charming community.
Mr. Screaming Eye
The store looks like vintage and antique store that is very trendy nowadays, what makes it different?
Musée
We are not exactly a vintage and antique store, we do carry such items but it is only a small part of our collection, we do love authentic vintage and antiques, but for most people the price tag is simply not affordable. For example, an authentic metallic cabinet would cost around $300,000 NT, or a chair would cost $100,000 NT. That is equivalent of several month of wage for some Taiwanese youth. We will generally carry some affordable, authentic vintages that are practical for daily usage in our collection, we would modify them and give them new soul and new elements.
Mr. Screaming Eye
Let’s talk about your store name, what does it mean and what’s the concept?
Musée
Musée is actually French, it means museum, we named it Musée becuase in our concept there is a bigger dream, this store is our museum, we want to collect all the beautiful things in life, this is phase one, in the future we will have endless possibilitiese and boundless imaginations, we might collect by designers, maybe open up multiple restaurants, they will all their own unique style, just like museum in different era will have different aura. Maybe one day we will open a a futuristic store, who knows! Everything will be cultivated from our daily experiences.
Mr. Screaming Eye
What is your background? You are not from industrial design background, so why did you two jump into this business?
Musée
I have done many things in the past, to be clear, I am a greedy person, there are so many things I want to do but never had enough time. I break danced, I was a DJ and had released an LP, opened up a vinyl record store, I ran club nights and hosted parties, I worked in a event promotion and marketing firm and etc… All of these past credentials had brought me to this path and presented this opportunities to open Musée. When I worked as a DJ, I was travelling quite often and I met a friend who is a designer in UK, I never thought about we will have work related connection, we became friends through music, we are both crazy about vinyls. And just couple month ago, I wanted to decorate my new house, I spent lots of time to research online and all the stores in Taipei, we do love many of their design but simply cannot affordable their price tag, or some of them are just simply rubbish.
My wife had cut out samples from stylish magazines, but in the end, I ended up doing the decoration myself.. And one day my friend in UK sent me some images of the furniture he designed. And we absolutely love them! We loved them so much, we flew to UK immediately, he described them as industrial, but they are very different than what we saw on the market. The handmade texture is of the highest quality, and many of the items we can’t find in Taiwan. But seriously, be it loft style, industrial style or vintage style, they are not just metal and wooden objects, we saw lots of elements that are not seen in Taiwan. We immediately decided to work with him and bring these beautiful pieces to Taiwan!
Mr. Screaming Eye
Speaking of which, your industrial design styling is very unique, can you just explain what the differences are?
Musée
In fact, when we speak about loft or vintage style, they are not something new, they had been widely adopted in North America and Europe for years, but in Taiwan, the trend has just started, that is why in Taiwan, we often see similar items. Seems like the ability to design and product higher end product has not matured yet. The product we wanted to present designs that contains lots of British industrial revolution era’s concept, combining with lots of modern elements, hence creates a sparkle between old and new. Besides the most basic metallic and wooden pieces, there are also items such as industrial hands, parts taken from abandoned machinery and etc… We are hoping to connect these new elements with vintage pieces emotionally. Furthermore, all the pieces are durable and are also for outdoors, they will stand the test of time.
Mr. Screaming Eye
What about price? I noticed all of your furniture has a price tag, and you even put the exact price on your website, this is very different than other indie stores, why did you do it?
Musée
Regarding the price issue, I think many customers felt the same way, most of the items in indie furniture stores has no price tag, and more often than not, when you asked, the price is so high, that people are intimidated. Sometimes when there is no price tag, I am often skeptical that the sales in these indie stores might tell me a price and tell someone else a different on. We hated it. I think our price being transparent is not a bad thing after all, this is a a free market without a border, with the internet, everyone can compare the price, and I highly recommend if you want to buy a furniture, you need to go to the actual store, feel it and touch it, because these furniture are like your friends and roommates and will likely be with you for a very long time if not forever, it is best to select wisely, price-wise and quality-wise. In all, put the price tag aside, select your beloved furniture wisely!
Mr. Screaming Eye
What are your future plans?
Musée
As for Musée, we are hopig and wanted to work with Taiwanese designers, Taiwan has many talented designers, and lots of traditional techniques, then how come North American and European designers can mix new and old elements so well and we cant’? Taiwanese people absolutely loved their design...
Supposedly, Taiwanese government had been pushing and promoting cultural and design industry for quite awhile, take 松菸 for example, majority of time, the government would make big announcement stating that they will do this and that, but then nothing really happened.... I think a very important point and lesson to be learned from government’s mistake is that cultural and design must connect with business opp, and business opp that generates sustainable profits. A design without sustainable profits is not going to last. And marketing is quite important as well, good design without marketing is not going to be sold and purchased, that is a pity indeed.
