Portrait
  /  2021.08.26.  /  

Masters of the interior

Interview with the managing director of JAP

Born in the land of our not-too-distant neighbours, JAP started out as a small regional business in the Czech Republic and launched to conquer Europe and the international design scene in the next few years. Whether it’s an ebony doorframe or the brand’s iconic staircase, their unique interior solutions speak of clean design, simple color choices and contemporary yet familiar form - as CEO Petr Paksi humbly put it, JAP isn’t thriving to stand-out, but rather to deliver a continuous level of quality. Read on to find out what else he had to say about the brand’s international and Hungarian plans as well!

JAP was founded in 1991, almost exactly 30 years ago, and the brand has never stopped growing in these past three decades. What is the key reason for the success of JAP both on the domestic and international markets?

We listen to the demands of the market and always do our work thoroughly, to the best of our knowledge. It’s also important for us to constantly develop and move forward. Furthermore, the brand’s success on the international scene comes from the fact that keeping our position as the number one manufacturer on the Czech market was our primary goal. Gradually, we’ve expanded into other countries, such as those of the Arabian peninsula, as well as North and South America. 

One of your very first products that launched JAP into the field of interior solutions were the LUSSO folding attic stairs, which are still available in your portfolio. Did this – or any of your original products – change greatly over time, and if so, what inspired these changes?

Throughout the years, the product has changed mainly for reasons of energy saving and newly arising energy requirements. What hasn’t changed is that we continue to use premium materials and the most ideal design solutions. At the same time, we choose materials that are easy to work with.

Many people rarely think of doors as more than a practical necessity in any interior. How is JAP changing its clients’ perception of these products?

When developing new door systems, we always try to show end consumers and architects that doors are much more than meets the eye: these products represent novel ideas and solutions that can save space in the interior, along with opening up new design possibilities.

Along with your signature door frames and staircases, you offer a number of interior products, including wall cladding solutions, customizable glass door panels and a wide range of accessories. What are the qualities these different, wide-ranging JAP products share?

We are not trying to make products that “stick out”: JAP’S goal is to produce a high-quality portfolio of products that complement each other. And thanks to our collaboration with architects in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Central Europe, we can always stay on top of our game. These collaborations are bringing new, more demanding requirements that in turn motivate us to push forward.

In your stunning showrooms in Přerov and Prague you present individual products in context – in real interiors. Can we expect the same approach in your exhibition at this year’s S/ALON BUDAPEST?

Besides our showrooms in the aforementioned cities Přerov and Prague, I’d like to highlight the JAP showrooms of Bratislava and Moscow, all of them valuable assets in our brand portfolio. Not only that, but right now we’re also preparing a showroom in Budapest. At this year’s S/ALON BUDAPEST we’d like to present some of the brand’s stand-out products so that people can see and prepare for what treasures our Budapest showroom will hold.

As we mentioned earlier, JAP can be seen to grow and expand its business continuously – so what’s next for JAP?

We have our business plans laid out for the next 5 years. Now that JAP is the number one choice of architects in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we’d like to gradually set our foot in more and more countries. The goal for the future is for architects and designers from all over Europe to see us as their most trusted business partners.

What are some of the products that visitor’s of S/ALON BUDAPEST 2021 can expect to see at the JAP installation?

At this point I wouldn’t want to go into details of the products we’ll be presenting at the show. I can say that the line-up will be a cross-section of the best of what the brand can offer, and I urge design enthusiasts to come and visit our stand at the fair. I should also add that visitors can expect to see the tallest doors at the show, along with everyone’s dream wardrobe. That’s all I can share with you right now — the rest, you’ll need to come and see for yourself!

We couldn’t say it better ourselves: if you’d like to step into a brand new world of high-quality doors and a wide range of premium interior products, come and see JAP at S/ALON BUDAPEST 2021 for yourself. Visit the Budapest Arena between September 24-26. and discover the best of contemporary interior design from all over the world. Until then, don’t forget to follow us on our official Facebook and Instagram pages. Let’s meet there in a month!

2021.08.26.

RELATED ARTICLES

Go back to blogs
How can iconic works and styles be translated into contemporary form?
/ Portrait

How can iconic works and styles be translated into contemporary form?

Interview with Attila Kiss, founder of The Up Design
Professional lighting with decorative luminaires
/ Portrait

Professional lighting with decorative luminaires

Discover the world of Luminis!
explore our blog!