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      22RE takes “deconstructivist” approach to menswear store in LA

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      Los Angeles-based studio 22RE has combined metal grids, black and mirrored surfaces, and bold splashes of colour inside this men’s multi-brand boutique in the city’s Arts District.

      The second Departamento location is situated in the Signal retail enclave, which occupies a series of warehouses southeast of Downtown LA.
      The Departamento store features custom elements like a green fibreglass and resin jewellery displayUsing the building’s industrial bones to inform design decisions, 22RE took styling sensibilities of 20th-century modernists like Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra.
      “Inside, 22RE leans into the original architecture’s industrial elements through a deconstructivist lens,” said the studio.
      From inside a coffee shop, visitors pass through a concealed entrance and a mirrored portal to access the storeThe store’s entrance is concealed inside a Concierge Coffee, leading to a mirrored portal that opens onto the shop floor.

      While the layout follows a typical grid, the designers have inserted a variety of partitions, volumes and displays that “disrupt” the flow and encourage shoppers to explore.
      A triangular niche with mirrored walls creates infinite reflections”This non-linear layout challenges the traditional browsing experience and provides an unconventional yet effective approach to shopping,” said 22RE.
      A pair of curved metal-clad walls that evoke a Richard Serra sculpture form a narrow corridor from one area to another, while also displaying garments on their concave sides.
      Partitions and volumes are strategically placed to frame views and encourage explorationBlackened wood panels form an enclosed space, inside which bright white walls and repurposed wooden framing contrast dramatically with the rest of the store interior.
      “The space, entered via a slatted, sliding door, invites guests to experience the collection in a ryokan-inspired setting, evoking the traditional Japanese inn,” said 22RE.
      A red cylindrical element acts a fitting roomThis shop-in-shop was designed in collaboration with fashion brand Taiga Takahashi, and also features shelving made from tatami mats and flooring intended to resemble pebble stones.
      Another triangular niche features mirrored walls that create infinite reflections of the apparel and the aubergine-coloured carpet on the floor.

      22RE invokes “stillness” inside green Miami golfing boutique

      “Collections are hung and displayed via monolithic and sculpturesque forms that divide up the space, creating a fluid but juxtaposing dichotomy between the heavier wood forms and the lighter metallic elements,” 22RE said.
      A red cylindrical volume is used as a fitting room, while further dressing areas are tucked away behind silver curtains.
      22RE collaborated with Taiga Takahashi on a blackened wood shop-in-shop spaceCustom elements include a green fibreglass resin-and-foam jewellery case and a chiselled aluminium side table.
      A white aluminium ceiling grid stretches across the entire store, extending over all of the freestanding elements, with lighting embedded behind creating futuristic glowing patches.
      Influenced by Japanese ryokan inns, the space features white walls and repurposed timber framing22RE was founded by principal Dean Levin in 2021, and has since completed a range of interior design projects across the US.
      The studio recently wrapped up the offices for a creative music agency in LA that include a 1970s-style sunken meeting room and a golf clothing boutique in Miami lined with pale-green stucco.
      The photography is by Erik Stackpole Undehn.

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      Eight characterful kitchens with sleek metal details

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      Our latest lookbook focuses on eight homes fitted with metal kitchens, from a flat in London informed by fish-and-chip shops to a 19th-century apartment with period details in Paris.

      While stainless steel has long been a material associated with restaurant kitchens due to its durability and functionality, it can bring a sleek, modern feel to residential kitchens and many now opt to integrate metal kitchens into their homes.
      Here, we spotlight eight homes that make use of metal in residential kitchens in various ways.
      Included in this collection of projects is a fish-and-chip-shop-inspired kitchen in London, a live-work apartment space in a brutalist building in Quebec City and a 24-square-metre micro apartment in Melbourne.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.

      Photo is by Edmund DabneyHighbury apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
      Local studio Holloway Li renovated this apartment set in a converted Victorian house in north London, creating a single-storey home with an open-plan layout for its co-founder Alex Holloway.
      Designed to reference materials found in London’s many fast food outlets and fish and chip shops, its custom-built kitchen was clad in circle-brushed stainless steel with a curved splashback.
      Find out more about the Highbury apartment ›
      Photo by Maryse Béland, Maxime Brouillet and Antoine MichelBrutalist apartment, Canada, by Jean Verville
      Metal surfaces were juxtaposed against bright yellow wall lamps within this live-work apartment space that architect Jean Verville designed for himself as a “creative laboratory” inside a residential tower in Quebec City.
      Stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture was used for the kitchen, blending in with the raw concrete walls of the 1970s brutalist building.
      Find out more about the brutalist apartment ›
      Photo is by French + TyeTrellick Tower apartment, UK, by Archmongers
      Surfaces and fixtures made from industrial-style materials were paired with newly exposed concrete aggregate walls in this home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.
      In the kitchen, speckled brown and cream terrazzo was incorporated alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.
      Find out more about the Trellick Tower apartment ›
      Photo is by Giulio GhirardiHaussmann-era apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente
      Set within a 19th-century Parisian apartment, French interior designer Rodolphe Parente balanced cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback for the kitchen.
      During the overhaul of the Haussmann-era apartment, Parante set out to preserve and restore some of the classic features while improving the sense of flow by connecting the dining room with the kitchen.
      Find out more about the Haussmann-era apartment ›
      Photo is by Félix Dol MaillotUnivers Uchronia, France, by Uchronia
      Named Univers Uchronia, this eclectic Paris apartment was designed by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban as his home, intended to be an extension of his studio – known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.
      A metallic island was incorporated in the open-plan kitchen, topped with a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp, alongside an array of contrasting materials and colours.
      Find out more about Univers Uchronia ›
      Photo is by Yevhenii AvramenkoStalinist-era apartment, Ukraine, by Mirzoyan Studio
      Partition shelves and built-in furniture were used to distinguish open-plan spaces in Ukrainian architecture practice Mirzoyan Studio’s renovation of this Stalinist-era flat in the historic centre of Kyiv.
      Fitted in the corner of the open-plan living and dining room, the cabinets and countertops in the primary working area of the kitchen were finished in polished stainless steel.
      Find out more about the Stalinist-era flat ›
      Photo is by Pier Carthew Kerr, Australia, by SSdH
      Metal surfaces were combined with wooden cabinetry in this mezzanine-style apartment by local studio SSdH, located in a warehouse building in Melbourne that once housed a chocolate factory.
      Part of an open-plan living space, the kitchen was fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
      Find out more about Kerr ›
      Photo is by Peter Bennetts Microloft, Australia, by Studio Edwards
      Australian architecture practice Studio Edwards remodelled this 24-square-metre micro apartment on the top floor of a 1980s apartment block in Melbourne.
      A horizontal raw aluminium surface was used for the angled wedge-shaped countertops in both the kitchen and dining area, designed to seamlessly merge the two spaces.
      Find out more about Microloft ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.

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      FMA creates flexible offices within former Mexican convent

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      A meditation room and an outdoor work area are available to employees at this office in Mexico, which was remodelled by architecture firm FMA within a 17th-century convent.

      The GO Headquarters is located in the historic centre of Morelia, a city in the state of Michoacán, and is arranged around a cloister at the heart of the building.
      The GO Headquarters takes advantage of a cloister space that is used as an outdoor work and dining areaThis central courtyard offers employees a space to work or relax outside, while surrounded by five planters with orange trees set against the old stonework.
      “The primary challenge of the project was to honor the original architectural elements of the building while maximizing available space,” said FMA founder Francisco Méndez.
      A coffee bar wrapped in clay tiles anchors a space for employees to relax”Moreover, careful recognition of the alterations that the convent had undergone over time was needed, distinguishing between those that were appropriate and those that were not,” he added.

      All of the interior office space is on the level above, accessed from the main entrance via the courtyard and a stairwell.
      Larger rooms feature long conference tables for desk-style workingOn this upper floor, interconnected rooms open onto the colonnaded central space overlooking the verdant enclosed garden below.
      “Moving upstairs, the work areas were conceived as living spaces with a disruptive approach,” said Méndez. “While the architectural program remains straightforward, the diversity and multifunctionality of each area are striking.”
      A variety of clay elements made by local artisans are incorporated throughout the officesLarger rooms accommodate long oak tables that offer more traditional desk-style workspace and meeting areas.
      Meanwhile, a library with lounge furniture and a large shelving system the covers a full wall acts as both a reception and a casual work area.
      A library has a full wall of display shelving and casual furnitureAnother room features a horseshoe-shaped coffee bar fronted with clay tiles and a wooden ping-pong table, where team members can gather and socialise.
      There’s also a dedicated meditation room, nicknamed “the nest”, which acoustically optimised with oak panelling and a padded floor for comfort.

      RootStudio transforms former Oaxaca convent into culinary centre

      “This tranquil space is dedicated to introspection, providing a sanctuary for individuals to rejuvenate their minds and break away from routine, thus emphasising the significance of mental and physical well-being, ultimately enhancing the quality of life and productivity of workers,” Méndez said.
      Throughout the building, lighting was upgraded to an intelligent system that adjusts according to the circadian cycle and saves energy.
      Sand-coloured plaster walls and white oak stave flooring complement the historic buildingMaterials including sand-hued plaster walls, white oak stave flooring, and furniture in warm, earthy tones complements the existing building’s palette.
      Clay lamps, planters and decorative objects crafted by artisans from Michoacán are also incorporated.
      “An emphasis was placed on natural and regional finishes to sustain a sense of warmth and harmony within the project, as well as to support local artisans and commerce,” said the architect.
      Employees have access to a meditation room lined with white oak panelsCompanies and organisations across Mexico are finding a variety of new uses for abandoned or unused convent buildings.
      In Oaxaca, RootStudio converted a historic building into a centre for celebrating the rich culinary legacy of the region – earning the project a spot of the Heritage Project shortlist for the 2023 Dezeen Awards.
      The photography is by César Belio.

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      Eight home kitchens finished with tactile brick floors

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      Our latest lookbook collects eight houses from around the world that feature kitchens with tactile brick floors, including a mid-century home in the USA and a coastal dwelling in Denmark.

      Widely used for their durability and low maintenance, bricks are a long-time favourite material across the fields of architecture, interiors and design.
      They are most commonly used on walls and patios, but also popular as internal flooring because of their ability to add rich, earthy tones and tactile qualities to an interior. 
      While brick flooring may conjure up images of old rustic farmhouses, this roundup shows how they can also be adapted to suit contemporary homes around the world. 
      The examples below include those that have been arranged in herringbone format, used as a backdrop to oak cabinetry or designed to connect homes to their matching patios outside.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.
      Photo by Carlos NaudeHacienda Granada, USA, by Working Holiday Studio
      Working Holiday Studio sought to create a “hacienda vibe” for this mid-century home that it overhauled in Los Angeles.
      Among the alterations was a revamp of the kitchen, which involved adding a floor of warm terracotta bricks handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, arranged in a herringbone format.
      They contribute to a warm and earthy aesthetic in the room, which is enhanced by dark green plaster walls and wooden joinery and furniture.
      Find out more about Hacienda Granada ›
      Photo by Agnese SanvitoGallery House, UK, by Neil Dusheiko
      Chunky reclaimed bricks extend down from the lower half of the walls of this kitchen and continue out across its floor.
      Designed by architect Neil Dusheiko for his father-in-law, the terracotta lining forms a backdrop to a wall of storage built from oak that displays ceramics, glassware and framed pictures.
      Find out more about Gallery House ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
      Handmade ceramic bricks are inlaid across the floor of this kitchen, which Danish studio Norm Architects created at the Fjord Boat House in Denmark.
      Married with warm oak finishes and a custom washi-paper pendant lamp, the textured flooring is intended to contribute to a warm and cosy atmosphere.
      “A refined abundance of warm textures and hues are used throughout, creating a deep sense of cosiness and comfort,” said Norm Architects.
      Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
      Photo by David SouthwoodArklow Villa III, South Africa, by Douglas & Company
      During their renovation of a century-old house in Cape Town, architects Liani and Jan Douglas revamped the kitchen with a tactile material palette that includes brick flooring.
      The terracotta floor continues onto the adjoining patio and is teamed with a structure of exposed South African pine and bespoke wooden units finished with green marble counters.
      Find out more about Arklow Villa III ›
      Photo by Chris WhartonVinyl House, UK, by Benjamin Wilkes
      Elongated bricks are arranged in a herringbone formation across the floor of the Vinyl House extension, recently completed by British studio Benjamin Wilkes in London.
      Designed to help connect its kitchen area to the matching patio outside, the earthy flooring is complemented by warm wooden cabinetry and off-white terrazzo countertops.
      Find out more about Vinyl House ›
      Photo by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
      Terracotta brick was teamed with aged brass and tactile plaster across the interior of Budge Over Dover, a house in Australia renovated by YSG.
      Bricks line much of the ground floor, including its textured kitchen that is complete with a chunky prep counter made with a veiny marble countertop.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
      Norm Architects also opted for brick flooring in the kitchen of Heatherhill Beach House, a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast. It was designed as a contemporary twist on the traditional brick flooring found in Denmark.
      “The bricks are placed side by side instead of in the traditional pattern and have minimal cuts – instead, the grout size changes minimally to achieve a homogenous and harmonious look,” the studio explained.
      Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
      Photo by Fred HowarthCamberwell Cork House, UK, by Delve Architects
      A floor that acts as a continuation of the brick paving outside features in the open-plan kitchen of Camberwell Cork House, conceived by Delve Architects in London.
      Its design formed part of a wider strategy for the home that sought to better connect it to its garden. This is also achieved by introducing large green-framed windows that enhance sight lines and maximise natural light.
      Find out more about Camberwell Cork House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.

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      Armourcoat launches Limewash paints for “environmentally conscious” interiors

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      Promotion: surfaces brand Armourcoat has launched a range of textured and eco-friendly paints for interiors, designed to celebrate the distinctive look and feel of traditional limewash.

      Named Limewash, the collection by Armourcoat is intended as a surface coating suited to both residential and commercial interiors.
      It has a soft matt appearance in 45 shades of limewash – a mix of lime and water used for coating walls – but has a less chalky and more durable finish than traditional forms.
      Armourcoat has launched a range of textured and eco-friendly paintsArmourcoat Limewash is composed of a mix of carbon dioxide-absorbing slaked lime, clay mineral kaolinite, water, mineral pigments and natural plant additives, ensuring it is free from solvents and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
      According to Armourcoat, this ensures the paint aligns it with “top-level environmental and health accreditation” in the architecture industry.

      The brand claims it is the only paint of its kind with Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and Health Product Declaration (HPD) documentation, making it suited to projects striving to obtain the BREEAM and LEED sustainable building certifications.
      It is available in 45 shades”Here at Armourcoat we believe material transparency is fundamental to designing beautiful interiors that have minimal impact on our planet,” said creative director Duncan MacKellar.
      “Our goal as creative manufacturers is to reduce both embodied carbon and environmental toxins, and ultimately drive sustainable innovation within the built environment,” added MacKellar.
      “With our Environmental and Health Product Declarations, architects and designers can be confident that all Armourcoat finishes align with efforts to create environmentally conscious, healthy interiors.”
      It is intended to celebrate traditional limewashBenefiting from the properties of limewash, Armourcoat’s collection has a “naturally high alkalinity owing to its slaked lime”, a critical ingredient which makes it resistant to bacteria and mould. It is also non-combustible.
      Limewash is the latest addition to Armourcoat’s collection of surface finishes developed by the brand to offer “sustainable luxury finishes” to architects and designers around the world.
      To find out more about Limewash and Armourcoat, visit the brand’s website here.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Armourcoat as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      YSG adds 1970s-style elements to Sydney’s Superfreak cafe

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      Australian studio YSG has added carpet-lined seating, cork flooring and high-gloss green paint to the Superfreak cafe in Sydney.

      Located in the city’s Marrickville suburb, the space was converted from an ice cream factory into a pilates studio, which is located at the rear and the Superfreak cafe on the street front.
      YSG has completed interiors with 1970s motifs for the Superfreak cafe in SydneyDrawing on a relaxed 1970s-style aesthetic, YSG opted for a colour palette of pale sandy yellows, avocado greens and deep earthy brown tones.
      Contributing to the retro feel are checked brown and green cafe curtains, as well as vintage furniture pieces including a low, tile-clad wooden table and timber dining chairs sourced from online marketplace 1stDibs.
      A semi-enclosed lounge-like seating area is off to the left of the entranceTo the left of the entrance, a large U-shaped timber banquette made with maple joinery marks out the main seating area It was upholstered in soft brown carpet material often associated with 1970s interiors.

      The deep wrap-around, bench-style seating has inbuilt storage and an integrated plinth containing a record player and vinyl storage cavity.

      YSG creates “eccentric beats of nostalgia” in Byron Bay seaside home

      “Our clients wanted a space where locals felt like they could hang out,” YSG director Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem told Dezeen. “Also, they wanted to welcome pilates students to stretch out comfortably post-class.”
      “A key component was to build sunken lounge-like seating via banquettes that created a cosy enclosure,” she continued.
      Banquette-style seating with maple timber joinery is upholstered in a plush brown carpet materialReplacing the previously all-white decoration, YSG used glossy green paint for the walls and ceiling surrounding the timber service counter.  A statement lamp crafted by American artist Autumn Casey sits on top of the wooden counter.
      “Possessing a child-like expression of a classic Tiffany lamp, we granted it pride of place by the entrance beside the coffee machine,” said Ghoneim.
      Elsewhere, the cafe is illuminated by an array of rice paper lanterns and vintage sconces paired with an angular wall lamp by Olivia Bossy.
      The ceiling and walls surrounding the service counter are painted in a high-gloss greenThe same brown carpet material used for the lounge seating was also added to the exterior of an open kitchen counter and the tops of its high stool seats.
      Above the counter, the ceiling and suspended storage shelves were painted in a high-gloss green.
      Brown carpet material also lines the top of the bar stoolsA mural of a leafy green garden scene by Creative Finish was painted across concealed storage and refrigeration space behind the bar, with a gold-toned corner mirror feature off to the side.
      While the clients initially intended to continue the brown carpet for the floor, YSG opted for cork flooring instead due to the nature of the space as a hospitality setting.
      “Prioritising tonal and textural interest, we laid spongey caramel-hued sealed cork underfoot, also aiding the acoustics,” said Ghoneim.
      The facade of the building was also painted greenTaking cues from the interior concept, the building’s facade was painted green with a street-side coffee hatch cutout incorporated for takeaway orders.
      Other projects by YSG recently featured on Dezeen include a seaside home renovation in Byron Bay and a suburban home in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a boutique hotel feel.
      Photography is by Phillip Huynh.

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      Wax Atelier showcases objects made from tree-based waxes, resins and dyes

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      A design studio that specialises in beeswax has curated a London Design Festival exhibition revealing how living trees can provide materials for design objects.

      Wax Atelier is behind The Abney Effect, a treasure trove of objects and material experiments made using bio-based waxes, resins, oils, fibres and dyes, all sourced from unfelled trees.
      The Abney Effect showcases waxes, resins, oils, fibres and dyes made from treesThe exhibition is on show at Wax Atelier’s new workshop space on the edge of Abney Park, a historic London cemetery that doubles as a woodland nature reserve.
      Highlights include lamps made from pine resin, wood-derived wax crayons and a series of scented waxes created from different parts of orange trees.
      The show includes objects, textiles, scents and material experimentsDesigner and Wax Atelier co-founder Lola Lely said the setting was the starting point for the show.

      Located in Stoke Newington, Abney Park first opened in 1840 as an arboretum. It once contained 2,500 species of tree – more than even Kew Gardens has today – including a rosarium with over 1,000 varieties of rose.
      “That was the inspiration,” Lely told Dezeen during a tour of the show.
      “Besides oxygen, paper and wood, loads of things are derived from trees. We wanted to create a retrospective of those things.”
      Wax Atelier is exhibiting aromatic wax made from different parts of an orange treeThe show includes experiments from Lely’s own design studio and products that she and Wax Atelier co-founder Yesenia Thibault-Picazo have produced together.
      But it also spotlights other designers and studios working with tree-based materials, in an attempt to foster collaboration.

      Ten must-see installations at London Design Festival 2024

      “We all have a synergy in terms of craft, experimentation and innovation, but often we work in our own bubbles,” said Lely.
      “We wanted to create opportunities for dialogue. If people are working with the same materials, maybe it can unlock something.”
      Wax Atelier collaborated with Jacob Marks to produce pine-resin lampsWax Atelier is exhibiting aromatic wax collections made from the orange tree’s flower, leaves, fruit and bark. The studio has also created a new version of its wax linen flowers, based on roses.
      A collaboration with designer Jacob Marks resulted in the pine-resin lamps, while CQ Studio is showing how it turns bio-resin into sequins.
      Playfool’s Forest Crayons are made from different varieties of waste woodThe Forest Crayons were developed by design studio Playfool using waste lumber. Different varieties of wood produce different colours, revealing the spectrum of shades that exist in nature.
      A wall cabinet reveals experiments by Dutch potter Arjan Van Dal, investigating how wood ash can be used to create a glass-effect glaze for porcelain.
      Arjan Van Dal has created porcelain glazes from wood ashVietnamese fashion brand Kilomet 109 is showcasing a range of materials it uses in its garments, including padding material derived from Sharon fruit and buttons made from coconuts.
      Other eye-catching exhibits include Jamie Quade’s Grown Sundial, crafted from a fallen tree, and Lely’s Kabuto Lights, folded pendant lamps made from naturally dyed Japanese mulberry paper.
      CQ Studio creates sequins from bio-resinFounded in 2017, Wax Atelier has its main studio in nearby Walthamstow.
      The Abney Effect is the first exhibition that the studio has hosted in its new workshop space, Labs, which was gifted by Hackney Council and the custodians of Abney Park as a space for research and community engagement.
      Lely’s Kabuto Lights hang above exhibits from Vietnamese fashion brand Kilomet 109The exhibition is part of the Dalston to Stokey Design District, one of several districts in London Design Festival.
      The show programme includes a series of interactive events, including a sundial-making workshop and a tour of Abney Park’s trees with a local ecologist.
      Jamie Quade’s Grown Sundial stands outside the exhibition”The showcase’s setting in Abney Park creates a sense of curiosity, connecting objects and materials with their natural surroundings in a way that we hope feels both new and familiar or unfamiliar,” said Lely.
      “By including ecological walks and preserving natural elements, the showcase ties design to environmental awareness, emphasising the importance of harmonising design with nature and fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainability.”
      Other London Design Festival events include the Craft x Tech exhibition at the V&A showing designers, including Sabine Marcelis, who have collaborated with Japanese master artisans.
      The exhibition photography is by Sara Hibbert.
      The Abney Effect runs from 16 to 22 September as part of London Design Festival. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Sabine Marcelis and Ini Archibong among designers to collaborate with Japanese artisans

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      A sound-emitting egg sculpture and a samurai chest of drawers feature in a series of objects made by designers in collaboration with master artisans from Japan’s Tohoku region, on show for London Design Festival.

      Designers Sabine Marcelis, Ini Archibong, Studio Swine, Yoichi Ochiai, Michael Young and Hideki Yoshimoto all participated in the Craft x Tech initiative, with the results now on show at the V&A.
      Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary Sendai-Tansu chest (main image)Each designer was paired with a different artisan and asked to apply their expertise to a contemporary work.
      “Craft x Tech is more than an exhibition; it’s a celebration of cultural collaboration and innovation,” said designer and engineer Hideki Yoshimoto, who initiated the project.
      Sabine Marcelis produced tables with a high-gloss finish”By showcasing these exceptional works, we hope to inspire new dialogues and creative expressions within the design community and beyond,” said Yoshimoto.

      Marcelis’ contribution saw her work with artisans from Akita, who specialise in the Kawatsura Shikki style of lacquerware, to create high-gloss finishes.
      Marcelis collaborated with a lacquerware artisan from AkitaRenowned for her colourful Candy Cube furniture, the Dutch designer explored a similarly minimal aesthetic. The use of lacquer gives these pieces their distinctly shiny finish.
      Also working with lacquer, American designer Archibong collaborated with Tsugaru-Nuri specialists from Aomori. The result is a sculpture that emits sounds in response to movement.
      Ini Archibong created a sound-emitting egg sculptureAzusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary version of the Sendai-Tansu chest of drawers, specific to the city of Sendai, which traditionally would be crafted for samurai warriors and merchants.
      The British-Japanese duo created a geometric design that takes cues from Japanese block prints and metabolist architecture.

      Pearson Lloyd reveals 10 “well-made” design objects from LDF exhibition

      Just like with the traditional chests, the drawers are completely airtight, so closing one drawer causes another to open.
      Hong Kong-based designer Michael Young used the ironware techniques of Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki artisans to create tables with intricate legs, decorated with patterns based on cherry blossoms.
      Michael Young created tables using Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki ironware techniquesThe traditional Japanese tea room was the starting point for Japanese artist Yoichi Ochiai, who was invited to work with Oitama Tsumugi silk.
      The textile forms a red see-through cube with tree branches suspended at its centre.
      Yoichi Ochiai used Oitama Tsumugi silk to create a contemporary teahouseThe final addition comes from Yoshimoto himself, who created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditions.
      The design combines distinctive glazed elements with precisely cut resin and metal.
      Hideki Yoshimoto created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditionsMaria Cristina Didero curated the exhibition, which was presented in Tokyo and Basel before coming to the UK for London Design Festival.
      “This project is a testament to the limitless possibilities that arise when traditional craftsmanship meets modern technology,” said Didero.
      Craft x Tech is on show at the V&A from 14 September to 13 October 2024 as part of London Design Festival. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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