Kiik

To furnish such disparate spaces as waiting rooms, staff rooms and public or private meeting areas, you need an adaptable furniture system. Enter designer Ichiro Iwasaki of Tokyo-based Iwasaki Design Studio, whose Kiik system, an unusually versatile furniture collection, aims to give buyers as many options as possible. To that end, Kiik tables come in square, rectangular, triangular and quarter-round shapes. The upholstered pads are available in almost all colours. And the system itself, which includes ottomans, benches and consoles, can be arranged in endless configurations. Iwasaki’s work suggests that irregular spaces needn’t be poorly designed – and that people should be able to sit comfortably in any room they enter. 

Project Kiik Design Iwasaki Design Studio, Japan Manufacturer Arper, Italy Photo Marco Covi

Sincretismo

The Sincretismo collection, by EWE Studio of Mexico City, brings pre-Columbian traditions into the contemporary home. Each piece is a sculptural object. The Partera stool, a sturdy U-shaped seat on a shell-like base, is carved from a single chunk of wood or stone. The Partera chair, made of burnt wood, is modelled on a Mexican birthing seat with a dramatic, elongated back. The marble Estela light fixture resembles a hollow log, albeit one that radiates light from its core. And the Copal table (shown) is a series of circular and spheroidal forms clustered like star formations. Despite the collection’s variety, the pieces all feel like they belong together. The materials are earthy and tactile, and the shapes have a surreal kind of beauty. Best of all, the works are handmade using age-old artisanal techniques. 

Project Sincretismo Design EWE Studio, Mexico Team Héctor Esrawe, Age Salajõe and Manuel Bañó