At first glance, most of the products at Precious Qui don't look very different from those you can find elsewhere. The wide range includes bowls, plates, tableware, lacquer boxes, combs and hairpins made of horn, aluminium furniture and leather interiors. but look a little closer and you'll see they are all original creations, designed by the shop's owner Michelle, a former French model, ahd her husband Khanh, a designer listed in the French Larousse Dictionary.

Michelle and Khanh share a apassion for beautiful arts and crafts. "I have been collecting fine old objects for a long time, but I'm not interested in producing imitation or fake antiques. I must create my own designs," Michelle says.

Images taken from the various places to which she and her husband travel provide the inspiration for Michelle's creations. But the translation from the idea to its realisation takes time. "First we design the pattern, then we have to study it and discuss it with our friends who are Vietnamese artisans before we can proceed to the finished product. I just add some contemporary touches to create an original product," Michelle says.

The furniture at Precious Qui is created by Khanh who has had success with works such as inflatable furniture (1967) and a car of cubic design made of plexiglas. His collection includes tables and chairs made of aluminium called "Nervures" which feature the veins of a leaf as decorative pattern on the chair backs.

Michelle has created an impressive backdrop for their products (which are mostly black with gold or silver plating) by painting the shop walls red. Products such as classic carved chopsticks and luxury lacquer tableware bearing the motif of the "Ngoc Lu" drum in fine gold stand out against the dark red background.