Weekend Picks

Sunday is Mother's Day. Did you get a gift for your beloved mum? If your answer is "no", last-minute shopping at Human Touch in CentralWorld might give you some ideas. The bloody-red interior of this new shop contains houseware, furniture, home decor and clothing that might perfectly fit your thoroughly modern mother.

Designer Attadech Lowaphap, 36, launched the Human Touch brand as a hobby about seven years ago when he was working in advertising.  At first, the line was limited to a collection of glasses featuring graphic-design messages. He then expanded his product line with colourful creations of modern-style home furnishings, ceramic tableware and fashion items.

The brand has become something of a household name, since it debuted at the 2000 Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fair (BIG+BIH), and has gone on to be marketed both nationwide and abroad.

Opened at CentralWorld in December, the shop sells whisky glasses, cotton pillowcases, wall clocks, canvas bags, T-shirts, diaries, cooking aprons, dolls and plastic shower curtains. There is also ceramic tableware, include plates, bowls, mugs and salt-and-pepper shakers, as well as a unique range of modern-style decorative items such as chairs, arm chairs, tables, ceiling lamps and vases. Most come in black, white or grey and vivid colours of red, green, pink, blue and yellow.

Like the early days, Attadech's creations still feature graphic cartoons and messages that espouse an easy-going philosophy. For example, pillowcases carry the message, "When having everything use money to make dream" on one side, and "When you have nothing use dream to make money" on the other. A glass features the word "Ant", but if you twist and look through to another side it will become "Giant".

"Originally I only wished to have a freedom to show off my ideas on my product designs, instead of sending writing messages for other people advertising in magazines," says Attadech.  "Now we export around 60 per cent of our products to Europe and Asia, and we also plan to put out a new line of fashions like T-shirts and bags this October." 

Out of your gourd

Throw light around your home with a set of four white ceramic ceiling lamps (Bt6,500), the design of which is inspired by gourds converted to bird houses.

Mommy and Daddy

This Bt995 gift set for a couple includes two glasses, two white ceramic mugs, two white cotton-polyester pillowcases, all featuring graphic Mommy and Daddy design.

Famous words

Cotton-canvas diary covers feature quotes by historic celebrities, among them, "Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler," by Albert Einstein, and "So shall it be written so shall it be done" by Rameses the Great. They come in black or white and are priced at Bt580.

Petal power

Dish up a special menu for a Mother's Day dinner party with tableware from the Kratong and Petal collections, featuring ceramic plates and bowls inspired by roses (Bt1,650) and flower petals (Bt1,480). Both sets have five items.

Bag lady

Natural-colour cotton canvas shopping bags and shoulder bags feature famous quotes or cartoon graphics. There are a variety of designs for Bt750 each.

Venus containers

Ceramic containers celebrating the female form, inspired by Venus, the goddess of wealth, can be twisted to form vases. Prices range from Bt680 and Bt450.

Pattarawadee Saengmanee