AKIMOKU for Edition Blue 「No.500EB」

A furniture collection designed for Edition Blue by Otsuka that takes advantage of the unique techniques and skills of Akimoku (Akita Mokko), Japan’s only specialist bentwood furniture maker.
We selected a number of pieces from the firm’s 102-year archive, then modified them to emphasise the charm of the bentwood details, simplify parts to reduce costs and add new functionality. Our process of reforming and updating aimed to bring out the distinctive nature of the existing designs, while keeping down costs such as new metal molds and fixtures. So we turned the legs of a stool upside down and used them as the legs for a low table, and reused the legs of a dining table as the legs for a workbench-style table.
We painted the top of the backrest for the Akimoku Windsor chair in a variety of colours from the 720mm mark upwards, the height of a dining table. This retains the simple, natural finish of the chairs, but provides an unexpected visual delight when the chairs are pulled together at the table. We also changed the fabric for sofa cushions and made them reversible.