Lai Siew Hong is the creative mind behind the award-winning interior design for numerous hospitality and F&B establishments, including luxury hotels The Edison George Town and EQ KL, stylish boutique stayover citizenM KL, Kuala Lumpur rooftop bar Sky51 and Spice Market Restaurant in Langkawi. He is also recognised for always striving to elevate interior design, consistently taking it to the next level with every project and pushing the industry forward as a long-time member and current president of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Design (MIID). In recognition of his all accomplishments, Lai was voted Asia’s Most Influential Designer at the Designer of the Year Awards in 2020.

Discovering his interest in interior design as a teenager while helping his mother design their new home, Lai signed up for an interior design course at the Malaysian Institute of Art right after secondary school. After graduating and working for some time, he furthered his education and training in New York, where he obtained an Associate Degree in Applied Science Interior Design.

He later joined interior design firm Axis Identity Group, before co-founding his own—Blu Water Studio, a boutique studio specialising in hospitality design. In addition to being chief executive designer, Lai also loves to mentor and is passionate about nurturing young emerging talent. One way he does this as the chairman of MIID REKA Conference, bringing together the best talents in the industry to encourage cross-fertilisation. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Taylor’s University Malaysia.