Water Repellent Furoshiki

Traditional Japanese wrapping squares find a new purpose as the flexible alternative to the plastic bag

They’ve been around for thousands of years, but Furoshiki are making a fresh, practical comeback thanks in part to Japan Store. Once cherished as the precious carrier of royal and holy robes, the Japanese cloth squares were also used as bathmats centuries ago but today, they can be used as anything from a tote to a shawl. Returning to favor as the ubiquity of plastic …

Chrome and Concrete Candle Sets

Two Icelandic designers explore a similar silhouette in different mediums

Much like Ólöf Jakobína’s Marmo table, So by Sonja is similarly inspired by Iceland’s imposing lanscape and brightly colored architecture. Created by Sonja Björk Ragnarsdóttir, the range’s first product, Candlestick 5, take its name from its form. The pentagonal shape makes for non-linear arrangements, a subtly purposeful detail which hints at the designer’s playful approach to industrial design. Made entirely in Iceland the solid aluminum …

Kiyoshi Mino’s Felt Menagerie

Sparrows, lambs and dramatic chipmunks by an Army vet, farmer and artisan

Made with only a needle and some carded wool, Kiyoshi Mino‘s large and small felt animals are delightful sculptures of farmstead companions. The colorful ducks, pigs and sparrows are born from a time-consuming process that boils down to a ball of wool and significant dexterity in needle felting, a craft the artisan learned at The Farm School in Athol, Massachusetts. Now living and working at …