Studying oil painting at the age of 6, Chen gravitated to interior design in 2007. During the school year, Chen found every chance to intern as a designer at companies to put what he had learned in class to practice.

Last October, Chen was one of the two undergraduate contestants in the "Top 10 interior designers of Hangzhou" competition held by the Hangzhou Construction Association. Professional designers from almost every design studio in Zhejiang Province participated in the event.

Chen, with his Southeast Asian influenced styles, outdesigned many experienced rivals, becoming the only winner still a student.

His success at the competition brought Chen media exposure, which led to his first client, asking to design an upscale private residence in Hangzhou's Yijingyuan community.

Word of Chen's talent spread, and he was later introduced to many other accounts. Within four months after the competition, Chen has had 22 clients, all interiors of private high-end residences.

Now, not only does Chen have a reputation in Hangzhou, but customers from Shanghai and other cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are seeking out his talents. He attributes his success as a designer to three elements: communication, creation and responsibility.

"Before every design, I really listen to my clients, get to know what they are looking for, their tastes and living habits. I take that and employ my own imagination to mix the materials, colors, styles and what my clients want in the most harmonious way," Chen said.

"I pay attention to every detail in the course of interior design, from the installation of a ceiling lamp to the choosing of a bed sheet," Chen added.

Just because Chen pays attention to detail doesn't mean he loses sight of the bigger picture, focusing on the design market potential in Hangzhou.
"I can't always find what I want in Hangzhou when seeking out decorations and accessories. I often go to Shanghai and Beijing just to look for artwork, something I couldn't get in Hangzhou."

"The décor industry is waiting to be fully opened up in Hangzhou," he said.

And this untapped market was precisely his next step. In November, Chen opened his own art studio in a 200 square meters apartment near his college with 40,000 yuan ($5859) he had saved from his previous accounts.

Not only is Chen gathering accounts, but he is also giving art students like himself a chance to earn money in Hangzhou. With his in house team of artists, a group of 10 students from China Academy of Fine Arts in Zhejiang Province and Huaqiao University in Fujian Province, create all the paintings, calligraphy, sculpture and ceramics his studio sells to decorate their client's homes.

The studio has turned quite a profit, bringing in 50,000 yuan a month on average, but Chen is not sitting on his success. Instead, he is busy everyday finding new opportunities to expand.

"I am preparing to organize some venture capital to back a large IKEA-like home-furnishing market in Hangzhou this year," Chen said.

But plans for business expansion do not mean Chen will forget his artistic roots.

"Of course, I will never give up interior design. It has always been my dream to become a master designer."