Malaysia Designer Decorates Backstage Room Of Actress Brooke Shield For Broadway Show

Manik Mehta NEW YORK, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian female architect/interior designer is credited with decorating the backstage room for iconic stage and Hollywood film actress Brooke Shields for her lead female role in the Broadway stage play, The Addams Family, running at New York’s Lunt Fontanne Theatre. “Yes, I did Brooke Shields’ backstage dressing room … and also gave furniture from my store for the dressing room,” Niki Cheng, the Malaysia-born designer confirmed in an interview with Bernama. The Hollywood actress’ first reaction: she screamed in delight when she gazed at the completely refurbished dressing room. Based on the characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, The Addams Family is the smash hit musical comedy which casts Brooke Shields as Morticia and Tony Award winner Roger Rees as Gomez. Roger Rees and Brooke Shields will continue to star in The Addams Family until the closing date of Dec 31. Niki Cheng who, with her husband, owns BoConcept New York, a furniture company that offers a wide range of customized, coordinated and affordable design furniture and accessories, is making a mark on New York’s urban living sector despite the cut-throat competition and constantly changing consumer tastes for new exquisite products. Born and raised in Tanjung Tualang, Perak, she attended the Polytechnic Ungku Omar, Ipoh, majoring in architecture. She was awarded a diploma in interior design from the Malaysian Institute of Art. “My background in designing combined well with my husband’s business acumen, resulting in the fastest growing and a highly successful BoConcept venture. Business has increased ten-fold and we have now a total of eight stores in the New York region,” she said. Her husband, Shaokao Cheng, was born in Taiwan, raised in Japan and educated in the United States where he obtained a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from the John Hopkins University. Shaokao worked for sometime with Citibank and McKinsey & Co., but the husband-wife team decided to create their own company BoConcept New York, a brand name of Denmark’s most global retail furniture chain. The Danish group, according to Niki, has established 340 locations in over 50 countries around the world. The Chengs have become the embodiment of stylish urban New York chic. Niki Cheng, soft-spoken and “never failing to smile even under pressure”, as business associates testify, seems to have impressed her clients with her humility. She has also been instrumental in making many Americans know a lot more about Malaysia. Niki Cheng has used many platforms along with her husband to showcase their products, television being one of them. BoConcept New York’s furniture has appeared on shows such as NBC's The Apprentice, HGTV Home Rescue, Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. The furniture company is today a common sight on Manhattan's streets as well as those of the surrounding metropolitan areas. In 2009, BoConcept New York was honored by the City of New York as the recipient of the Neighborhood Achievement Award, Small Business of the Year for significantly improving the neighborhood and its commitment to the community. Many small business owners say they can learn a lesson from the Malaysian woman’s success story: there is nothing in business you cannot figure out. Answers are everywhere. Take the time to find them out and you could simply become unstoppable. -- BERNAMA