Tommy Zung
Tommy Zung is an architectural designer and curator with over three decades of experience, whose work spans architecture, fashion, and his own eponymous architecture and design studio. His practice reflects a seamless integration of technical mastery and a holistic, mindful approach to design, shaped by a lifelong dialogue between structure, nature, and human experience.
Deeply influenced by his upbringing within a family of renowned architects, Zung developed an early sensitivity to form, balance, and cultural perspective. His passion for surfing and close relationship with the ocean have further informed his understanding of nature’s raw power and unpredictability, elements that subtly resonate throughout his work.
The son of Thomas T.K. Zung — a partner of visionary thinker R. Buckminster Fuller who worked alongside figures such as Eero Saarinen and Edward Durell Stone — Tommy Zung inherits a rich intellectual and architectural legacy. This background has shaped his design philosophy into a nuanced balance between Eastern and Western sensibilities, where architecture becomes both a spatial and philosophical practice.
1. Could you tell us how your journey into interior design started?
My path into interior design was not linear. I grew up deeply immersed in architecture and design. My great godfather was Buckminster Fuller, and my father was a partner at Buckminster Fuller, Sadao & Zung Architects. From an early age, I was surrounded by ideas about structure, experimentation, and the built environment.
I was equally influenced by art, fashion, and architecture, and I became fascinated by how spaces shape the way we live and feel. Over time, design became a way to integrate those interests into something experiential and personal. Studio Zung grew from a desire to create spaces that feel grounded, intentional, and quietly expressive.
2. Do you think there has been a defining moment in your career?
Rather than a single defining moment, there have been a series of rites of passage. These were points where my vision and intent fully aligned with the finished work. Founding Studio Zung was certainly pivotal, as it allowed me to articulate a clear point of view with far fewer compromises. Each project since has refined that voice and reinforced the importance of restraint, material integrity, and emotional resonance.
Maison Ferndale © Adrian Gaut
Maison Madison © Adrian Gaut
3. What do you think is the key to a successful interior design? And in your business in general?
Design conviction. It is about understanding the essence of a space, its purpose, atmosphere, and relationship to the people who inhabit it. From a business perspective, success comes from staying aligned with your values and resisting the pressure to overproduce or overdecorate. Longevity is built on intention, not excess.
4. How do you start your interior design projects? Do you usually start with a certain element of design or a keyword? And how do they develop?
Every project begins with listening. Listening to the client and listening to the space itself. Often, a single word, material, or emotional cue becomes the starting point, such as retreat, weight, softness, or tension. From there, the project unfolds organically through proportion, texture, and light. The process is intentionally slow, with refinement achieved through subtraction as much as addition.
5. How would you define your signature style? Do you have “a mantra” that encapsulates your taste in design?
Our work is often described as warm minimalism or quiet luxury. The spaces are refined yet tactile, architectural yet human. If there is a mantra, it would be connected, refined, and sensorial. I believe in environments that feel timeless without rigidity and expressive without noise.
6. What are your 3 favorite pieces from the Philia Collection?
7. Could you tell us about one of the favorite projects that you worked on?
Our recent architecture and interior design project with Daniel Humm stands out. It embodied everything we value, including trust, collaboration, exploration, and a shared willingness to dream. The project allowed us to focus deeply on proportion, bespoke detailing, and a thoughtful dialogue of materials, creating spaces where architecture and interiors speak quietly yet confidently. These are the projects that age gracefully and feel genuinely lived in over time.
8. If you could pick one interior design tip that is important to you, what would it be?
Edit relentlessly. A well-designed space does not reveal everything at once. It leaves room for pause and interpretation. Allow materials to breathe, embrace negative space, and resist the urge to fill every corner.
9. What was the best advice you have received in your path?
Design for longevity, not trends. Taste evolves, but integrity endures. That advice continues to guide every decision we make.
10. What would be your advice to beginner interior designers?
Develop patience, discipline, and a clear set of values, and remain true to them. Your values are essential to lasting success. Immerse yourself in all forms of art, including music, sculpture, dance, poetry, gastronomy, and botanicals. Study materials, proportion, historical references, and everyday life. Your perspective will emerge over time and cannot be rushed. Always prioritize substance over surface.
11. What was one of the hardest learned lessons in your journey?
Learning when to say no. Not every project or collaboration aligns with your values, and saying yes too often can dilute your vision. Protecting the integrity of the work is essential, even when it is uncomfortable.
12. Are there any books/podcasts you would like to recommend to our readers?
Podcasts: The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein, Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin.
Books: Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by Buckminster Fuller, Between Silence and Light by Louis Kahn.
Maison Madison © Adrian Gaut
13. Finally, what are your upcoming projects? Anything you’d like to share or add to the interview?
We are currently working on a mix of residential and hospitality projects across architecture and interiors, both in New York and internationally. We are also expanding our work in collectible design, with a deeper focus on curating art and objects to create spaces and pieces that feel enduring, thoughtful, and deeply connected to how people live.
Thank you so much Tommy, for this lovely interview!