Artistic Elegance – Kyobashi Chair by Tonerico
In the heart of Tokyo’s bustling Kyobashi business district stands the Artizon Museum, a bastion of creativity and culture. Within its walls, a special armchair, aptly named the KYOBASHI chair, finds its place. This remarkable piece of furniture was meticulously designed to harmonise with the
Art, Utility, & Nature – Vanfall by Jin Kuramoto
Vannfall, the exquisite water jug designed by the talented Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto, is a testament to the fusion of artistry and functionality. Jin Kuramoto, who founded his design studio in Tokyo in 2018, has brought his distinctive and innovative design philosophy to various domains, from f
Wabi Sabi – Embracing Imperfection
In a world that often glorifies the pristine and the perfect, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi offers a much-needed respite, guiding us to find beauty in the imperfect, the transient, and the natural. An aesthetic philosophy that has its roots in Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi encourages an appreciation f
New at OEN – Sustainable Tableware by ARAS
Introducing our latest addition to the shop: the Cedar Series by ARAS, a special line of sustainable and organic tableware. These pieces are perfect for any household, especially those where tableware is used often, thanks to their exceptional durability. ARAS has innovated a manufacturing method th
New in the Shop – Paper Containers by forc
We are proud to introduce forc, a new project that’s a collaboration between Gifu based paper factory Maruta, the craftsmen at mother tool in Tochigi, and the design talents at FULLSWING. Each container is crafted using strips of paperboard that are cut and then bent in to shape. The material
New in the Shop – VASTO Wall Object by Iwata Woodwork
A beautiful piece of minimal design by the Iwata Mokkou studio based in Hiroshima, Japan. The VASTO wall object has been developed to have harmony within Iwata’s current collection of woodwork that we already stock. These pieces can stand alone as art on the wall or purely as sculptural object
New Feature – A Look Inside the FUJIGOKE Workshop
We recently highlighted some special pieces by FUJIGOKE that are very intriguing and are a little offbeat compared to what we usually post here. Of course, nature is something we do talk about a lot, but bringing nature in to the home is not that easy unless you are talking about some kind of direct
New at OEN Shop – Cutlery by Lue Brass Industrial Now Available
We previously highlighted our new shipment arriving from Japanese metalworker Ruka Kikuchi of Lue Brass. His ‘Industrial Design’ collection has now come in to stock and we are shipping these out in 1-2 days from our studio. Ruka worked closely with a local metalworking studio in Japan to
New at OEN Shop – SUMU Cutlery Series by ZIKICO
SUMU Dinner Set in Black by ZIKICO Mix simple design with innovative materials and I am instantly hooked. That’s exactly what Japanese workshop ZIKICO have done in collaboration with talented designer Oji Masanori. The ‘SUMU’ Cutlery Series uses the material zirconia that’s derived f
Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook Interview
Introduction When I came across American architect Naomi Pollock‘s new book on Japanese Design I knew I had to reach out and see if we could put together something for the blog that might inspire. Naomi’s new book ‘Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook’ is very im
New in the Shop – Cutlery Sets Designed by Ruka Kikuchi of Lue Brass
I have spent the best part of 5 years pondering a way in which we can bring craft to more people. Searching for small avenues in the shop where we can place more industrial products, or to find a way to mix industrial design and craft to highlight the skills of a craftsman. It’s an […]
Tekio by Anthony Dickens
We now move our attention towards an English based designer who has undertaken a project influenced by the design style of Japan, so something that feels quite at home in our archive. Given our admiration for the Japanese style we can be rather predictable with our content sometimes, although we hav