The name of his original two stores came about in an equally serendipitous way. The word mooi means “beautiful” in Dutch.
“I went on vacation in Holland and went on a driving tour with friends. Every time we passed by a scenic area, they’d say ‘Mooi!’” says Chien. “And I thought, that sounds just like ‘magic chair’ in Mandarin and it really fits the furniture I sell.”
When asked why chairs seem to hold a special place in the heart of design connoisseurs (on the photo-sharing Web site Flickr alone, there are more than 60 groups dedicated to this quotidian furnishing), Chien says it is because “chairs are like people.”
“Chairs have legs, a face, which is its back, and a body. When you look at a chair from different angles, it takes on different expressions. And in any space, it is the most essential piece of furniture. It is placed in the middle of the room, the most important part, while things like cabinets and tables are often relegated to the sides.”
Mooi has sold chairs ranging from simple stackable chairs that once furnished an American classroom to pieces by sought-after designers and brands like Hans J. Wegner, Niels Koefoed, Ole Wanscher, Casala and Castelli DSC. But Chien says that the provenance of each item is not as important as its appearance and he does not seek out pieces based on their signature or labels.
Other items in Fabrik exhibit Chien’s whimsical — but nonetheless deliberate — approach to collecting. One of his favorite items in Fabrik is a papier-mache figure of a rotund, mustached man in an old-fashioned striped swimming suit. Other things include tin signs from railroad stations (as well as a bench from a waiting room), vintage heaters and fans and wooden horses rescued from a children’s’ park in Taipei.
While the two Mooi stores are located in quiet residential districts, Fabrik is in a less cozy area of Taipei City, surrounded by auto parts dealers and convenience stores. But Chien notes that his neighbors also include Huashan Central Arts and Literature Park (華山中央藝文公園) on Beiping East Road (北平東路) and Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), both of which are within walking distance.
“I chose this location because I think this neighborhood will slowly turn into a district for artists,” says Chien. “I didn’t open Fabrik to make a lot of money. As long as it doesn’t lose money, then I’m happy.”
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