Established in 2003, iChing Decor has risen to stellar heights in Cambodia’s interior design and furniture manufacturing game; leading the company’s ascent is CEO Stephane Dawant.

Overseeing a team of ten, Dawant pins part of the company’s success on understanding what their private and commercial clients need. This might involve the innovation of single furniture items to large-scale building remodelling.

Dawant’s background in civil engineering as well as his 16 year tenure as a Cambodian resident has held him in good stead to transform IChing Decor into a leading national player in Cambodia’s property sector. The majority of IChing’s clients are Cambodian which has helped the company to flourish despite the anaemic global economy causing property prices to fall, subsequently rendering some companies in the sector bankrupt. But with 10 large projects already lined up for 2012, the harsh financial reality for some companies is peripheral to IChing’s continuing success. This doesn’t mean IChing has room for complacency; Dawant admits he’s concerned about the growth of competitors in the market.

Part of IChing’s business strategy involves not expanding the company or exporting its goods internationally. This might seem counterintuitive to other game-players, but IChing’s big boss is content meeting the demands of the growing local circle of interior design and property construction enthusiasts. In fact Dawant concedes that maintaining the company’s reputation for aligning the needs of their Cambodian clients with a quality finished product is their highest priority.

Contributing to the stimulation on the Cambodian economy, IChing sources 80 per cent of its raw materials from local carpenters. The remaining raw materials are imported from Vietnam and Thailand.

However, if Cambodian customers request international materials to be used in their designs, IChing will facilitate the import of necessary goods to complete their clients’ projects.

Interior design costs for one house range from US$4000 to $5000 and the operation takes approximately two months to complete. If buyers bundle the designs with other IChing services, then they shall receive a discount.