National 02.03.2010

Soft Wood

...is sexier than it sounds

While we may prefer to sit on something hard, the “soft” wood furniture from Japanese designer Kin ichi Ogata has us thinking outside of our boxes.

Ogata's novel approach to timber as a medium has left us nothing short of spellbound, which, when considering our ever-diminishing attention span (thanks X-tube!), is quite the accomplishment.

To create the oxymoron “soft” wood, the acclaimed interior designer enlisted the help of his brother to manufacture the unique furniture collection. Each piece crafted by the duo sports a network of oak and pine pieces coming together as a matrix, supported by leather to give the surface an ergonomic, inviting twist that most wooden furniture items rarely possess.

Set atop an iron base, the wood/leather top then becomes an artful apparatus that molds to the bottom above it. (Since we reached our innuendo joke quota – it's required by the government – in the first paragraph alone, we'll leave the previous sentence be.)

Ogata's collection is sold only in two spots in the world, Tokyo and New York City, but the stateside gallery offering the elegant, modern furniture boasts a clean and simple online store...with one caveat: shipping takes between 60 and 90 days.

But as the makers of Cialis understand, up to three months spent waiting for soft wood to finally arrive at its destination can spark a lot of interest in one's product...

Pieces vary from $850 - $15,000
(Pictured is the “Soft Sofa,” $12,000)
www.unit523ny.com

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