Memorable places
Who is your favorite designer?
What is your favorite furniture brand?
I am often asked this question, and I am always at a loss as to how to respond.
I like Jasper Morrison, Maarten Van Severen, Charlotte Perriand, and Jean Prouvé.
Paul Kjærholm and Marcel Breuer are also good.
It's also fun to look at works by Sottsass, Ron Arad, Marc Newson, and Marcel Wanders.
I also can't give up on Nordic designers like Finn Juhl and Arne Jacobsen.
When I think of my favorite furniture brands, they include Artek, Herman Miller, Fritz Hansen, Vitra, Molteni, Knoll, Moooi, and Magis.
I started to think there was more to it, and I ended up not being able to come to a conclusion and answer the question.
Is it because I have become interested in interior design and have looked at a wide variety of things regardless of genre or country, or is it because I have no convictions?
Of all the places I've seen, there are a few places and exhibitions that have stayed in my mind.
Let me tell you a little about that.
When I was 30 years old and traveling to London in 2009, a friend who lived there told me about a design museum along the River Thames.
This museum specializes in design from the 20th century onwards and is currently being expanded with the addition of a new wing.
At the time, there happened to be an exhibition of Dieter Rams, a product designer famous for the phrase "Less, but better."
At the time, I had only ever seen BRAUN products, and I remember being so excited by the large number of furniture and vintage audio items on display that I nearly got a nosebleed, and staying until closing time.
The Vitsoe wall storage system I saw here is something I would like to incorporate into my home someday.
Next is the Marcel Breuer furniture exhibition that I saw at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo in 2017.
Although he is also famous as an architect, this exhibition focused on furniture, and we were able to enjoy Marcel Breuer's furniture.
As I was looking at the exhibits, I thought to myself that I had no idea about the origin of the name Wassily Chair or the differences between modern and old Wassily Chairs.
I would like to use the cantilevered and rattan-covered Cesca chair as a dining chair in my home.
As I write about these two exhibitions, I'm thinking that I would like to use Bauhaus's rationalist, functional, and simple items without much decoration in my own home.
I'm not a furniture collector, so even though I like looking at things, there are many that I feel don't quite fit in my home.
I like spaces with few objects and no sense of life, but I also like living surrounded by my favorite things.
I went to Vitra Campus in 2018. It's a Vitra facility on the German side of the Swiss-German border, and from the moment I arrived I couldn't stop trembling, my eyes couldn't focus on one thing, and I was so excited I wondered if I looked like a suspicious person.
Buildings by famous architects, showroom display methods, and an overwhelming collection of furniture, lighting, and books from all brands and eras.
I felt like I was in heaven, and for the second time in my life since my first time at Fuji Rock.
What was particularly impressive was the large number of Vitra chairs displayed outside, which looked just like flowers blooming in a field - it was so beautiful.
Plus, you can sit as much as you want.
It really is heaven. Due to my schedule, I could only stay for half a day, but I wish I could have stayed for about three days, as there was so much information to be gained. It's a place I want to go back to again.
After that, I went to Milano Salone, which was also amazing. It has been my goal since I started working at an interior design shop.
Personally, I think that if you're a high school baseball player, it's Koshien, if you're a singer, it's Nippon Budokan, and if you work at an interior design shop, it's Milano Salone.
I almost fainted in front of the Fiera venue, and since I had finally made it to the top, and since I was there for work (interior design is both a hobby and a job, so I can't say it was just work), I was immersed in a sense of accomplishment.
It's like my own travel journal.
The more you look and learn, the more your interest in interior design will expand.
An endless journey.
(text: Doi)
DOI KOUHEI
Born in Toyama Prefecture, currently living in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 40 years old
After becoming interested in furniture, I wanted to work in the interior design industry, so I went to an interior design school in Kanazawa. After working at a store interior design company, I started working at an interior design shop when I was about 23 years old.
Currently, I work at an interior design shop in Kanazawa City, doing everything from sales, corporate sales, furniture planning, and occasional delivery.
My hobbies are moderate running so I can drink alcohol without gaining weight, and simple cooking because I enjoy cutting vegetables with a knife.